Hexagon update #17-2014

What was supposed to be a long relaxing camping weekend turned into a wave of ups (camping! Best run yet! So many cousins!) and downs (camper problems, disappointed kids who realllly wanted to go on the boat, and most awful, sick little girls.) I did manage to squeeze in some hexies and even hooked a cousin (the blonde cutie at the end).

 

I ended up adding 33 hexies for a total of 1884 and 1036 to go. And one completed flower.

Linking up with Jessica at Life Under Quilts.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Picturing Pierre, SD: Camping at Farm Island Recreation Center

This weekend we chose to go camping with the kids at Farm Island Recreation Area (a SD State Park). Farm Island is just outside Pierre, about a ten minute drive from our house.  There is a fairly large campground at Farm Island and our site was near the entrance end of the main campground. We were just across the road from the swim beach, which stretches the length of the entire campground (if you were on the other side of the loop you'd have to circle around some trees to see the water, it could be a hike with little kids.)  The beach is fairly shallow and very easy for little kids to enjoy, even ones that aren't terrific swimmers. They can play quite a bit without accidently getting in deep and even the Princess could be trusted at the water's edge without my having to be right with her. As you can see in the picture with the Princess, the water flows to the right, which pushes them into the end of a little cove, not out to open water. I was able to sit on the beach and just let them play. It's not super sandy once you get in the water, but it's not overly rocky either. There is a good bit of squishy mud in the water, but the kids don't seem to mind. Farm Island has full comfort stations with showers and electricity, as well as scattered vault toliets (nice clean ones, with motion sensative lights). All sites have electricity hookups, picnic tables, and fire pits.  You can rent bikes, paddleboat, and fishing poles. Last year during the flood the campground was completely under about 3 feet of water, so we were worried if there would be a beach or any grass, but I am happy to report that it seems completely recovered.

I ended up taking the kids up around one, before Mike got off work, which meant I had to park the camper all by myself. Granted, we only have a small popup, but I've never backed it up by myself. I've taken it alone to pull through camp sites, but the ones at Farm Island are not pull through slots. Amazingly, I was able to back it in myself, and promptly took pictures and texted them to half the people on my phone. It was nice and straight and everything!   By the time Mike got off at 5 and stopped by the house for hamburgers, I had the camper set up and ready to go.  Our particular site didn't have a lot of shade, just one tree near the road, but we set everything up and it turned out fine.

We planned it at the last minute and I didn't take time to really think about packing, I just threw everything in a bag and ran out the door. We keep a few things in the camper anyway- the bedding, bug spray, paper plates, some toys- so it was just a matter of food, clothes and swim gear. Plus we were ten minutes from home if we needed to fun back.  Mike stopped at the house and got the dog and some burgers and chips and met us out there. We made dinner and swam a bit, then had a campfire (OMG BOYS AND FIRE! So cliche, so true.) and then tried to get everyone settled around 10.  (By the way, the next picture was taken around 9:30 pm. It's not dark at ALL.) Mike and I were exhausted and the Pirate was willing to sleep, but the other two were just insane. We finally gave up around 10:45 and came home to sleep in our own beds.

The next morning we went out to break the camper down and took turns letting the kids swim while the other parent took it down. I am incredibly proud of myself for being able to do it all start to finish now. If I were completely INSANE I could go camping without another adult.

One last cool thing, when we were swimming at dusk we happened to notice turtles sunning themselves a short way down the beach. We tried to sneak up on them, but of course turtles aren't stupid, and they swam away before we got a good look. We both noticed that they weren't the more common hardshell turtles, and after googling have decided that they were Spiny Softshell turtles as seen at that link.

Memorial Day Camping, 2010

We went out on our first camping trip of the season this weekend. Most of Mike's immediate family joined us (or maybe we joined them?) and we had a fun couple of days playing with cousins and making smores. The boys wore themselves out and we actually got more sleep at night than we ever have while camping.  It was fairly cool, and rained on Saturday, but overall was a really nice trip.

There was a little baseball practice. How's this for outfield?

Some fishing.

A little gathering at one of the cabins- by the way, if you ever stay at Custer State Park, these cabins are a great deal.

There was a good bit of telling the Bug to stay away from dangerous things.

There was a fun session of monster face making.

And one really nice shot of a couple of cute little boys. I think this one might go on my desk.

How was your weekend? Did you get three days off? Go camping? BBQ? Swimming?  Have watermelon yet? Are you suffering the Morning-After Blues as we are?


I am an Amazon Associate. As such, any purchase you make at Amazon.com after following a link from this blog will earn me a (tiny) percentage back as income. Thanks.

