August 5, 2014

Clean, Clean, Clean

Coming home from camping involves lots of cleaning. I cleaned the inside of the trailer before we left French Creek. When we got home we had to clean the outside which was really muddy. How many people does it take to clean a trailer? 3 - one to do all the spraying (Don), one to keep plopping in the quarters ( Alex), and one to maintain quality control (moi).  We also had to start cleaning the clothes and lastly but most importantly, peel off the baseball cap and clean ourselves. I think I could have used that power washer we used on the trailer on myself! It's good to be home!

Goodbye until next year!

August 4, 2014

Quiet, Quills, and Cinema

This morning, Don's sister and family as well as his parents, packed up and said goodbye and we were back down to six people and 4 dogs in the campsite.It was so quiet, Karen and I didn't know what to do with ourselves after the fishermen went out to cast yet another day! We decided to take the dogs on a hike in a direction we hadn't gone yet this trip. The dogs love not having to be on a leash and can run and chase squirrels to their hearts content as long as we can see them. Along the way, we spotted a dead porcupine and all that was left was the fur and quills. We succeeded in diverting the dogs around and went on our way. On the return trip however, we forgot about our deceased poky friend but my Maggie remembered and decided to roll on it. Only my dog would get attacked by a dead porcupine! She walked away but then started to favor her left front paw and sure enough, she had a quill sticking out of it and one on her face. I didn't try to pull them out because I'm not an expert in these matters- I married one. So since she wasn't writhing in pain, I waited for the vet to get back from fishing. I'm glad I did because Don pulled them out much more efficiently than I would have. He ended up finding 5 quills in her face and neck and 3 in her foot. What a dog!

Tonight we had an all time first at French Creek. Since we had the Tajma-haul and all it's bells and whistles, we decided to fire up the generator and watch a movie after dinner! It was fun to watch one of my all time favorite movies- The Goonies- while in the wilderness! I know all you hardcore campers will think this is terrible but it was fun! I guess this was our way of preparing ourselves for our dive back into reality. Tomorrow morning we have to pack up and go home.

Maggie and Scarlett

August 3, 2014

No Raspberries

We were a little low on water today so Karen and I drove to the campground just a couple of miles down the road. This is a very small rustic place with just a few sites but it does have a water pump. Usually the water is potable and we didn't see any notices to the contrary so we filled our jugs. I'll let you know in a few days if we were right! There are some great raspberry bushes in this area so we made a stop on the way back to see if they were ready. Unfortunately, they looked like we were a week or two early. However, while Alex was fishing today he came across some ripe bushes that looked recently munched on and heard a noise and a large something moving ahead of him in some bushes....he didn't stick around to see who the berry lover was! This reminds me of my favorite book, Blueberries for Sal. I'm glad Alex realized that life is stranger and more dangerous than fiction!

Karen's mom, dad and daughter Morgan drove up to visit for the day. Shortly after Karen and I met many years ago, we realized that my mother-in-law and her mother were childhood friends and sorority sisters! Isn't it weird how we connect to people? Consequently, every year her parents come up and spend the day with us at French Creek. Morgan was unable to spend the week but we are so glad that she came up today with her little dog Paisley! It was a great chance for our kids to catch up with each other. Total count today: 17 people, 7 dogs.

It was sad to see them leave after dinner along with Taylor and Paige who have work and school tomorrow. Paige always says that it's hard to be grown up. I agree....so always play and eat chocolate when you can!

The whole gang! Photo  by my niece Kate

August 2, 2014

Happy Birthday!

One of the reasons we go to French Creek at this time every year is that Don's birthday is August 5 and this is where he likes to celebrate. Don's sister Shelly and husband Lee came up today with their three children so we decided to have the birthday party tonight while we had a big crowd. We are now at 15 campers and six dogs. 

Earlier today our deer friend came back and Paige named her Dora. While I was walking to the potty this afternoon we came across each other's paths. I stopped, she stopped. Dora came toward me until she was just about 10 feet away listening and sniffing - trying to figure me out. I'm wondering if deer abide by the girl code - protect each other - or whether there has ever been a recorded deer attack. Finally, I said, "hey, how's it going?" which must have translated into deer language as something much worse because she took off running! I guess I'm not a deer whisperer....

Happy 53 Don!

August 1, 2014

Lazy Day

The best part about camping is that there is no schedule. I can't tell you exactly what Karen and I did today but I do know it involved a lot of visiting! Oh... and we opened the Beauty Shop. Even when we had the pop up trailer, we used the outdoor shower hose to wash our hair. When we bought the Taj-mahaul it would have been a deal breaker if it hadn't included an outside shower hose. Karen and I can endure a lot of things while camping in the middle of nowhere, but greasy hair is not one of them. So we decided a few years ago that the Beauty Shop would open every day. What a difference a little shampoo can make! A new discovery today was if the generator is on we can use the blow dryer too! I know, pretty pathetic!

This afternoon, Paige arrived with Alex's friend Taylor and Don's mom and dad. My in-laws have been coming up here since they were first married because a relative had a cabin nearby. Don has been fishing here since he was a small boy. Alex started coming at age  two and Paige made her first visit while in the womb. So you see, there is a long tradition of the Ostwald invasion of French Creek every summer. 

Alex, Don, and friend Adam ready to fish.

Dinner time!

Don is famous for his Dutch oven peach cobbler!

Slumber party with Maggie and Layla

July 31, 2014

Blue Skies

We woke up to clear blue skies this morning. A perfect day at French Creek an not one of us were moving really fast. It's amazing how your pace slows down when you're camping. The boys did get busy this morning doing the task that is the highest on Karen and my list - building the potty! It's  an important feature when you're camping a week with no facilities and many people. They pick a secluded spot, dig a hole and place our highly crafted lawn chair/ toilet seat in place. This year the placement was exceptional- next to a stream, nestled in pine trees. One could contemplate the meaning of life while taking their daily constitution! 

The rest of the day was spent fly fishing for the guys and a hike for the girls and the four dogs. We  also discovered that we have a special campsite guest. A deer walked by a few times checking things out. She was so quiet, the dogs didn't notice her the first few times. But even after they ran her off, she would come back almost as if she liked the chase. Her future is not very bright if she hangs around this area because hunters populate this site in the Fall. I've always hated the movie Bambi!

Best RV site ever!

The potty

Fish are ready to fry and Karen made awesome green chili fries!

July 30, 2014

Soggy Camping Day

What a rainy day! It is very hard to load the trailer when it is raining. Especially because when it is cloudy, chilly weather I always feel that I should be under a blanket reading a book not getting ready to camp! Finally we were underway and met up with our friends Karen and Gregg and their son Adam in Laramie. Karen and Gregg have two kids the same age as our kids but opposite sexes. Their oldest is a girl and youngest is a boy. We have known each other since our oldest kids were 4 years old and they went to Kindergarten together. They moved away after that but we have been camping together every year in the Snowy Range mountains for seventeen years! Needless to say, Karen and I have had a lot to share over time and enjoy our time together. 

We were a little nervous getting our trailer into an off road camping site but with the help of Gregg and some tree climbing/branch cutting by Adam, we got the Tajma-haul in just the right spot with no scrapes or dents! 

Not camping weather!

A little tree trimming to get the trailer through! Thanks Adam!