OCTOBER 14, 2012 -- CAMPING MERIT BADGE CLINIC

CAMPING MERIT BADGE CLINIC

October 14, 2012

Last night our boys went camping with dad!  Joseph has 6 more nights to complete on his camping merit badge so we are pushing to finish so he can get his eagle!

This morning, we had a clinic at Pack Rat that I arranged for the boys from 9-11am.
It was fantastic!  Set with our instructor and he taught us so much about gear, preparing and being prepared to better enjoy a hike and campout.  Thumbs up to Pack Rat!!!
After the instruction, the boys got to climb the climbing wall!  That was a highlight!

We had 5 boys and 2 girls from our family alone participate today in the clinic

Fayetteville 1st Ward Boy Scouts

Our awesome instructor, Seth.

Daniel

Matthew

Rachel

I got excited again about camping!  I have such fond memories of camping with my parents.  I only remember camping trips with Dad, Mom and Randall.  I know I went with more of the family when I was little, but I don't remember.  We have a black and white picture of me playing in a dish pan of water at age 2ish when we were camping.

A few random memories are:

• I remember camping at KP Cynaga and Randall and I took a walk and there was a bull out in the  meadow and Randall was wearing a red sweatshirt.  I remember being concerned and talking about what we would do if the bull charged us.  I also remember on this trip feeding a squirrel who was stashing the food in the tree for winter!  It would take the nuts out of our hands!
• I remember working puzzles.  We played one puzzle race game called "Horse Trader."  You would trade pieces with other to try to get the pieces that belonged to your puzzle that matched your picture of a horse.  We played and traded and either mom or I finished first and then the other close behind.  We revealed our work spaces and Dad and Randall had like 2 or 3 pieces together -- that was it.  This is one of the only times I remember Dad sitting and playing games with us -- whether camping or at home.  I remember dad saying once that he wasn't fond of "parlor games."
• I remember making whistles out of the cypress tree leaves.
• I remember soaking small twigs from the cypress tree to slide off the bark and then carve the wood for a whistle and then sliding the bark back on and have a real whistle!
• I remember finding the little seed pod things that when you stuck them on your shirt, the tail twisted around and we called them "clocks."
• I remember going in the green and white trailer at night and mom swatting mosquitos so we didn't get bit so much.
• I remember dad cooking in dutch ovens.
• I remember playing Yahtzee.
• I remember loving to get away and have peaceful, in the woods times.