Father’s and Son’s campout 2007

When it comes to updating the blog, it’s either feast or famine. Right now it is ‘feast’. The month of July is typically the busiest of the year for me and my family. So while there is no shortage of blog-worthy material, the time needed to post is scarce. So if my events are a little late, please excuse me.

Every time I post I get questions about Omnibot. Everyone wants to know when they will be able to hear from him again. The answer to your question is: As soon as I hear from him. He found a little blonde that he refers to as ‘Paris’ and the two of them skipped. I will let you know when and where they turn up. And just for the record, it wasn’t my ‘Ostertag’ hands that caused his amputation. The little turd was wriggling around like a fish on a hook and mumbling something about ‘the promised land’ when he slipped from my grasp.

But that’s not why you came. Last weekend my Dad’s ward had their annual father’s and son’s campout at Rockport reservoir. So P-Boy and I tagged along with my Dad and Chas. Patrick was so excited to go with me that five minutes after arriving he ditched me to go fishing with some other little boy and the boy’s father. So I stayed to help set up camp, which was immediately under the dam spillway, which didn’t seem quite right to me.

Dinner consisted of the camping staple hamburger and veggies wrapped in tin foil. Can you really go wrong with that? I say no. But the highlight of the night was dessert. Grandpa Stretch was in charge of desserts, so he brought several Dutch ovens and made 4 different flavors of cobbler. I brought my Dutch ovens and made my usual raspberry bread pudding which was a hit. I also made an applesauce cake, which was a first-time recipe, so I figured Dad’s ward could be the guinea pigs. We stuffed ourselves with desserts until we slipped into a coma.

Pay attention to the picture of Patrick with a box on his head. He was goofing off, and it reminded me of an incident Chas had when he was about the same age. Chas had been walking around our driveway with a large cardboard tube over his body, which pinned his arms down; only his head protruded from the top. Alley’s boyfriend of the time, Russ thought it would funny to push him over and then catch him at the last second. Russ missed and Chas had no defense against the oncoming concrete. To this day, over 15 years later, that still remains the most awful sound I have ever heard. I asked Chas if he was also reminded of the incident, and he said no. Of course, he doesn’t remember it…

I have also included some pictures of my Dad’s walking stick, because I think it is cool and I am jealous that he has the skills to carve. Each time he goes camping he carves an image relating to a theme of the camp. The stick includes an Indian head, and eagle, snakes, square knots, spiders, a canoe, a tower and the angel Moroni.

Saturday morning we went waterskiing, and though Patrick didn’t ski, he was my flag man, since I spent more time in the water than up on the skis. I have found that I am one of the few people who still uses skis. It’s all about the wake boards nowadays. Chas wasn’t able to get up on the wake board and became incensed when the bishop suggested that he should be good because it is just like surfing. “They’re nothing alike.” He maintains.

All in all a good time was had by all and we look forward to next year’s father’s and son’s campout.