Camp Mystic Lake: ABC's of Camping

The first week of August brought us "The ABC's of Camping".

Item #1 on the agenda? Learn how to pitch a tent:

Item #2 on the agenda was for MLM and MLD: use the outdoor stove for the first time and see what's possible. According to MLUE, this is likely a direct smoker built along the style of Carolina smokers.

A bit of background first: this stove came with the house.  It's old.  It's surrounded by trees.  It hadn't rained in weeks. It was windy.  On the plus side, we had the firebox re-built when we moved in.  Nine years ago.  Never did check out that flue, though.  Important part was to be brave!

Ashley was waiting and ready with the hose, just in case things went south:

Turns out that Yukon Pete, done in the Candy Mountain style fondly remembered from MLM's youth, is not only possible, but irresistable to all:

By the time we were finished, the bellies were full.  The house still standing. And even though it has meat, onions, and cooked peppers, Adam not only asked for more, he asked me to make it again.

Who says miracles don't happen in the modern age?

Camp Mystic Lake: Dog Days of Summer

 Some days it was too hot to do anything but hang out in the lake:

Camp Mystic Lake: Picnic Lunches

One of the best parts of camp?  Outdoor lunches!

Camp Mystic Lake: Crystallized Rocks

Looking back, I didn't think Nature Week was going to be as photogenic as it ultimately was. Or maybe the kids were so involved in their activities that Nicole had a moment to snap some photos.  Either way more photos for you, our Loyal Readers.

Today's post covers crystallized rocks. A simple enough activity, but completely engaging:

Camp Mystic Lake: Volcanoes

Next up during Nature Week?  Create-your-own volcanoes.  Watching things explode appeals to the kids.  It's also a fun way to make a dent in our Costco-sized supply of baking soda.

Water Fight

The one time it's OK to fight with your siblings?  When it's a waterfight, of course.  Here are the kids having their version of a water fight:

Tree Climbing

 What's a summer without tree climbing?  I had plenty of them; the limbs on the trees in my childhood backyard started at least 20 feet in the air.  No attempt was made to scale those monsters.

In our backyard, however, it's a different story.  The two brothers picked up some quick skills this summer:

Campfire on the Lake

It was a cool April night and the weather was perfect for our first campfire of 2020:

A few nights later, there was a spectacular moon.  It looked much larger in the sky than these photos suggest:

Searching for a Home

Now that we're in the thick of a statewide "voluntary stay at home" effort, I might as well spend a little more time in front of the computer and update the blog.

Although our last post was in March, the photos were actually from... gulp! January. If nothing else, I'm honest.

Let's continue where we left off.

This poor fella was in our backyard searching for materials to make his home.  This particular branh was too heavy for him to lift.

Neighborhood rumor is that they're building a nest somewhere right around here.  One neighbor is purchasing a telescope so he can watch.  Maybe I'll see if we can get a photo from him to share?

Thankfully the eagles remember to keep 6' away from most people.

Eagles on Ice

This has been an exciting bird watching winter for us.  The bald eagles have made their annual winter appearance in their favorite tree.  This year we've been treated to numerous sightings and a few killings.  Here they are on the ice, just waiting for the right moment....

Happy Birthday!

The blog is late but we celebrated on time.  Check out how we marked this year's milestone birthday for Daddy:

Homeschooling, Lesson #33: Currant Etiquette

In today's class we learn the most efficient way to eat currants.

Daddy and Ashley graciously offer everyone a lesson:

Sandy greetings

Greetings from the sandbox.  Funny thing about kids:  it's so hard to get all of them to look at the camera the same time.

The Farmer at One Oak

The Farmer at One Oak has been busy this summer.

Mint and sage are growing out of control (mostly because no one eats them).  It's sort of hard to tell, but they're about chest height.

And this was the haul a few days ago:  currants, cucumbers, a zucchini, tomatoes and raspberries!  I'd like to say that with these skills we'll never go hungry, but it's really more accurate to say that the squirrels and bunnies will never go hungry.  They eat most of it!

Egret with Regrets

Two egrets landed just outside of our window. Smart birds;  it's spawning season and the alewife are going bonkers in the shallow waters of the lake.  Even I, a non-feathered friend, can tell it's pretty easy pickins out there.

So I grabbed my phone and started recording.  It wasn't terribly thrilling, so I panned away... at the wrong moment.  Watch about 10 seconds to get the idea and then jump ahead to the 28 second mark.  And you'll see it!

Growin' in the Garden

This year was good for tomatoes (picked about 1 pint/day at the peak), all herbs (which the kids refuse to eat, except for chives which they eat raw) and sunflowers.  Beautiful sunflowers:

Garden Guy

When Tate saw me snipping the flowers, he wanted to hold one.  I showed his a fun, hands-free way to hold them:

The Look

Tate is rockin' this set of shades.

Reminds me of when the A-team loved playing with their own glasses.

Father's Day!

We celebrated Father's Day on time (even if this post is a bit delayed).  As I write this, I'm smiling because it was such a wonderful day with our family.  Here's to you, Daddy!

waiting for crepes at the "pancake place"

One happy and well-fed crew

Tate tried to talk to a birdy while we waited for our crepes:

He gave up, so we took a photo instead:

Then it was off to Castle Island:

Little guy couldn't sit still! 

Perched on a big rock

Followed by a quick kayak trip with Adam:

We ended the day by going to a birthday party.  Can't ask for anything more!

Sprinkler Here and Sprinkler There

Sprinkler, sprinkler everywhere.