Camping 2012

This post is long over due, but I have a very good excuse. You see it seems that blogger has deemed most of pictures I took not worthy to upload. UGH!! I had some really great pictures. Oh well, here is the extremely edited version of our week at Outlet Bay.

 

 

This is  Ike and his buddy, Phil. Yes, they are smiling and yes they are doing the dishes. I tell ya, the woods make everything funner.

 Well exept for peeing. Peeing in the woods is not funner.

 Ben and I bought a kayak. I love kayaking and have wanted one for many, many years. We got a double so that way we could take the kids for rides. Sadly, blogger did not like those pictures either. Here is Daniel taking Jakey for a ride. By the end of the week Jake was paddling along all by himself. I went with him a few times but the little buggar kept hitting my upside the back of my head with the paddle. The next time I put him in front, I came out more wet than I would have swimming.

 Here is Ben and Jakey taking off for another trip. The girls were pretty nervous on their first ride out but eventually became quite demanding on their trips and destinations.

One morning Daniel and I desided to row out to an island about a mile away. We learned how cruel currents can be and how tired our arms and shoulders could actually get. We made it to the island and back to camp in a little over a hour.

 We had our usual one day of ran and poor Ike being the lightest one there that knows how to tie a knot became the lucky one to be on Ben's shoulders and well as Daniel's. He was walking funny for a while after that little adventure. The rain had cleared by the afternoon and we were all back in the water.

 For Daniel steel toe boots are not only a must for school, riding a bike, hiking and camping, they also work great on the beach.

 Having our fill of thimble berries.

 We went for an afternoon hike to Hanna Flats which is known for its huge cedars. The hike is beautiful and we got some amazing pictures of these giants.

Mr. Bear was back this year, he was not missed last year. Most of the week we had the entire camp site to ourselves. We were super vigilant keeping food put away for the night, keeping our campsite clean and making sure to have a latern lit up at the table all night long. He does not like light and a simple thing like a lit lantern keeps him away. Well as the weekend came more people showed up. Ben and I figured with all the noise he would definatly not come around and that we had made it through the week without any un-wanted visitors. We were wrong. Luckily it was not our site that got ravaged. It was two sites over. I layed there in my tent and listened to the whole ordeal. He took his sweet time, must have been there for at least an hour. Luckily all the kids slept through it. I and the people whose camp was getting trashed were awake. I knew they where awake because I could hear them swearing from there tent. I was very glad to pack up and leave that day because I have a feeling he was going to be back the next night. More people there means more sloppy campers and more available scavanging.

The week was so much fun and went by way too fast. It is sad to think that in a couple years Daniel will be off doing his thing. Camping with diapers, play pens, kids on leashes, hauling potty chairs, and washing sand out of little buns my kids are growing up. It makes me very sad. Oh, don't get me wrong, I do not long for those diaper days, it just is amazing how fast time goes by and how happy I am to have started this camping tradition 13 years ago.