Originally Wander was going to go by himself, but I badgered him into taking the family. The campsite was a six hour drive from home, and Wander was kind enough to delay our departure until after our homeschool Fine Arts Club. As soon as the club meeting was over, we rushed home and barely made it before the 1pm return time that I had promised. We had a rushed lunch and climbed into Wander's truck, which he had loaded while we were out. The bed of the truck was piled high and covered with a tarp. Assorted bags and jackets were stuffed into the back seat with the girls. (Glitter had to be lifted into and out of her seat so she wouldn't step on gear.) My foot area was filled with snacks for the trip and spare socks and shoes. Both girls were really good on the trip, and I had only a slight mishap as navigator- I made the mistake of directing us through San Antonio at 5pm on a Friday evening.
Wander raced the sun hoping to have a little light left when we arrived, but the sun was already tucked away when we pulled up to the campsite. Fortunately, friends spotted the truck as we pulled in. They directed us to a great spot and helped Wander pitch the tent in the darkness. Many hands make for quick work. In no time at all we were talking and laughing around the campfire. The sky was amazing - bucket-fulls of diamonds in every size thrown in the sky. There were so many stars that it was difficult to pick out constellations on the star-finder we brought. I was able to identify the Milky Way, Cassiopeia, and Vega, but not much else in the . The Little Dipper was hidden by the trees.
Sparkle got tired, and then Glitter, so Wander put them to bed. Then Sparkle said she was too lonely and begged me to stay in the tent, so I went to bed too. Wander stayed up jawing with the guys.
Wander set up a sweet campsite for us, with all the comforts of home. (When he camps by himself, it's just a tarp, a blanket, a knife, and a pot.) We had a huge two-room tent, complete with overhead lighting, ceiling fan, air mattresses, comfy sleeping bags, and lots of room. I can stand up in every part of the tent. We also had our own private, completely enclosed outhouse. Our kitchen was a nifty affair that Wander built himself. The dining room was a roll-top table and four folding chairs next to the cooler. The truck ended up being used as a closet as jackets were shed and bags swapped around.
Saturday morning started with a gorgeous sunrise over the lake. Wander got up early, and as soon as the girls were awake, I shooed them out of the tent. They found two little girls in a neighboring tent and became inseparable. A boy-scout leader that Sparkle affectionately nicknamed "Mr. Man" took them fishing, and Sparkle caught dozens of crickets to use as bait.
Just before lunch we had "trade blanket." Everyone who brought something to trade gathered around a tarp on the ground. One of the older hands led the trading as everyone took turns displaying his or her goods. He bellowed "fair trade" with each completed trade. Sparkle had brought a raccoon skull to trade, but was anxious that no-one would want to trade for it. She sat nervously as the trading worked its way around the circle. Most of the trades involved knives and other gear that didn't interest Sparkle much. Then the man just before her set a handmade bamboo flute on the blanket. She eyed it excitedly as he played a tune on it, but was still afraid that the skull wasn't very desirable. With a bit of prompting, Sparkle cautiously edged up to the blanket, set the skull down, and looked up, uncertain what to do next. The group is always very supportive of its junior members; no-one else offered a competing trade and the original owner of the flute pronounced it a handsome skull and accepted the trade. Sparkle's eye's lit up when she realized that she was now the proud owner of the flute and she clutched it to her chest. A few hours later the flute-maker came by our camp-site to give Sparkle a flute-lesson to go with the instrument. He showed her how to hold it to the side and how to blow into the hole and she was thrilled when she was able to get a sound out of it.
After lunch, other members of the group offered sessions on different camping/wilderness topics. I sat in on a session about do-it-yourself gear and another session about wound care. In the first session, we got to see all sorts of home sewn gear, from sleeping bags to coats to backpacks. I felt inspired to try sewing some gear for Wander. In the other session a nurse explained how to clean out a shallow wound and how to use those little butterfly band-aids that some in first-aid kits that seem too small to be of use.
While the grown-ups were talking together the kids ran around to their hearts' content. We were the only group in the field, and there was nothing but nature as far as the eye could see. Occasionally a cow in a neighboring pasture mooed. Crickets and grasshoppers were fun to catch. A wide hole filled with dirt provided endless play possibilities. A field mouse poked its head out. Caterpillars munched on leaves, and their spiny fur warned us not to touch. A black-widow spider sat silently inside a metal fire-ring. Blue dragonflies swarmed inches above the grass. The fish weren't biting, but turtles poked their heads up and munched on the bait. The coyotes that howled at dawn and dusk were quite during the day. Once a young runaway horse came thundering nearby.
The day ended with a communal meal. Each family in the group supplied a different dish, and we gorged ourselves on chili, potatoes, sausages, rice, a variety of meats, soup, salads, eggs, biscuits, watermelon, and more. I roasted a few marshmallows, slowly turning them near a perfect curve in the coals to make them toasty brown. Eventually the girls tired and we put them to bed. Once again, Sparkle whimpered and asked me to stay. This time I was really tired myself and was grateful for the excuse for an early bedtime.
Sunday morning dawned as beautifully as the last. Wander got a few pictures of Venus in the morning sky. Then it was time to break camp. My job was to tear down and pack up everything inside the tent, and Wander took care of everything outside the tent. The kids ran off and played with their friends, digging up chunks of rose quartz and hauling around little bags of it. Glitter would find a few choice pieces and gift them to Mr. Man, who ended up walking around with pockets bulging with rocks.
After lunch it was time to head out on the long drive home. This time we took a detour around San Antonio and got to see some very pretty countryside. The hours dragged on, and the girls got bored. At Sparkle's suggestion, I dug out the girl's clipboards and they drew. Sparkle filled her paper with scenes from the camping trip - the dirt pit, the mouse, a tree with a robin, etc. Eventually it got too dark to see, and I made the girls give back the clipboards and we drove on. When traffic started to get thick I was both glad an anxious. Although the traffic was bad, it also meant that we were nearing home. When we finally got home, I put the girls to bed and tumbled into my own. Wander stayed up to unload the truck.
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