Hello world!
Schools out, I'm supposed to be 'out' until September but somehow I keep needing to head into work for just one more thing. Which is fine---I'm thankful to have a job.
We went camping this weekend. Normally my idea of 'roughing' it would mean I go somewhere where cell coverage is just a wee bit spotty--this place was roughing it and THEN some.
But first a little about our nearly 12 hour drive to get to the middle of nowhere. And I when I say nowhere, I really mean it. This was nowhere in a BIG way. In a bear, rattlesnake and coyote kind of way. Where the mosquitos were the size of Boeing 787's but with better take off and landing capabilities.
We went to Lake Ellen. Don't ask where it is--just know that if you want to experience nature without all the nasty ammenities like showering, flushing a toilet or getting a cell signal, this is your kind of place.
First we followed this man. Yeah, yeah ok. I used the Alien Booth app on him. This is my father. Normally he doesn't look like this unless you squint.
And this is what we looked at for hours and hours. The rear end of his trailer.
Please excuse the duck and the bear. The bear is called The Navigator and has been with Lance and I since before we were married. It's a long ooey gooey love story that is best told another time. The duck? I think it belonged to one of the kids and came along for the ride.
The drive there took 11 1/2 hours. ELEVEN AND ONE HALF HOURS! The drive home took us 6 1/2 hours. SIX AND ONE HALF HOURS!!! Yes, there was a difference of FIVE HOURS. That's because we were following this man.
And this man wanted to take the 'scenic route' and then drive 25 mph under the posted speed limit.
Ok, it wasn't 25 mph under--but it was darn close. He had a trailer to fall into when he got there. We had to do this:
The detour was fine because we got to see the snow that was still piled up over the pass.
And we were also able to see this beautiful, albeit windy, sight high up above the resevoir.
The girls (cousins and friends that went with) tried to enjoy the pristine and freezing lake. Ashley is on the floatie. Some of them washed their hair in the lake. There was no beach, you had to climb down rocks. Notice all the other people there? That's because there wasn't anyone there. I'm not sure anyone else could find the place. Which was a pleasant experience--not having to have a lot of strangers around.
My father fished the lake off the dirt road around the side. He never caught anything but did have a huge bald eagle swoop in where his fishing line was and scoop up a fish. It flew off to feed it's young and my dad packed up his gear
The other men we were with all limited out each time but they had to crawl down large boulders on the other side of the lake to do so and it was too dangerous for my father to manage that. He got down there once and had to have four guys help him back out. The trout were delicious, by the way.
Alli played the guitar while we were there.
We were going to stay four nights but then remembered a birthday party we'd promised to attend and so we left on Saturday morning. We never made it home in time for the party (sorry Jordan!) but when we did arrive, our kitty was extremely happy to have his human home. Lance is his human. Can't you tell?
Schools out, I'm supposed to be 'out' until September but somehow I keep needing to head into work for just one more thing. Which is fine---I'm thankful to have a job.
We went camping this weekend. Normally my idea of 'roughing' it would mean I go somewhere where cell coverage is just a wee bit spotty--this place was roughing it and THEN some.
But first a little about our nearly 12 hour drive to get to the middle of nowhere. And I when I say nowhere, I really mean it. This was nowhere in a BIG way. In a bear, rattlesnake and coyote kind of way. Where the mosquitos were the size of Boeing 787's but with better take off and landing capabilities.
We went to Lake Ellen. Don't ask where it is--just know that if you want to experience nature without all the nasty ammenities like showering, flushing a toilet or getting a cell signal, this is your kind of place.
First we followed this man. Yeah, yeah ok. I used the Alien Booth app on him. This is my father. Normally he doesn't look like this unless you squint.
And this is what we looked at for hours and hours. The rear end of his trailer.
The drive there took 11 1/2 hours. ELEVEN AND ONE HALF HOURS! The drive home took us 6 1/2 hours. SIX AND ONE HALF HOURS!!! Yes, there was a difference of FIVE HOURS. That's because we were following this man.
Ok, it wasn't 25 mph under--but it was darn close. He had a trailer to fall into when he got there. We had to do this:
The detour was fine because we got to see the snow that was still piled up over the pass.
And we were also able to see this beautiful, albeit windy, sight high up above the resevoir.
The girls (cousins and friends that went with) tried to enjoy the pristine and freezing lake. Ashley is on the floatie. Some of them washed their hair in the lake. There was no beach, you had to climb down rocks. Notice all the other people there? That's because there wasn't anyone there. I'm not sure anyone else could find the place. Which was a pleasant experience--not having to have a lot of strangers around.
My father fished the lake off the dirt road around the side. He never caught anything but did have a huge bald eagle swoop in where his fishing line was and scoop up a fish. It flew off to feed it's young and my dad packed up his gear
The other men we were with all limited out each time but they had to crawl down large boulders on the other side of the lake to do so and it was too dangerous for my father to manage that. He got down there once and had to have four guys help him back out. The trout were delicious, by the way.
Alli played the guitar while we were there.
We were going to stay four nights but then remembered a birthday party we'd promised to attend and so we left on Saturday morning. We never made it home in time for the party (sorry Jordan!) but when we did arrive, our kitty was extremely happy to have his human home. Lance is his human. Can't you tell?
Oh - know that. We went to visit my brother in California and it's a 11 hour drive to and from. Sigh. I really wish someone would invent the transporter, ya know?? But you're better than I am...camping is NOT my cup of tea. lol Have a great 4th!
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