Eating cake by the fireside...what could be better than that?!?
Emma on Chapman Dam (where we later caught our fish)
Hiking
My hat while hiking...all together now...ewwwwwwwww
The Camping Gang-Chapman Dam
Friday, July 22, 2011
And you thought (hoped) I didn't have any more camping photos
Majestic twelver, Mt. Sopris (I stand corrected-12,965 ft)
Eating cake by the fireside...what could be better than that?!?
Emma on Chapman Dam (where we later caught our fish)
Hiking
My hat while hiking...all together now...ewwwwwwwww
The Camping Gang-Chapman Dam
Eating cake by the fireside...what could be better than that?!?
Emma on Chapman Dam (where we later caught our fish)
Hiking
My hat while hiking...all together now...ewwwwwwwww
The Camping Gang-Chapman Dam
The Hills Are Alive
with the sound of screaming...
Karen and I took a little hike to check out a nearby brook. As we were walking back to the lake, we noticed the raft was drifting away from shore...with Sophie inside!
In our absence, the guys were in charge (our first mistake--haha). Sophie got in the raft & they turned their backs for one second to grab life vests. The wind picked up and carried poor Sophie out to sea (ok--out to lake--but that doesn't sound as dramatic). I'm sure her screams of terror could be heard for miles and miles but by the time we made it close to shore, Mark (who had ripped off his Clark Kent clothes and put on his Superman swimsuit) lunged out from the truck, jumped into the cold water, swam out to Sophie's raft and pulled her back to safety. Our Hero! Whew! Drama on the high seas...er...lakes.
but then everyone recovered nicely
and life-vested frolicking resumed
(and for the record, Bob also quickly got his suit on to rescue little Sophie but decided that Mark had it under control...once he got about knee deep and felt the icy chill of that lake water. And I wasn't just taking photos as Sophie was drifting away--in that first photo, Mark was already on his way--he just wasn't in the pic so don't go calling CPS on us-hahaha.)
Karen and I took a little hike to check out a nearby brook. As we were walking back to the lake, we noticed the raft was drifting away from shore...with Sophie inside!
In our absence, the guys were in charge (our first mistake--haha). Sophie got in the raft & they turned their backs for one second to grab life vests. The wind picked up and carried poor Sophie out to sea (ok--out to lake--but that doesn't sound as dramatic). I'm sure her screams of terror could be heard for miles and miles but by the time we made it close to shore, Mark (who had ripped off his Clark Kent clothes and put on his Superman swimsuit) lunged out from the truck, jumped into the cold water, swam out to Sophie's raft and pulled her back to safety. Our Hero! Whew! Drama on the high seas...er...lakes.
but then everyone recovered nicely
and life-vested frolicking resumed
(and for the record, Bob also quickly got his suit on to rescue little Sophie but decided that Mark had it under control...once he got about knee deep and felt the icy chill of that lake water. And I wasn't just taking photos as Sophie was drifting away--in that first photo, Mark was already on his way--he just wasn't in the pic so don't go calling CPS on us-hahaha.)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Magnificent
Karen and Mark took us on a hike to find Magnificent. The whole area was truly magnificent, but there was this one specific rock...a boulder of magnificent proportions...aptly named "Magnificent." As we hiked along, the girls spotted several large boulders and wondered aloud if they were Magnificent but it turns out, they were just Magnificent's distant cousins, "Mediocre," "Just-So-So," and "You Wish." Finally, our search for Magnificent was over--it was well worth the hunt!
Truly Magnificent!
Truly Magnificent!
MagnifiDog
Mack was a natural at camping. Since he had a former life before we found him at the shelter, we're not sure of his camping resume but he got right in to hiking and fishing (he leaped off the edge of the lake to pounce on a jumping fish near the shoreline). He wasn't too sure about swimming but we could tell he definitely wanted to be in splashing around with the girls. Maybe next time he'll try again. He also got to sleep in multiple beds (his fav), lie by a warm campfire (his second fav), frolic in a mountain stream, roll in elk poo, and just be his awesome self. We were glad he scored an invitation to join us!
(anyone with a Lunchable is automatically his very favorite person in the world)
Cuddle-Buddy
Did someone say there would be S'mores?
