Camp Quickly

Camping...it's supposed to be simple, but yet for me, it's very complicated. Some would even suggest that I despise camping...but that's not completely true. I guess it all depends on the details, which is where the complication sets in.

I remember camping as a child. Big, tall, beautiful trees...clear rivers, lots of shade, huge mountains, etc. Lake Shasta in California and the Red Wood forests are among the most beautiful places on earth. Who wouldn't want to camp there? And no...it's not just my childhood memory playing tricks on me. I have seen some of these places as an adult, and they are just as beautiful as I remember.

So...what does that have to do with camping? Well, I struggle camping here in Oklahoma. For one, the water is a solid brown. It's really hard for me to stick ANY part of my body into the murky water. Even if it is just my feet, I feel as though they are worse off for it. People who do swim in the water have a "special" smell when they get out. So much for washing up in the lake!

Second off, there is virtually no shade. In Oklahoma we do not have trees. Oh...people say they are trees, but really, they are just over-sized shrubs. Which means they do not provide adequate shade or comfort in the blazing heat. And the grass....well, you shouldn't be fooled by the slightly green color because there are stickers in the grass that will poke the living day lights out of you!

So...this is Oklahoma's version of camping. Not ideal at all in my mind. However, the kids love it and my husband enjoys it. I wish I could, too, but I struggle.

So, what does all this have to do with anything? Well, for my husband's BIG 40th birthday, the kids and I decided that we would do what he really wanted to do for his birthday...the thing he talks about A LOT...CAMPING!!!

So here we are...we are camping! TJ and I get the the camp set up, Niah is off taking a thousand pictures of her face and feet. Aliya and Kiahna are down by the lake shore, digging in the sand. Isaiah is wanting to get in the water, but the water stings the rashes on his arms and legs. Which, in the lake's defense, is not just because it's lake water. When the rashes on his arms and legs are bad all water stings--bath, pool, and apparently lake.

Niah is finally able to coax Isaiah into the water. The stingy stops after a few moments, and he is having a blast! We have actually been told that the lake water is beneficial for his skin.

Evening is approaching, and TJ has started up the fire. We are getting ready to cook the campfire bakes when we hear the roll of thunder and see some lightening flashes. Okay...no big deal. It's been a beautiful day. We continue on.

Five minutes later we hear the weather siren from somewhere across the lake. A guy with a microphone is now driving around in a truck advising people to seek appropriate shelter from the fast approaching storm. TJ and I look at each other...should we abandon all this fun and hurry back home to 'safety' or should we just ride it out. We decide to try and call a friend. Perhaps they could tell us if the storm is a big one coming to stay or just a few rain clouds passing around us. Oh, wait! We are out in the middle of no where which means we do not have cell phone reception! Okay...what to do?

The thunder is getting LOUDER, the kids are getting a little scared, and TJ makes the decision to not put any of us in danger...so we quickly pack up camp. What takes 2 hours to set up, gets torn down and put away within 20 minutes. As we were leaving, we saw only 1 camp ground still being occupied--apparently they decided to weather the storm.

On the way home, we encounter only a sprinkling of rain. By the time we get home, we have figured out that the storm passed just north of the lake, and it was over in a matter of moments. We could have stayed. I should be relieved that I am back with a fresh water source, but I also am sad. Sad because everyone was having a fun time, and it was cut short. Sad because it took 2 days to prepare for a 3 hour camping trip. Sad because this won't actually count as a real camping trip, so we will have to do it again. Sad because my husband's birthday present didn't work out the way we had planned...and sad because I miss the mountains.