The last week: Part II - Camping and the Great Tent Disaster of 2007

Last weekend, some of my M3 sistahs and their hubbies (and me!) headed out of town for a camping trip at Lake Dead Possum or Creek of the Beetlehead, or Arrowhead Doodlesnart, or some such name that I have already burned out of my memory. We got to the site, set up camp - I in my friends lovely 32 foot trailer, and our friends Erin and Bob quickly got to work setting up their tent. They had decided to rough it, if you will. Beautiful tent - but it started raining a little and so we all set off to help them. As we were helping...the rain petered out and we thought "well, there went that storm that everyone was so worried about"...the tent was up - we all had a drink in one hand and a foldable chair under us.

I should have guessed that as I took this picture below, we had probably not seen the last of the storm...looking at it now - it's kind of comical that we didn't run for cover right then and there, but no. We were fierce and convinced the storm was a passing fancy...

Shortly after this picture was taken, we had a nightmare on our hands. The wind picked up and out of nowhere we were in a torrential downpour. We watched as Bob, who was still putting the finishing touches on his tent, came running out and just about that time, the tent started to collapse. Rods were breaking and bending...flaps were flapping uncontrollably...it was mayhem. From under the trailer canopy, we were still staying dry but Paul began to tell the story of the one time his Grandparents got caught up in a storm like this one and had their awning out and it got pulled right out of the ground and up over the trailer. At that very moment, my friends, the awning we were taking such pleasant refuge under sprung up, as if in response, and flung itself with a loud "WHACK!" up and over the trailer. Paul looked at me and said "like that!" Now bring in the Noah's Ark type rain and we are all standing out there - Bob still trying to salvage the tent - and us all holding on to the awning and trying to coax it back down - rain gushing all over us. The kind of rain that stings when it hits and the big fat drops that absorb every ounce of dry clothing you have on. Yeah...un-huh...go ahead and laugh...you'll get yours.

Recognizing we had no where to go and no where to hide until the storm passed, and having both mourned the tent sufficiently and jimmy'd the awning back to it's closed position, we all took shelter in the trailer (all five adults, one child, and two dogs). Once inside, and after the re-telling of what we had just been through had been played out and dry clothes were put on - we decided to make the most of it and just have fun anyhow. The trailer was certainly big enough to fit all of us and so we just got on with the weekend. Robyn, Erin and I (oh! and little Mister Rowdy) busted out the games - including CLUE, which I haven't played since I was a kid! Too fun...

It wasn't long before our resident chef, Robyn, busted out the Mamwiches. (she's gonna kill me for saying that!) Actually they were her own homemade recipe and they were hot and delicious!

We stayed up til the wee hours (as per M3 usual) talking and cutting up. Don't even ask what the cups are doing on Bob's ears. It was easy entertainment people...that's all I can say.

Our hostess and her host, Paul and Robyn - chilling in the "master suite" with their little baby! What a life-saver that trailer was!!

This picture kills me! It's Erin in the middle of a story - I don't remember what it was about (I know, horrible!) but the look on her face, and the look on Bob's face - adoration of his funny gal. Love it!

Me and My Funny Gal...Erin

Bedtime - come on now, isn't this a little more comfy looking than a tent??

Here's the gang of M3 sistahs...the next morning. Not too bad for just having woken up! When we woke up, there was no getting around it. The weather was still rotten and it was just outside the trailer door. We tried to go out a couple times, but the wind and bitter cold drove us right back in. There was just no pleasing the weather gods. After a rational process of elimination, we realized that neither our hike, our campfire, our smores, or our "sitting out under the stars" action was ever going to take place on this particular trip. We were doomed to the inside of a very nice, but let's face - you don't go camping to stay in it all day - trailer. Truthfully we still had a good time, but there was nary a moment more of camping to be had for any of us. So we cut our losses....literally...

Here is Mr. Bob with a pair of scissors, literally cutting his tent up so he can tear it down and get the heck out of dodge. It was totally ruined, and not salvageable. I think the scissors helped with the slight aggression he was feeling toward the crappy thing falling apart. Scissor therapy...now there's something I've never thought of!

Then we quickly dressed, packed up, and headed out. Off to my house for a barbecue and a Wii party. We were gonna get something out of this weekend if it killed us! And it darn near almost did! See the next post for more about the Worlds Largest Chicken and Wheelbarrow. Trust me...you will roll your eyes at least once in my next post...

~Seacrest Out!

Oh that reminds me! THANK GOD SANJAMAYA-FRIJAYA IS OUT! - I was gonna have to stop watching AI if he wasn't - so whew! Viewing pleasure crisis averted!