Went hunting/camping this weekend. Not LOADS of fun, but not bad. We left Friday morning [took Gman out of school with teacher permission] and drove 2 1/2 hours to the Land. The Land is inhabited by one camper that sleeps 2 people, a 1950s city bus stripped of the interior attached by a doorway to a second camper - sleeps 4 - 6 depending, a third camper that doesn't belong to us, 2 outhouses, a shower shed [rubbermaid shed with a special camping shower] and a work shed. I call it the Dent County Davidian compound. It looks like something you'd expect to see in Deliverance. We stayed in the original camper that has sturdier beds. Truthfully, though, I hate staying in the camper. Everytime we go there I have to sweep the beds free of mouse poop. It totally grosses me out. We put these great fluffy camping mattresses on top of the beds so we never come in contact with the mouse poop, but even knowing it was there is ick. I also worry that the boy will get a disease of some sort because I obviously can't get all the mouse poop. There's tons of it [a bit of an exaggeration] and it's all over the place. I'd prefer to stay in a nice clean tent. But that isn't as secure or safe from the elements, so I have to tough out the mouse poop.
When we got to camp, Dad unloaded a couple tons of gravel [no exaggeration] and I swept the mouse poop, while the boy twirled with delight to be again at the hunting camp. Throughout the day he and I read Peter and the Starcatchers while Dad did some camp maintainence. Gman misunderstood and thought that he was going to go deer hunting with his little Cricket Rifle [bolt action that only holds 1 bullet at a time and is impossible for Gman to shoot without help from me or dad - he doesn't have the finger strenght to pull back the safety]. After lunch the boy and I shot his Cricket and I shot my .38 while Dad got camo'd up to go bow hunting. Then the boy got camo'd up and they left. I was right on about estimating how long they'd be gone. I got about an hour nap out of the whole thing. We started a fire and the boy played in it [poking it with a long stick]. I was supervising but he managed to heft some burning embers onto his shoulder and proceeded to burn his hands trying to get it off himself. Very minor burns [no blisters and no red spots even] but it made him wary of the fire so I was thankful in the end. Lesson learned with very minor damage - if any - and now he is cautious around fire. After dinner he had fun peeing outside, gathering leaves and twigs to throw in the fire pit [it's 5 feet in diameter], and playing with the flashlights. He got tired around 7:45 so we washed up and went to bed. We read a few chapters of his book and he was out. All that outdoor play really tired him out. Dad and I returned to the fire to have one last drink. We marveled at the stars - millions of them clearly seen - and at the people in the early centuries who figured out all the stuff about them and listened to the owls hoot. No coyotes this time unfortunately as it is really cool to hear them sing. We did hear a few cows lowing, but it's not the same
. We went to sleep without turning on the heater and it was a bit nippy. Fortunately for me, I slept with Gman as Dad got up at 4:30 to go hunting again and I didn't want him waking up the baby. The baby is a great little furnace however. He exudes heat and kept me warm since he's also a cuddle monkey and cannot sleep in the same bed with someone without taking over the whole thing. It was like having a little electric blanket pressed to my back. Once Dad left to go hunting the boy and I went back to sleep and slept until 8 AM [he woke up at 6 something with the sun but I told him there was no way I was getting up with the sun and he'd do better to get a little more sleep because I'd be a much more pleasant mother later in the morning. He listened]. We laid around, read more from our book, and played make believe. We got up around 9 - 9:30 and went outside. I made a fire and made some breakfast. We read more of our book while he ate his breakfast. When Dad got back we shot our guns again. The neighbors came up about noon while we were eating PB and crackers with their dog Rocky. Gman really attached himself to Mrs. Neighbor. They were throwing things in the fire together and then he showed her his rifle and let her shoot it. Once they headed home for their own lunch we started packing up. We left about 4 something and Gman - exhausted from all the outdoor play and excitement - slept for about an hour of the 2 hour drive home.
. We went to sleep without turning on the heater and it was a bit nippy. Fortunately for me, I slept with Gman as Dad got up at 4:30 to go hunting again and I didn't want him waking up the baby. The baby is a great little furnace however. He exudes heat and kept me warm since he's also a cuddle monkey and cannot sleep in the same bed with someone without taking over the whole thing. It was like having a little electric blanket pressed to my back. Once Dad left to go hunting the boy and I went back to sleep and slept until 8 AM [he woke up at 6 something with the sun but I told him there was no way I was getting up with the sun and he'd do better to get a little more sleep because I'd be a much more pleasant mother later in the morning. He listened]. We laid around, read more from our book, and played make believe. We got up around 9 - 9:30 and went outside. I made a fire and made some breakfast. We read more of our book while he ate his breakfast. When Dad got back we shot our guns again. The neighbors came up about noon while we were eating PB and crackers with their dog Rocky. Gman really attached himself to Mrs. Neighbor. They were throwing things in the fire together and then he showed her his rifle and let her shoot it. Once they headed home for their own lunch we started packing up. We left about 4 something and Gman - exhausted from all the outdoor play and excitement - slept for about an hour of the 2 hour drive home.So really, except for the mice poop, we had a really nice time.
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