Box Elder Creek camping

We had a nearly perfect camping spot this weekend. We chose a small campground that has a small little spur of three spots across a little creek from the other 10 or so spots. We ended up in a little half-circle spot bordered by tall grass, trees and bushes. The camper and the car mostly blocked the road. The campground itself is at the end of a 2 mile long gravel road and there were only about 5 other camp sites occupied, so very little traffic. The other two spots on our side of the creek were empty.

There was a little path to a bridge that you crossed to get to the outhouses (yeah, the biggest downfall of this campground) and a tiny little path to the creek. Once at the creek there was an area about 6 feet in diameter where the water was barely ankle deep, so the Pirate could mostly be trusted to play. Outside that circle it was no deeper than 2 feet deep, so still no real danger to Pirates.

We took the Pack 'n Play and plopped the Bug in it at bedtime, where he hollared loudly for about 10 minutes then went to sleep. This meant that for the first camping trip of the year we got to sit outside and enjoy the fire TOGETHER. We'd never taken the pack 'n play before because we didn't think it would fit in the camper. In the end we had to put it on top of the bed that the table made, but it still worked. The boys all went to bed before me and I got to sit fireside and have a little wine and read my book by my booklight before I went to bed.

Because of the creek there were a few more mosquitos than usual, but it wasn't bad at all. (We usually see very few bugs when we camp, one benefit of living in western South Dakota.) It was a spectacularly dirty experience, I think because they were wet a lot, but it was a pretty close to perfect camping experience- lack of a showerhouse and electricity were the only minuses. And we didn't really miss the electricity, just the running water and flush toliets.

So why don't I have any pictures of this beautiful, scenic, near-perfect camping experience?

I forgot the memory card to my camera.

Random Friday, view from Grace Coolidge Lookout tower

Nice view, huh? Imagine if I had a REAL camera! That's from the Grace Coolidge Lookout tower in Custer State Park.

I wasted about an hour last night playing with 20Q.net- it's addictive, go try it!

I've got to name these random Friday posts something more creative.

I'm vaguely considering backing up my hard drive someplace online. I have a little external drive, but if my house burns down this won't do me any good. Does anyone else use an online service? Can you recommend a particular service if I choose to do it?

I have started emailing myself reviews of Catching Fire because they all claim to have spoilers for The Hunger Games, which no, I still have not read (thanks for saying up front that you have spoilers, I appreciate it!).

Camping again this weekend, just us, just Saturday. It's almost time for the Sturgis Rally so we won't be able to go for several weeks. I want to get as much out of the camper as I can before it gets cold.

Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow morning before we can go.

Garden Update: I think we need to pick the last of the chard tonight if we want to eat it. The peppers all died. The cucumber is barely flowering, but then it grew late too. TONS of green tomatoes and I don't think I've ever seen such big tomato plants. There's a zucchini waiting out there for us tonight too. Got any recipes that have both chard AND zucchini?

Memorial Day Camping

We had a great camping trip this weekend, despite a little rain. The Bug is going through a clingy stage, which was a bit tiring, and it's still really hard to get them to sleep in the camper but otherwise it was perfect. The dog did not unplug the camper and it was very comfortable inside. We went on a little hike and since we were the only ones on the trail we let Scout run off leash and she showed her good manners by coming back every time we called.

I only got to read for an hour or so total, but as soon as the Pirate goes down for his nap today I plan on picking my book up again.

(I can't wait til he learns about making rabbit ears!)


I wish every weekend were a three day weekend.


.

The first camping trip of the year

So despite the Pirate being under the weather (turned out he had an ear infection, which responded very well and very quickly to ibuprofen and the pink stuff) we bravely decided to take the camper out on it's inagural run on Saturday. We chose to camp at one of the campgrounds in Custer State Park that has electricity. The weather was fairly chilly and we thought if it were too cold we'd sit in the camper with the heater on and watch movies on the laptop.


We arrived around lunch time and set up camp at the very far end of the campground, right next to one of the bathhouses (which turned out not to be open yet for this season so we had to walk to the other end of the campground to use the bathroom. Or those of us who don't pee standing up did.) The camper is really easy to set up, it took about 15 minutes on our first try, not counting bedding. We made a few sandwiches and had a little lunch.


The Bug didn't want to nap in the camper (Too Much Fun!) so we decided to take a little "hike." We walked a ways down this nicely paved bike path and then turned back and hit the playground.

The Bug decided he was tired after all.

(At this point I realized my camera is now broken, and you will see no more new pictures until I can find the money to replace it. This makes me very very sad. Donations are welcome. Feel free to make shop purchases as well, if you'd like to fund my new one. I'm kidding! Well, not about the camera being broken, it really is.)




