Thursday, July 29, 2010

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Summer camp with the Boy Scouts - what a great idea for a summer vacation! Who wouldn't enjoy swimming, hiking, canoeing, and sleeping under the stars? Sounds like great fun.

Okay, now let's add a hurricane in the Gulf, and point it towards the Texas coast, uncomfortably close to where you are camping. That changes things just a bit, doesn't it? 

Here's how it went.

The first two days of camp were pretty good.  It was a bit hot and humid, but a light breeze kept it bearable. We slept in A-frame tents with the flaps rolled up.  I was lucky enough to get a tent to myself... well, sort of.  Every tent had its own collection of bugs: assorted spiders, masses of daddy long-legs, cicadas, katydids, grasshoppers, and walking sticks.  I found this little guy in my tent.  He was about 6 inches long and as big around as my pinky!

On Wednesday morning, the weather turned rainy and it stayed that way for the rest of the week. All of the water classes were cancelled because the river's current was deemed too strong, so our boys were unable to complete those merit badges.  By Friday, the river had risen 2 feet and, after lunch, camp staff moved everyone to the dining hall at the top of the hill. We had a quick adult pow-wow and decided to leave early since the classes were done and the closing activities would be limited due to the rain.  The boys were packed up and ready to go in record time.  I think we were all anxious to go home.

So here I sit, almost a month later, still nursing a sore leg (strained muscles from too much climbing followed by too much driving?) and reliving my week at Scout camp. 

Did I have a good time? Yes. Even though I never got to take that canoe trip, it was still a fun week.

Will I go again next summer?  Mmmm, I think I'm gonna hold out for that cruise.