Boys' trip

This weekend Rob and Will and Papa (Rob’s dad) went camping at FDR State Park. I love to camp, but this time I was glad to hold down the home fort, spend some quality time with just Owen (and some quality time with just myself when Owen was napping). We’re all thinking of making this boy’s trip an annual tradition. And I’ll get my camping fix in the fall.

I asked Will to describe the highlights of the trip for the blog. These are the moments he chose.

1) “That tree that was blocking the bridge.” (Will and Papa took a tiny hike and came to a bridge obstructed by a fallen tree. Will remains fascinated by the scene.)

2) “Burning up the fire” (this would be the campfire, into which Will enjoyed throwing sticks and over which they roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. And as you can see, Will can get pretty excited about a marshmallow.).
3) “When Daddy jumped to get wood for the fire.” (Rob jumped up so that he could pull a dead branch off a tree since fire wood pickings were slim. Will loves to jump as high as he can -- and to see his dad jumping high, and grabbing trees no less, was especially thrilling).

What about going fishing, I asked? (They’d rented a little boat at Callaway for some fishing – and did some shore fishing at the lake near their campsite too.)

4) “Yeah. Casting off. I was very good at that.” (And a good thing. Because Will was very bad at casting the line out when he first practiced in our front yard with his new kid’s fishing pole Saturday morning. He kept sending the line and hook straight behind him. Rob, Papa, Owen and I were all ducking, dodging and praying.

Footnote: Will didn’t even mention catching this fish as a trip highlight – perhaps because by the time they reeled the fish into the boat, Will was a little frightened of the thrashing fish-out-of-water. They were just fishing for sport, though, so the slightly tortured fish was soon back at home in the lake.