Camping trip fun, especially with friends

The weather held out (mostly) for our overnight camping adventure to Maine 4-H Days and everyone in the family gave the trip a big thumbs up. It was not however without a few bits of drama -- and humor.

We got a late start leaving the house even though the car was packed, the pigs, chickens and cats had their respective food supplies prepped the night before and our neighbor on board to check on them to ensure everyone had enough food until we got home.

But L., in her half asleep state at 6 a.m., went out to clean up the pig's pen one last time before leaving and followed her usual routine and opened the chicken coop (we were planning to keep the coop closed while we were gone). After 20 minutes of trying to direct the 25+ chickens back in to the coop along with a couple of uncooperative of ducks (typical for them) and a guinea, we gave up. I talked to our neighbor again and asked her to close our coop that night (the chickens always go in at dusk so round up then is much easier; the ducks are another matter and we told her to ignore them) and she agreed to take on the extra duty.

We got on the road an hour later than planned and arrived at the fairgrounds in time for the girls to start their first workshop (this was a 4-H event with overnight camping at the fairgrounds).

L. had an NXT robotics class in the morning and programmed the robot she and her partner built to bounce off walls and redirect itself. There were several modifications to the design during the 3-hour workshop and L. really enjoyed herself.



G. had an all-day silk painting class (it was a modern way to batik) and Fino was hanging out with her (I wanted to go to the robotics class with L.). A little while in to the class G. told me Fino fell asleep in his chair and when G. nudged him awake, the teacher suggested he do some painting. He likes to doodle so decided to take her up on the offer and painted a rooster. After some bantering with a friend about his painting, I couldn't resist making a quick Tweet.

Sarah suggested Fino draw a hen to go with rooster to fill page. Fino said no, his rooster is happy without the female. Funny guy.

We set up our tent next to friends (the girls' 4-H club decided to camp as a group) in a great spot under some tall trees in a grassy area with an electrical outlet nearby that my friend Nicole had picked out. It was an ideal location.

During the afternoon workshops though (L. at a mechanical robotics class, G. and Fino still in painting class) we started hearing the Emergency Broadcast System warnings about severe thunderstorms and hail.

Our group made the decision to scope out a barn to move our tents to and settled on the pulling ring (part of relocation effort was finding a barn that was not already in use with animals, had a dirt floor (no cement dairy barn floors) and didn't have a scheduled show the following morning).

Moving our gear, which was plentiful among the group, to a new location across the fairgrounds was a chore (but funny in retrospect) and prompted another Tweet.

Moved tents to pulling ring in anticipation of storms, hail. Quite a site moving set up tent to new locale. No pics of that. HA!

After relocating we found a silver lining in moving from our original (and much nicer) spot - we were closer to the bathrooms and the cement blocks used in the pulling ring were helpful in setting up the grills.

Before we fired up the grills though, we had some pre-dinner entertainment with a Zumba class and that required another Tweet.

We're taking a Zumba class at 4H days and even got Fino to shake it up. Video to come later for sure. G is on job.



Sarah organized a dinner plan that included an old club tradition (she's been involved in the club since she was little) - make-you-own chicken and veggie tinfoil packet. It's the perfect campsite meal when feeding a group of kids with different food preferences. My family marinated chicken strips and others brought a wide variety of veggies. The kids were given a section of tinfoil and directed to butter a square in the center of the foil (to prevent sticking) and add whatever ingredients they wanted. Afterward the foil was folded closed, names written on the top with a permanent marker and then set on the grill. It took about 15 minutes to cook the packets (the chicken was cut thinly, as were the potatoes to ensure shorter cooking time) and it was really tasty.

Sarah also brought supplies to make homemade ice cream and of course that was another big hit. L. had a bit of trouble because she didn't close the inside baggie correctly and the salt from the ice on the outside leaked in to the cream and well, that batch was a salty concoction no one wanted to eat. But they got another serving going and it came out just right.

The after dinner activities included bean bag tossing, biking, jump roping (with light up ropes) and a bunch of other outdoor games Nicole brought (she brought tons of fun stuff for the kids to do) and I was very appreciative she had a variety of ways to keep the kids entertained since sleeping was the last thing on their minds.

There was some evening rain (an affirmation moving to the shelter of the pulling ring was a good thing) and we woke up early (in part for me because the bleating goats were so loud even though they were several barns away - and L. can debate all she wants, we aren't getting goats) to get breakfast rolling before more workshops.

L. woofed down her pop-tart and then broke out her "Bad Cats" book. This is a book that is not exactly appropriate for her age-group (some adult humor) but most goes over her head. I do not however encourage L. to share this book her friends but she ignores this advice because it's a favorite (she blogged about this book if you're unfamiliar with it) and this prompted another Tweet.

L just broke out her 'bad cats' book at breakfast. Now corrupting her friends with potty humor. Good thing lots goes over their heads.

After 15 minutes of hysterical laughing on L.'s part with her friend S. about various cats in this book and S. trying to convince his mom he had to get a copy for himself (sorry Nicole!), the group digressed into more colorful breakfast conversation that prompted yet another Tweet.

Breakfast conversation at campsite also includes story from friend of beer drinking goat. Then, cats don't lay eggs.

After much laughing the group headed off to their various workshops. G. worked with a group of younger 4-Hers in a digital photography class in the morning and L. had a blast (literally) with her Rocketry class with the NASA Challenger Learning Center instructors. The rocketry class was so successful with their various designs that an announcement had to be made to ensure everyone on the fairgrounds was aware of flying rockets and to keep an eye out to avoid them (one rocket shot over several barns and landed several hundred yards away from its launch pad). L.'s rocket only shot 10.5 meters high but I think naming her rocket, "Piggy Titus" (after her pig Titus, which she explains to people means "giant" in Latin), was actually the highlight for her.



My kids said several times during this trip that they really liked camping with friends and Fino and I agreed. Both Sarah and Nicole has brought all kinds of 'extras' we don't typically bring on a camping trip. My kids were happy to have other moms around who had the planning skills (and energy) to pack all those things that made a trip extra special and this prompted another Tweet.

Everything we forgot camping our friend Nicole had. Her car and trailer held all, along w/3 kids and a chicken. My kind of mom friend.

We don't have any other firm plans to go camping again this summer but if it ever stops raining I know the kids will be calling their friends and trying to talk their parents in to planning another trip.