Camping Trip from You Know Where

Let me start out by saying - Pat put his back out before we left Saginaw.

Sweating like a pig is not on my agenda for camping.  But, I did just that setting up tents and the campsite.  I know Pat usually does all of that and I do appreciate it - I hate to sweat!

Friday night - great - easy dinner - we just roasted some hot dogs on the fire.  Then tried a new s'mores idea from Pinterest.  Fudge striped cookies with a roasted marshmallow smushed in the middle - Ayva and Javier loved them and the mess was a lot less.  Another Pinterest idea - roasted marshmallow dipped in Bailey's!!!!  Only had one but it was SOOOO good!

Jesse came up on Saturday after breakfast.  You know Jesse hates camping.  He says that is how some people have to live in Mexico, why would we want to do that for 'fun'?

We had sub sandwiches for lunch and they all went to play putt putt golf.  Well, then after about an hour the thunder started.  It rained on and off for the whole afternoon.  But I got to make Caroline's birthday dinner on the grill.  Potatoes, carrots and onions which took about 45 minutes and then steaks took about 8 minutes (except Jesse's which took about 10).

Then the rain began again.  Not too bad we were in the gazebo tent.  The kids drew pictures for Robbie.  They played with the little pieces of wood.  I overheard Ayva say, "Come on dead guy, go!"  Zombies of course.

Pat and I went to the store to get ice cream to have with Caroline's cake.  When we got a little bit down the road there was a DOWNPOUR.  I ran into the store - ran back out and then we ate the cake in the trailer.  Now the trailer is small - six people was definitely crowded.

The rain started coming down harder.  I have never seen rain that hard, ever.  I looked over at the tent the Martinez family was supposed to sleep in and saw the cot through the side of the tent.  That meant only one thing - the rain was soaking through the tent.

Sure enough - Caroline went to check and everything was wet.  She and Jesse emptied the tent and then knowing I would have to take the tent down by myself the next day, were nice enough to take it down in the pouring rain.

They left and the rain let up a bit - I'm just saying - campgrounds do not like Jesse.

But in the middle of the night it rained so hard the water was dripping down into the furnace in the trailer - that has never happened.  In the morning the sun came out. When we went outside I noticed that the trailer was cleaner than it has ever been.  It was a hard rain.

Yesterday we cleaned everything.  I read another tip on Pinterest to use vinegar and hot, hot water to get rid of mildew smell.  It worked.  The van was stinky from the water from the tent.  It smelled like a swamp.  But the vinegar water really took care of the smell.

I'm done camping for a bit.