Thanksgiving Vacation

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas is officially kicked off with black Friday on Thursday sales, and my kid has a five day weekend. Do you feel as I do that maybe they should attend school a little more? We have always, I think, had four day Thanksgiving's and I guess a lot of people are all for that, but adding Monday is too much.  My student is not a tag student and can use the time at school, instead he has time at the keyboard thanks to our school schedule. Oh, I know your thinking he's at the computer because I allow it, or I can make games off limits.  For me in our household it doesn't work that way. I'm not going to say anymore.

Going camping with the Boy Scouts

Tomorrow morning at 8 am we jump in the car and head for the Mt Hood wilderness to spend the day hiking and then camp overnight in a closed Boy Scout summer camp facility. At 3700 hundred feet Camp Baldwin will be cold and wet, possibly even with some snow falling.  The boys and a few adults will sleep in three sided camp buildings. I plan to sleep in the car.  Winter camping is OK but getting dark early and light late means a lot of time in the sleeping bag.  I'm bringing the Hobit to read by flash light, I think I read it years ago.

My youngest son is 13, he's the boy scout, I'm just the designated driver. I wont have much to do with him except in passing, he will take care of all his packing, cooking, keeping comfortable.  Some parents hover over their boys, I decided years ago that the boys do just fine without me telling them what to do.  A couple outings back I forgot to bring a plate, bowl and spoon.  I asked my son to take care of me at dinner time since I had forgot everything, he hustled up all I needed;  I think he must have felt pretty good, helping me out on that outing. During the last outing, he came to me and admitted he had forgot his mess kit, and asked if I would  stop by a store with a deli and grab a plastic fork and paper plate, which I did.

On this outing, there will be 33 boys, my son will look a lot like all the rest. There will be about 6 parents attending, I wonder if we all look about the same too.

For lunch I have prepared some burritos that I plan to eat cold, for dinner Saturday I have a big can of stew.  Breakfast will be hot coffee, eggs, and meatless sausage.  Lunch on Sunday will be more cold burritos. I don't know what my son is bringing, but I know he is fond of Ramen noodles, and he owns a back packing gas stove.

I'm packed and ready to go, my son, who knows. Most likely I will have 5 boys in my car for the ride up to Baldwin, coming home I will probably have the same  5, but they will be asleep.