Sunday, May 28, 2006
Annual Memorial weekend camping trip
This gathering began approximately twenty-seven years ago when a few high school seniors grabbed a case of beer and headed way into the mountains to drink. Decades later it has evolved into a huge gathering of many families with nearly every amendity you can think of. It's all centered around an old schoolhouse that sits on the property belonging to one of our friends.

Camping in the mountains may sound redundant for us. Let me stress the point that this is waaaay out in the mountain wilderness. It's hard to believe there was ever a community large enough to sustain a school in this remote area. Here's the little schoolhouse.


No one is actually cheeky enough to bring a camper out there. But they have enough luxuries to embarrass a real camper. We have an old fashioned outhouse, a new port-a-john, and premiering this year, a shower tent. They also have a kerosene heater for the school when it's cold. This year there were two gas powered generators. They actually had video games set up in the schoolhouse! I mean it's one thing to bring them to run your blender...but video games!?!

Spot the johnny houses...(To the left is the shower tent)


Here is the central gathering area in good weather. They put two canopies together and we all huddle in the shade.



The weather today was terrific, but we have spent many a Memorial weekend huddled in the schoolhouse, chased indoors by the cold and rain. In twenty-seven years M. has only missed the trip once, to attend my brother's wedding. I've used Emma as an excuse not to spend the night the last two years. I'd stay overnight if I could ever sleep at night. But I simply cannot. I'm sure Emma will force me to do it again someday.
Written at 10:16 PM by Highlandgal.
|