Staycation

Our Staycation was fun, and cheap, my two favorite things.

This giant canvas tent was my Hubbies Uncles tent 50 years ago. He had given it to my Hubbies family (4 boys) forever ago. They used it in Scouts.

We inherited it when my Husbands parents split up and sold the house. Our kids love it and every few years we lug it out and they live in it for half the summer.

This thing is heavy and needs a minimum of 4 to set it up.

My girl put a table and chairs in the front screened room and packed a ton of games to pass the time.

The kids and I slept in here Friday Night.

We brought in the mini black & white tv (curbside treasure) and watched Michael Phelps win gold #7.

Told spooky stories.

Wore out the dog.

Saturday my mom and her hubbie showed up in their little camper.

They had bought it in rough shape, gutted it and turned it cute.

Mom and I put out quite a food spread while hubbie manned the grill on the fire pit.

My siblings with kids showed up for dessert, decided instead of camping that they would take advantage of the free babysitting and left. (They can be annoying that way)

The kids, 5 in all, camped in the Boyscout tent and stayed up late giggling and acting silly.

Hubbie and I stayed in old Scout and didn't hear a thing.

Sunday

My Mom insisted on bringing her bike and wanted to ride our route with me. Now for 65 she is pretty spry, but I warned her it is a tough route. She said "I can ride 5 miles". So I say "There are a lot of hills". She says "What hills?". So I say "Umm, the one right out of our drive way". So she replies "Thats not a hill?"

"Bring it old lady" I think to myself.

Well halfway up our non existent hill she is off her bike and pushing it, "It doesn't seem this big when you are in the car" she says. I tell her we can turn back anytime, all the while riding to the top and back down to meet her over and over.

We get to the top, I warn her that the way down is the King Of The World hill where you feel like you are flying but after 4 1/2 miles of riding, it is a bugger to get back up. She keeps insisting she is going the 5 miles even if it kills her.

Ok, my mother is probably the only person more stubborn than me, I will exert tons of effort and half kill myself before I admit defeat, so I guess that is where I get it from and have to admire her a bit, but on the other hand, I didn't want to kill off my mom and ruin our Staycation.

So many hills she had to walk up while I circled back and forth later, I tell her we are at the mile and a half point and we can turn around anytime. I warn her although the next mile is pretty flat, there is no shade and it gets quite hot. "I'm doing the 5 miles" she says.

So we ride past the house we used to live in before my parents divorce and she didn't even recognize it. She kept inquiring if berries growing along the way were edible. "No mother they are poisonous and we are not gathering berries out of my neighbors ditches".

So we hit the halfway mark and i warn her of the next hill. It is a paved section, cars fly past, it doesn't seem steep but the slope is a long one. "I'm going 5 miles" she says.

So we coast down before it turns up, she is riding her brakes the whole way. We then start the slope, she gets off and is walking up. I keep looping up then back behind her to warn her of the approaching cars because she keeps veering into the road. I get a ways ahead again, look over my shoulder and I see her bike parked on the side of the road but no mom.

She is on the opposite side of the road checking to see if that is bittersweet growing there. So I tell her "if you want to climb down into a ditch getting poison sumac on your legs, turning this usually 30 minute ride into a 3 hour ride, go ahead, but i am not helping".

She either gets my reasoning, realizes I am not going to help her or maybe it is my exasperated tone that gets her back to her bike and we finally make it up the hill.

Luckily my sisters house is just a bit away because mom is half dead by now. I ride ahead to get swim suits for the kids who are still at my house. Mom finally makes it there and asks my sister for a ride the rest of the way. YAY! She wants to know if I want to ride too and get my bike later. No way, its only 2 miles and it is a lovely 2 miles at that.

While my sister grabs her keys, I take off, kicking butt, trying to release my frustration but more than that wanting to show off a bit.

She and my sister work out at Curves or on an elliptical and I get criticism for not exercising. I tell them of all the heavy work i do and get the typical response "It isn't sustained work". Ok, tell me 2 straight hours, usually more of chicken coop cleaning, hauling wheelbarrows filled to the top with crap, across one end of our land to the other, or spitting and hauling fire wood, managing a large garden isn't a work out. Their response is that it isn't every day. I just shake my head, knowing there is no way they could do half of what i do and I let them keep their smugness.

So back to my story. By the time they pass me I have made it close to a mile and am feeling great, happy that I proved to myself and them that my lazy not joining a gym self can kick ass any day of the week.

I get home easy breezy, it's close to noon (we left at 10). Hubbie had wanted to do a crayfish broil but the crayfish had other plans. So Hubby and Grandpa were fishing instead.

They had a couple of fish, I drop my line in and get...

...this mo facky!

It's called a Striped Bass and gave me quite a fight. I caught a few more but put them back because we had plenty by that time.

The guys cooked us up a fish feast which was delish.

I swam a bit with the kids, they stayed in and played in the mud.



I watched the kids and read this book (loved it btw) while the grandfolks packed up and left.

Two of my sisters kids stayed another night, I didn't have the heart to end their fun.

My kids were out in the tent again last night, we aren't supposed to get rain till the weekend, so I guess that is were they'll be until then.

The kids start school in 2 weeks and feel it has been a terrific summer. We may have one more of these weekends, maybe Labor Day, with just us four.