Gone Fishin'
I have a theory that fishing is a lot like playing BINGO. I came up with this theory while fishing. You have a lot of time to think while you're fishing and the mind tends to wander. That's the awesome thing about fishing...and playing BINGO.
You buy all the gear--poles, bait, license etc. (Bingo card and marker)
You cast your line and wait (Wait for the caller to call any number on your board).
A fish takes a little nibble on your line, slyly eats half the worm and swims happily away (You need N32, the caller calls N33 and the old lady next to you yells out "BINGO").
You have a brief rush of adrenaline which quickly subsides but like a trooper, you re-cast your line and try again (Clear your BINGO board for another round).
But finally...you find a sweet spot, the numbers are all in a row and...
BINGO!
(Julia caught the first fish--a brook trout and Bob caught the second--a rainbow trout).
And they cooked up nicely tonight!
You buy all the gear--poles, bait, license etc. (Bingo card and marker)
You cast your line and wait (Wait for the caller to call any number on your board).
A fish takes a little nibble on your line, slyly eats half the worm and swims happily away (You need N32, the caller calls N33 and the old lady next to you yells out "BINGO").
You have a brief rush of adrenaline which quickly subsides but like a trooper, you re-cast your line and try again (Clear your BINGO board for another round).
But finally...you find a sweet spot, the numbers are all in a row and...
BINGO!
(Julia caught the first fish--a brook trout and Bob caught the second--a rainbow trout).
And they cooked up nicely tonight!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Ups and Downs of Camping
Turns out we ALL had a really fabulous time camping with Karen and Mark. Their camper is lovely and perfect for cozy nights and shared meals and just hanging out between excursions. We couldn't have been more comfy. Well, I might have been more comfy at the Broadmoor or Hilton but as far as camping goes...it was awesome!!!
Don't get me wrong. It wasn't all roses and daisies 24/7. I must get this unpleasantness out of the way before I can go on to the bliss which is fresh air and nature and family. That will be my next post.
UP--we went for a neat hike up to what is usually a rushing waterfall. Since the water wasn't actually falling, the girls got to hunt for shells and polished rocks in the dry stream bed. Very cool!
DOWN--Me. Yes, I slipped on the hike back down...and down I went. Once the laughter of my companions subsided, I was able to evaluate the extent of my injuries which included this enormous hematoma (fancy talk for a genuine Pete Puma lumpy bruise) on my arm. I also have another monstrous bruise that resembles a star nebula on my backside but I'll spare you the photo of that one.
My arm looked so gross it deserves two photos so you can get the full effect (I had Karen take photos so I could see the damage--you know how you can't lick your elbow--you also can't see it too well either. Are you seriously trying to lick you elbow right now?!?). Anyway--if you're squeamish, now's the time to move on to another blog.
Good news is I only cried a little so I wouldn't look like a big camping baby and everything appears not to be broken. Ever-prepared Karen and Mark hooked me up with some ibuprofen and an ice pack and the swelling eventually went down.
I doubt this would ever happen at the country club but I had to have some proof that "roughing it" occurred, didn't I?!?
Don't get me wrong. It wasn't all roses and daisies 24/7. I must get this unpleasantness out of the way before I can go on to the bliss which is fresh air and nature and family. That will be my next post.
UP--we went for a neat hike up to what is usually a rushing waterfall. Since the water wasn't actually falling, the girls got to hunt for shells and polished rocks in the dry stream bed. Very cool!
DOWN--Me. Yes, I slipped on the hike back down...and down I went. Once the laughter of my companions subsided, I was able to evaluate the extent of my injuries which included this enormous hematoma (fancy talk for a genuine Pete Puma lumpy bruise) on my arm. I also have another monstrous bruise that resembles a star nebula on my backside but I'll spare you the photo of that one.
My arm looked so gross it deserves two photos so you can get the full effect (I had Karen take photos so I could see the damage--you know how you can't lick your elbow--you also can't see it too well either. Are you seriously trying to lick you elbow right now?!?). Anyway--if you're squeamish, now's the time to move on to another blog.
Good news is I only cried a little so I wouldn't look like a big camping baby and everything appears not to be broken. Ever-prepared Karen and Mark hooked me up with some ibuprofen and an ice pack and the swelling eventually went down.
I doubt this would ever happen at the country club but I had to have some proof that "roughing it" occurred, didn't I?!?
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