Camping and Connecting with Old Friends

We went to Camano Island this weekend. The weather was perfect! Not too hot, not too cold. This may be our last trip this year, so I really enjoyed it.

Walter is enjoying his trips less and less these days. He really likes sleeping at night, because he gets to sleep with daddy. But he is too slow on his feet to walk on the beach, and can't see or hear well.

The flames really weren't consuming Skip, just a little special effects photography by Dave.

Is that the evil eye or what? We picked up Alexis on the way, and Skip came after work.

We played some games in the evening. Alexis and I here hard at it with "Can't Stop."

On Saturday we visited with Julie and Wendell Johnson and then went over to Dave and Lydia Jensen's. Julie and they took us over to Dave and Lydia's. We kind of figured it out and we haven't seen the Jensen's since 1997, just before they sold their place in Marysville and moved to Camano. Both families have beautiful homes. Wendell and Julie buildt theirs from ground up, as they did their home in Machias. Dave and Lydia remodeled their beautiful sound view home shown here. Well, you can see the view, but not really the home.

This is Randy Jensen's 12 y.0. daughter. Wow! I didn't look like that at 12.

Kristy (Johnson), our Christy's teenage best friend and her son. I had intended on putting a picture of Kristy and her daughter, but it would be out of place now. I will post it later.

I sleep so well in the trailer when we're camping. Even when there is noise, I still feel very rested in the morning. It was a very nice trip, with the exception of one small incident. We were woke up at around Midnight Saturday night with "Everybody out!!" and then someone running right passed our trailer and yelling "STOP POLICE! STOP POLICE! STOP POLICE!" all the way down the road. You could hear his shoes hitting the pavement as they ran buy. The last thing I was going to do was "come out." My mind was racing trying to figure out what was going on. We knew that there was about 3 carloads of teenage boys that were partying hardy when we went to sleep, so my first thought was that it was a prank. After they passed by, Dave had to get up to visit the little boys room. I didn't want him to leave. But he heard some talk about their being a fugitive that had been breaking in to houses in the area. Don't know if that was true or not, but pretty soon we heard the sirens, so knew something was up. Of course, by that time I couldn't stay put, I had to get up and see what was going on. The Rangers are now armed, and apparently they had found this guy in the bathroom, and that was why they were yelling "everybody out" referring to the bathroom, not the campers, thank heavens! By this time there were Island County Sheriff's dept there and they had the guy down on the ground in the fetal position. They started reading him his rights and about that time the fire engines came so we couldn't hear what he was arrested for. There were a couple females that were calming each other and the police were taking their reports so I am thinking they may have been in the bathroom when he came in... don't know. Hoping we can find out from our Camano friends just what happened. But the whole park was up and watching by this time too.

Shake Down Trip

Out first official camping trip in our newly acquired trailer. Set up had a few challenges as we discovered different "personality flaws" in our new little home. Nothing that can't be overcome though, and nothing that caused too much consternation. They are "full size" beds, but I have to say that I don't think I want to share my full size with anyone else. Dave and Walter had this side in his new "king size" sleeping bag.

I preferred actual bedding and was so snuggly and slept so well that I was actually able to sleep past 6am (actually about 8am) for the first time in months.

I love the storage in this trailer. Between this compartment under the bed which is actually the one that you can access from outside, and the one under the coffee pot and the two under the sink, the only thing that had to go in the car was the generator (which we didn't have to use this time) and a few personal items. There is also storage under both of the seats.

We bought dry ice for the ice box and it kept the food so cold it was nearly frozen.

One of the little personality defects is the fact that the stove doesn't work. But we have our regular camp stove, so we were not without resources. I love the table that hooks to the side of the trailer.

The campground was not quite as I have been used to. It was packed full and being in the "water, power hook up" sites also puts you more in to the center of civilization.

I cooked my first meal in about 4 months. Actually this is my second, I also cooked breakfast. Being on Nutrisystems I don't cook any more, but found on the last camping trip that I really missed camp cooking, so decided to take the weekend off of the diet and live like a normal person.

Skip and Alexis were coming for dinner on Saturday night and the meal was totally campfire cooked. Baked potatoes and corn on the cob in the fire and fire grilled steak. I've cooked corn in the fire below but left all the husks on, and didn't much like the flavor. So this time I shucked the corn, rubbed it with butter and then wrapped it with some of the nicer corn husks and then foil and put in the fire.

I've had these "Grill Buddies", slotted aluminum for a few years just waiting for the right time to use them, and it worked quite well.

We also met up with some old friends, Wendell and Julie Johnson that live on Camano Island now, and they had smores with us on Saturday night. I was too busy catching up on old friends and memories to take any pictures.

We also visited our old "boss" and neighbor from Marysville, Jack Garmon and his wife Verlee. It's always good to see them and catch up even more. We miss Jack very much here at work.

We even managed to get a little shopping time in. I got a few craft items and we followed up on a sale and Dave got a new Toshiba laptop. While Dave was out chasing that down Sunday morning I was lounging in my comfy snuggly bed.

I know it's late in the season, but i'm really hoping we can get a few more camping trips in.

Card

This pattern was from Splitcoast Stampers, and it intrigued me enough to get me back in the crafting room. I thought that it was pretty unique in design. I made it for one of our residents who has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic/liver/lung cancer. I'm sorry for the reason and hope that it lifts her spirits.