I know the rest of the country seems to be scorching hot, but here in the PNW we are experiencing an unusually rainy and cooler summer than usual. Not that it gets very hot here, but this summer we get ecstatic when it hits 65 degrees! That is why we were so looking forward to getting away to the east side of the state, where it is typically much dryer and warmer. Unless you are from here, most people don't realize that much of Oregon and Washington is actually desert-like climate.
Mike and Josh spent a week at wrestling camp, then headed to Wenatchee for football camp. A friend and I and our three girls were going to spend four days camping nearby, at a state park along the Columbia River. We should've known we were in for it the first day when we came back from the playground to find our campsite completely soaked by sprinklers. And when I say
completely, I mean outside/inside and underneath tent, as well as the picnic table in a large puddle of water. The sprinklers were still on when we arrived, so we had to brave the water to strategically block the sprinklers with our food and storage bins. Wish I had photos of us scrambling around, but at the time I was not seeing the humor in it all! Once we dried everything out and moved our tent from the standing water, we were able to enjoy ourselves at the water area for the afternoon.
However, that was short lived as it rained while we prepared dinner. I was attempting to start a campfire to roast hotdogs (usually Mike's job), but the rain was hindering my efforts. We quickly went to plan B, boiling them, and had a picnic inside our once dry, but now wet again tent! Did I mention my lame attempt to start a fire? Not only was it raining, but I had no kindling, and limited amounts of newspaper. I abandoned my efforts to join the crew in the tent for dinner. The girls were disappointed that s'mores were not going to be on the menu for later that night. Imagine my surprise when Kaia stepped our of the tent to exclaim "Mom, I see flames in the fire!" Yep, the fire started on its own, thanks to the wind that kicked up, along with the rain. So everyone went to bed with full tummies and smiles on their faces.
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| So proud of myself, even though I didn't really do anything! |
Speaking of wind, for the second night in a row it blew all night, and we awoke to the return of the rain. And not just a little. RAIN! We spent the early morning in the tent, thankfully entertaining the girls with a portable DVD player. We realized that our belongings were once again getting wet, as the water was seeping up through the seams of our tent floor. Call us whimps, but we were done with rain and sprinklers, all while entertaining two 7 year olds and a 6 year old. Priceline to the rescue! That's right, we did what any city girls would do, hopped on the iPhone and grabbed a decent hotel with a pool, then quickly packed up, and got the heck out of dodge.
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| Only Kaia forced a smile, feigning to be having fun! |
We never looked back, and enjoyed the next two days with heated pools, showers, and real beds! Unfortunately some bug hit Josh's football team while at camp, so they called it quit a day early and headed home. Fortunately neither Mike or Josh got sick, but many did. What a crazy, but memorable crazy camping trip it was!
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