Nature Calls

It isn't often that I'm wrong. Not that I won't admit to being wrong, but I'm just right most of the time. For years and years and years I have resisted whole heartedly doing anything remotely outdoorsy. I told myself I didn't like dirt, I like the city too much, I won't have any fun, and any other number of things. Readers of this blog might remember my Labor Day camping trip with cowboy, but for the most part I don't do the outdoors.


I went on an all girls camping trip this weekend. I realized several things throughout this experience. I can actually enjoy time in the outdoors and even have some fun with things. I have the ability to be resourceful when needed. And perhaps most shocking of all, I am more country-fied than I thought and I am by far not the most city-fied of the girls I know.


I agreed to go on this trip under the mistaken impression the trip organizer knew what she was doing. Granted, she said up front that she had not been camping in probably 5 years but she knew where we should go, was putting the effort into organizing, and could borrow all the necessary equipment. Kris, Susan, and Linda went up on Thursday to save two campsights for all of us who were arriving on Friday.


When Nona, Sara, and I arrived on Friday we were very grateful the other girls had come up on Thursday since the entire campground was full. As we were getting settled, we said we would pitch our own tents since it looked like the one they had put up was too big for the spot it was in. Turns out, the borrowed tent had been assembled incorrectly on Thursday night and the pole broke so it was in upside down V shape instead of an arc. The other girls didn't seem to understand why Nona and I didn't want to sleep in a tent that appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

We settled the tent issue by simply taking the tent down and putting our two up. Then, instead of letting it go, two of the girls went off in search of a guy from one of the other campsites to help put the tent on the verge of collapse back up in a different spot. The other tent assembled prior to our arrival had its own issues. Apparently there was an extra piece they weren't sure what to do with so they attached it some loops inside the tent to form a triangle in the center of the dome. Uhhh no, not correct. The 'extra piece' was the support post to the rain flap. Jen and Suzy made it there shortly after we did and we were all laughing about the tents, and how the second tent had poles that were two different lengths when Jen asked 'how do the poles fit in those little bags the tent comes in?' I swear everyone said they had been camping before but clearly not everyone is as camping experienced as they led the rest of the group to believe. At least I knew the tent I was sleeping in was assembled right (thank you Nona!).

I survived night one in the wilderness. Sara, Nona, and I cooked everyone breakfast Saturday morning. Our scheduled meal was for Sunday's breakfast but we were up before everyone else and wanted to eat. All of us girls headed down to the lake and I have a lovely sunburn on my chest and shoulders to show for it. I almost quit smoking again since the country store at the campground charged 8$ per pack. I didn't though because I drove into Parkdale later that afternoon for ice and bought cigarettes there.

Saturday night brought even more new experiences. I don't BBQ and I don't like touching raw meat. Hello, I buy pre-sliced chicken breast just for that reason. Saturday night's menu called for hamburgers, corn on the cob, and baked beans. Simple, right? Ummm, not so much. Instead of frozen pre-formed hamburger patties, Kris brought a package of bulk hamburger. Instead of pre-sliced cheese, she pulls a 2-pound brick out of the cooler. She asked if I could help her make the hamburgers, and I ended up making almost all of them. Then, no one knew how to use the portable propane grill. Well, I watched the x grill for 11 years so I figured I would step up. Not only did I make the hamburgers, I BBQ'd them too.

I survived night two in the wild. Sunday morning we three were up before everyone else again. No biggie. We had enough food left over to cook again for all of us. We would just cook and leave the girls their breakfast so we could get back to town. Only problem was the campstove was over at the other campsite. When Sara went to get it, she accidentally woke them up. So they insisted that they were going to cook since we had cooked yesterday. The second problem turned out to be that Jen didn't cook so well. I'm not hip on cold in the middle hashbrowns or soft bacon that's an odd grey color.

When it was all said and done, it wasn't bad at all. I had fun, learned some lessons on what to do next time, and I got a good tan. What more can I ask for, right?