We then discovered that one of the other 6 campers in the park belonged to my husband's cousin, who he hasn't seen in years. Crazy. After a brief visit we headed back to the camp and make dinner- burgers grilled on a tiny grill. Mmmm. It was cool out, but not unbearable and we had fun playing a bit before bedtime. That's when chaos hit. The boys were not willing to sleep in this fun new place. Nuh uh. Mike ended up taking the Bug for a nice little drive and I read a book (Star Wars Choose Your Own Adventure!) to the Pirate until everyone was sleepy. We all retired early.


At some point in the middle of the night it got really cold. Like, cold cold. The Pirate and Mike were on one bed and the Bug and I huddled together on the other. The camper has a heater and heated mattresses and I laid there shivering and cursing our crappy broken BRAND NEW camper. Morning finally rolls around and the Bug woke us all up (the Bug is a morning person. A REALLY EARLY morning person.) Everyone was excited to be in the camper, but it was still cold. A check of the car thermometer revealed that it was 34 degrees out.


That's when we discovered that Scout had UNPLUGGED THE CAMPER.


Anyone want a dog?




.

Finally, successful camping!

Since the first couple camping trips of the year met with rain and sickness, so we were a little worried last Friday when we set out under cloudy skies. We stopped for gas on the way out of town, and sure enough, it started to rain. It's about an hours drive to the campground we were at and it rained almost the entire way there. Just as we got in the park the rain stopped and we were able to unload the car, get settled in the cabin, and have a quick run at the playground before dark. We were booked for the first cabin as we entered the campground, and while we had hesitations about being right inside the gate, it turned out that we were directly across the street from the playground, which was awsome. The playground was occupied by these sheep as we arrived, but they moved on before we were ready to play.

After a tough time getting the Pirate to sleep that night, we all slept fairly well. We had the window open and the heater on (what? it's not like we had to pay utilities!) and it soon started to rain and rained most of the night. As usual, the babybug was the first one awake in the morning. He and I took a little walk to the bathroom and as we came back to the cabin we saw this guy out for his morning stroll as well. We only saw one other person awake and moving then, and the sun was just peeking over the trees. Bug and I wrapped ourselves well and sat by the (non-burning) fire until the other two woke up.

We loaded in the car for a drive since it's more common to see elk in the early morning. We saw white tail deer, mule deer, antelope, and turkeys, but no elk. We swug by the camp store for some bait (corn) and some coffee and headed back. The big boys fished for a while (no luck) while buggy and I read.

About noon, the inlaws showed up and we made some lunch. Some fishing, some hiking, some napping and it was dinner time. We all went for dinner at the lodge, then took another elk-less nature drive. The second night we had a huge fire and some marshmallows. I don't love eating them, but the smell of marshmallows on the campfire has to be one of the best smells ever. Everyone went to sleep without a hassle the second night. We woke up early and headed back into town to get some things done. All in all, a GREAT trip and best of all, no one got sick!

PS Anyone know the secret to putting pictures in blogger and actually having the spacing turn out like you want it to? I can't seem to do it.

Weekend planning...

We're taking one last summer camping trip this weekend, before it's too cold here to think about going. This time we rented a "tent cabin" instead of taking the tent. It's a little one room cabin, not any bigger than a large tent, but it does have beds and electricity. So, not so much camping as spending the weekend away. We'll still grill burgers and have a campfire with marshmallows. I packed hot chocolate and we'll heat water on the fire. We just won't be sleeping on the hard hard ground.

I have three books packed: The Thirteenth Tale (which I hope to finish), Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer (my first Heyer), and Not On Our Watch (for Natasha's Darfur reading month- click on the graphic there in the sidebar for more info!) I'm not sure how much Darfur I'll read, this is supposed to be my last relaxing vacation, so I may not get into any details while we're out.

I've gotten a TON of new books from Paperbackswap lately. It seems that it goes in cycles, with nothing incoming or outgoing for a few weeks, and then suddenly everything comes to the top at once. Here's the last week or so, have you read any of these?

• The Pregnancy Test by Erin McCarthy


• Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik


• Strangers in Death by JD Robb (#26, I'm only on like #23)


• The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra


• Some Like it Wicked by Teresa Medeiros


• Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker


• Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande


• Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella


• You're Not the Boss of Me: Adventures of a Modern Mom by Erika Schickel

Then, because I didn't have enough books, the library was forgiving fees if you brought in canned goods, and since I had a nice fee there I ran in at lunch one day. It's a fact that you can't go to the library without bringing more books home. So I got these:

• Not On Our Watch by Don Cheadle for my Darfur reading


• Books by Larry McMurtry


• Everything They Had: Sports Writing from David Halberstam (not so much for me)


• Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence by Gerard Jones


• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (I caved to the cult of this book.)

