Adventures in Camp Cooking part 2

Note: I posted this once and half of it disappeared so this version isn't nearly as glamorous.

Day two.  Beautiful morning.  It was actually warmer to get out of the tent than to stay in.  The sun warmed up quickly.   Because of the new camp chef I was able to easily boil some water for those that wanted hot chocolate to help the warming up.  Before it was always a hassle to start the fire first and by the time it got nice then you needed to start breakfast and by then you didn't care about hot chocolate.  But everyone loved it this time.  Breakfast was scrambled eggs and hash browns and OJ and/or milk.  It was so nice to not cook over the fire and singe all the hairs off my knuckles or burn one side of the pan.

After breakfast we went on a hike.  This is where the day gets interesting.  Half way up the trail age6 trips and from there on its whine and pout.  We tried lots of things to get him happy again but he was set against it.  age 13 of course can't stand to walk with the rest of us and always takes off ahead but usually stays within sight since that is what he was supposed to be doing.  He waits for us at varying intervals.  Finally 6 can't resist the lure of the great walking stick find that 10 and I have been playing up for him.  He resumes contented.

We reach a harder, rock slide area and 13 is no where to be found.  Dad yells for him and gets no answer.  He decides we should wait there and takes off.  This is where I am thankful that he is a trail runner.  We wait and he comes back having run for about 10-15 min without sight of 13. Surely with him running he would have caught up to 13 by now.  Horses pass us and they say they will look out.  Now we start to worry.  there are steep drop-offs and, luckily we didn't know at the time, but at this same spot the next day our friend who came up to meet us saw a bear while he was doing his trail running.  We decide that I will take the kids back down (I was disappointed in not reaching our designated end.)  They cry and 6 keeps saying he doesn't think he will ever see 13 again.  It's hard to believe that with all the hurt and teasing he still loves his brother.  Dad will start running up the trail again and if a designated time comes and I don't see him, we will contact the ranger.  It's already been almost an hour.  I try and keep the younger ones entertained on the way back, telling myself that 13 is not as stupid as he acts sometimes.   The horses come back down and didn't see him. We stop and find 'Perfect pine cone Land'  and almost at the end, stop to play in the small waterfall stream area.  Brrrr, but it feels so good.   Just as we get back to camp and wash up, Dad and 13 come right behind us.   Yeah.  all is well.........

We have Pita pockets filled with a combination of your choice, ham, cheddar, provolone, lettuce, cucumber, celery, carrots.   I pick the last 5 ingredients minus the carrots and it is sooo good!  Sorry, no pictures.   Just after we clean up it starts raining.  We wait under the mess tent.  Remember I said this turned out to be a blessing.  Until it slowed enough to grab the fun bag out of the car and dash to the tent.  13 took time for himself in the other tent reading.  We spend the next hour in the tent playing cards and having the occasional cookie.  Age 10 falls in love with the new card game, which I've actually had for years.   The rain stops and Dad and I can't keep our eyes open anymore.  I send 10 and 6 out to play with a badminton set while we try to nap.  It doesn't really work so well for me.  After 30min. I get out to survey the scene and soak up some sun.  We all go out on the boat for a little fishing,  It doesn't last too long.  We feel a drop or two and head in.

Age 13 starts a fire for dinner.  He insists on using his magnesium fire starter.  And he actually gets it to work after about 20 minutes.  One more item forgotten.  The Hamburger Grill for the fire.  Oh well, WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL CAMP CHEF!  The fire gets very big anyway, because we have peach cobbler planned.  We decide to move the stove in under the mess tent because it's raining again.  13 heads back into his tent and the younger ones move into the mess tent with us.  For hamburgers I pre-made patties with onion and the D required Worcestershire, s/p.  It starts hailing.  Hard.  It's cold and the kids are getting wet.  So I throw on another pot of water to make them some hot chocolate.  The ground is flooding and Dad starts digging trenches with his walking stick that we had all gotten earlier.  I put on the burgers on the stove and put the kids under the table, the only dry spot anywhere.  D keeps digging trenches and bailing out water with a paper cup.  The tent across the way collapses.  I can't believe that our canopy with the bent poles is still standing.  I told you it was a blessing.  For now it's the only thing between us and the hail.  Once in a while we bang the snow off the roof. It's really building up out there. And it is really cold. Who knows how much water has gotten under our tents.  I bring the kids out to eat their burgers.  They are too cold to really want to eat much though.  D stops long enough to eat.  These burgers really turned out good.  I don't know why but they cooked perfectly, better than I have done them at home.  Luckily our camera was out of danger in the car.  Finally it stops hailing.  Remember, it's been hailing long enough to cook the hamburgers, then eat them.  the rain slows down and we call 13 out to eat and help dig around the tents.  I send the younger two in to put on long sweats.  I build the fire up again but now all thought of cobbler is gone.  It's cold and everything is wet.  We clean up dinner and spend the rest of the night huddling around the fire and trying to dry off.  I was reminded of the second time D and I met.  Our little group of neighbors huddled around the campfire in the cold rain with snow near by up near Mirror Lake trying to keep warm while I make cupcakes in the fire. Somehow our tents and bags are not too wet.   About 10:00 the stars come out and we turn in. 

To be continued.