Last Camping Trip of Summer

Sunset (or was that sunrise?) in the north woods.

I decided not to entitle this post "Last Camping Trip of the Year" because, who knows? This post is out of order, because I'm getting caught up on catching you, dear reader, up on our events of the last couple of months. There's a lot! For a family that likes to do less than the rest, we certainly have been active.

In early September, we went camping with Anson and Alder. This is most unusual! They live in Seattle, we live in Portland. Sometimes it seems like they live on the Moon, we live in Pellucidar. But we both made an effort, and met somewhere between the two cities in the beautiful, mossy, rain-soaked woods.

It was a long drive. The girls were fantastically well-behaved in the car, despite the fact that we only got out to stretch our legs once, and briefly at that. They are both good travelers.

Elizabeth was very excited to see our two friends. I think she admires Alder a lot, and feels that Anson vies with Pat for the title of Silliest Man Alive. Suzanne didn't know what to expect, but was game for anything.

We had a good time, just hanging out. There was a short hiking trail we managed to spend hours exploring (with a lengthy stop at the rocky riverside). The river was roaring and muddy from the recent rain. I had hoped to go swimming, but the water, even where it was not capped with white, was too muddy even for me. And it wasn't very hot, unless you were hiking in corduroys and a sweatshirt while carrying a 36 pound girl in footsie pajamas. Then it was hot.

Anson and I got to go on an adventure to find split firewood. The campground host was out of wood, so he pointed us toward a private party that sold wood cheap. A five mile drive through the backwood roads took us to an expansive property full of outbuildings and rusty equipment and cord upon cord of wood. A nice old fellow sold us some at five dollars per wheelbarrow-full. I think we spent $20 and filled the back of the Volvo practically to bursting.

Elizabeth listens intently to Alder reading Little House on the Prairie.

Little Camp in the Big Woods -- Barb bought a pavilion in case it rained. It didn't, but it was kind of fun to have, knowing we could shelter under it if the weather took a bad turn.

The Wood Nymph.

When the sun came out Saturday, the whole wood steamed.

Suzanne and Elizabeth inside a huge, rotten stump. They are hugging puppets (Oliver and Clara, respectively -- Joey doesn't travel much, being both fragile and too precious to chance losing). The inside of the stump was dotted with little red beads of fungus.

Mist on the river.

It's not camping without marshmallows. Surprisingly, Elizabeth likes her 'mallows burnt and black. The one pictured is undercooked to her. This is surprising because she likes her meat rare and her corn frozen.