So do you feel you have waited long enough for the third installment? Really, I have a good excuse. J Starting school slowed me waaayyyyy down on pleasure writing but I did decide to drop a class (due to kid’s activities, not this) so here I am!
We all woke up on the third morning of the float trip a little worn and grumpy. My body ached all over and the bump on my canoe-assaulted head ached like crazy. I had, however, promised pancakes cooked in bacon grease and another buffet of eggs, bacon and sausage. Yum!
While sorting our stuff into the cars and finding all the necessary cooking utensils, John decided that some leftover steak (from our feast the night before in case you have forgotten because I neglected to tell the story in a timely manner) would be just magnificent with his eggs. So began the goose chase for the steak, resulting in many frozen hands from deep dips into coolers and wet heads (from the puzzled head-scratching with the drippy hands, of course, dirty, dirty minds!). Well it turns out in the end all of our steak had gone missing and get this, one ear of corn was also taken. This, of course, ruled out raccoons. I have seen some crafty coons but never any with the dexterity to open a ziploc bag without tearing it, remove one item and reseal the bag. Poor John! No soup….I mean steak for you!
We ended our camping ordeal with mad dashes to find mousies and blankies and that special dollie…and a trip to the hatchery. The Trout Hatchery was pretty neat, if you like that sort of thing. I have to admire the cleverness of the place and the effectiveness. My kids thought it was one of the most amazing things they had seen. Part of me has a huge problem with any sort of captive breeding of any living thing, so the hatchery was not my favorite sight.
The girls followed their Daddy across the rickety metal bridge-like contraptions looking down at the different sized trout. This made my heart stop as I could just see them falling in. I noticed some really big trout in the side with the teeny-weeny ones and made some comment to Shana. We were abruptly answered by my 4 year-old, “That’s the big sister fish, she’s babysitting the baby fish!” All in all, it was a good time for them at least.
I have to say, the trip was pretty successful. Much better than last year when we went camping while I was 2 months pregnant with morning sickness. The ticks were even more successful, as we pulled at least 8 off each kid just on the trip home and about 10 more at home in the shower. My final count for my self is 22 of those nasty little suckers and I still have healing bites all over my legs. I hate ticks!