Sunday, I hope to get home early enough to do a little cleaning the the basement. We have decided to give up on the idea of making it a den for adults, and instead throw ourselves full into a craft area/ play room. The kids have so many big plastic toys, and it'd be nice to quarantine them into one area. Much furniture shifting must occur first though, so that ought to be fun. Once it's all settled, I hope to spend a lot more time down there with the boys, and therefore, have more to show for it. Right now, sewing is a challenge as there are piles everywhere. My ironing board hovers over the elliptical, my light balances on the desk, my poor fabric slides around on the table and chair. I can't wait to have a little more order in my life. Ha, as if.

Camping, Take Two

(the view from the tent)

We gave camping another shot this weekend, hoping to avoid the same outcome as last time. This time we were at a different campground (still within Custer State Park) and our tent was right on a little pond. It was a great site, but since the Pirate hasn't had swim lessons yet,* it was a wee bit stressful. There were 10 of us camping, and 6 more visiting, so it was a rowdy bunch. Within an hour or so of arrival the Pirate took a spill and cut open the spot right between his eyes. This is his first real injury and we considered a trip to the ER for a little super glue, but Uncle Pat (the EMT in the family) quickly improvised a butterfly. Poor kid badly wants his bandaid off...
















The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. We "fished" with the big kids and played on the little playground and told the dog to shut up about 8 million times. Then it was bedtime. This time we had a working pump for the air mattress. The Pirate was TIRED. He went to bed easily, but then coughed all night long. So once again the only one who slept was the Bug. We got up about 6 and took our time packing up. My sister in law made pancakes and we headed home about 10. Overall, better than last time, but not yet ideal.















* 99% if the beginning swim lessons in this town are between 9am and 4pm, Monday thru Friday. This is not so helpful if both parents work.

.

We went camping.

We took the boys camping yesterday and it was a mix of good and really bad. The good- the Pirate was THRILLED to go camping. We set up the tent, we had a little picnic, the weather was beautiful. We took the dog. (She broke through the hardware THREE TIMES to chase deer and squirels.













The baby slept GREAT in nature, he would later sleep from about 8pm until daybreak, even sleeping thought the Bad.






The Bad. The mattress pump conked out before we inflated the FIRST mattress. We had two. So we slept ON THE GROUND. Just as we started cooking dinner, the rain started. It rained and rained. We hid in tents and under the trees. It stopped raining, we sat around the campfire and had some smores- how great!


The boys and I settled into the tent after dark. The bug was sleeping soundly. The pirate though, the pirate was a grump. And got grumpier. By the middle of the night he was shivering and chattering and was too hot to touch. The weather was perfect for camping- not too hot, not too cold- but he was freezing. And hot. So at daybreak we got up and packed up the tent as quietly possible to come home. It's about an hours drive and the Pirate asked to go home all the way. Today he has slept more than he has been awake, and he has eaten very little. He's still pretty warm and it's not looking promising for tomorrow.













Amazingly, I think we're gonna try it again in a few weeks!

(PS. I'm having trouble placing the images. My apologies if it's all funky.)


.

A very tired Thursday Thirteen #24

Thirteen Random thoughts.

1. I forgot to do Monday Math. Again. I'm at 97 books in (last one being a JD Robb), 39 books read, for a deficit of 58 books. I don't stand a chance at ever catching up.
2. The number of books I have at home that are NOT on challenge lists that I really want to read are starting to outnumber the ones that ARE on challenge lists. I am starting to worry that I will not complete any challenges due to lack of willpower.
3. I am less than 100 pages away from finishing the 40th book- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
4. I will make a post some time tomorrow that links to my predictions for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Please, come discuss it with me! (It will NOT be on this page, no fear of spoilers from visiting here.)
5. I am deathly (heh) afraid of the Internets right now. I do not want to see a spoiler for Deathly Hallows. Because of this, I am only visiting sites and blogs I trust until I have finished The Book. This means I will not be visiting very many Thursday Thirteens this week. I will not be watching tv.
6. I do not understand why people take such pleasure out of spoiling things for others.
7. We are taking the Monkey "camping" this weekend.
8. No, not in a tent. In a hotel room. We will be spending time at a campground and at the lake though, and there will be a tent for him to play in.
9. Even though we will be "camping" with 15 members of our family, at least 3 of us (and probably 5 of us) will be reading Harry Potter instead, having gone to Wal-mart at midnight to buy our copies. (Wal-mart being the only store open at midnight in Pierre, SD.)
10. I have almost completed my next tote bag for my etsy store. My bobbin ran out of thread SIX INCHES from finishing and I did not have time to reload. SIX INCHES.
11. Yes, there is only one bag up for sale at this time. I bought several more tshirts yesterday (including one with a monkey dressed as Elvis, I can't wait to get to that one) and plan to have several more up next week.
12. Have a t-shirt you'd like to see made into a bag? Leave me a comment!
13. I have Half-Blood Prince in my bag. Do you think my boss would notice if I whipped it out to read it?