Summer's On!

Looking back over last summer’s entries I recently discovered one with the same title this one . . . only it was dated August 4th. As the leaves began to turn last fall, we found ourselves wondering if summer had really been here. Not this year!

A week ago Thursday Gavin said farewell to second grade and the school where he’s spent the past three years. Jumping into a car crammed with equipment and topped with the kayak, we took off on our first camping trip of summer. After getting drenched on every camping excursion last year, this visit to our favorite local campground was pure bliss.

While the moms and dads set up camp, the kids set off for the beach. As digging in the sand started to lose its appeal, toes were dipped in the water and before long all the kids were soaked to the skin, rain or no rain.

The campground provided the perfect setting for all kinds of recreation – bike riding, playing strategy games, swimming, kayaking, hiking – and we did it all. Some of our grandest adventures involved cooking over the fire. While I supplied the usual hot dog roast, Tricia was thinking bigger this time. The pita pizzas cooked in the coals of the first night’s fire delivered a great meal. The next morning’s attempts delivered some serious humor. Despite the most earnest online claims that eggs can be roasted atop raw bacon in a paper bag over a fire, we didn’t quite get it to work. We met with greater success when it came to the ‘muffins’ baked in orange peels. Chocolate-chocolate chip with a hint of citrus went over well with kids and adults alike, even with a smattering of ashes blended in. All in all, it was an entertaining meal.

Our morning hike took us on a loop we had not yet explored. Chad, our resident expert botanist, set off to teach the kids to identify native plants. Nathan turned out to be a whiz, spotting red oaks and white birches up and down the trail. We checked out the campground's new walk-in sites, skirted the tower to which we owed our clear cell reception, and listened to the kids beg for shoulder rides. Most of all, we just basked in the chance to be together on such a beautiful day in such a glorious setting.

One camping adventure new to this trip was the solar shower. Some friends had chosen that Saturday to be sealed in the temple, and we figured it would be best not to show up in Boston looking (and smelling) like we’d been camping for three days. It was a beautiful event and Chad, Tricia, and I were grateful to be there. Returning to the campground, we soaked up a little more sun, then rescued the kids from the weekend crowd that had congregated during our absence.

I can’t imagine a more ideal kickoff for summer vacation. Bring on the fun!