Gimme An A!

This is not a full entrance back to blogging but I wanted to put down our weekend so everyone who is interested can read about it. Of course, there are things that I can’t write here such as the crass conversation three rivers girls had as they changed into dry clothes and loaded boats within earshot of two teenage boys and presumably their father. One stealthy side glance, once we realized our unsuspecting audience, showed that the boys could indeed hear us as they ate a sandwich and grinned slyly at each other. Gotta grow up sometime, boys! 

So, Thursday started off a little rocky. Abi has been called home with a high fever on Wednesday but thankfully medicine was procured. I worked the morning, Aunt Meg watched her a few hours and then I came home to relieve her and allow David to work or pack. We had to pack the car up and get going to the dealer to get the camper on our way out of town. It was all so ambitious and we ended up an hour and a half behind schedule. We got the camper, had dinner at Bob Evans and then headed west. Abi fell asleep about 8 but began coughing in her sleep which woke her. She coughed so hard she threw up when we were about an hour and a half from Somerset where we were going to stay in a hotel for the night due to distance and a long day. So, she got to watch Elmo, her current love of all loves (sorry, Craig. You will always be her first kiss though), until we got to the hotel and were able to get her settled in. Of course, being in the same room as mommy and daddy always prompts her to stand and cheerily say “Hi!” 

Leslie and the Abi Shack ready to head west

On Friday we headed to the Ranch to get the A-liner, “The Abi Shack,” set up. People started arriving and setting up shop for the weekend. We put sandals on Abi’s feet and waited for the crying that comes with any change. Wearing shoes without socks was a shock lately but she got used to the sandals thankfully.

The Ranch

Abi does not like wearing sandals or having pig tails. She is a hot and snotty mess. But the sky is blue!

The Ranch is a five-acre plot of land that has a large grassy area surrounded by trees. There is a trailer where the Samlins stay, a house that needs to be fixed up but has a great wrap-around porch, and all the camp fixins like a fire pit, outdoor shower, and a deck with an awning. Janet even put up misters so the dogs and humans would be cooler during the day.The Samlins are so generous to allow us to stay on their land and use their facilities. They created an outdoor shower for the stinky river rats to use. They allow us to hook into their electricity and water. It is amazing and so heartwarming to see everyone come together and it’s all thanks to Ron and Janet. 

I love the outdoor shower, especially as the sun sets

Saturday was the day I would paddle and David would paddle on Sunday. We made it through Friday night without Abi waking much beyond her coughing. We had breakfast and noticed that it was eerily empty for memorial day weekend. The PCC grouped up at the put in and I branched off with Renee and Kim for some girl paddling. We took our time, enjoyed a river beer in the doldrums, and began the conversations only girls have among themselves when males are not around. The water was cool and so refreshing in the 80+ heat. There were no swims and we were off the river and at our car by 3:30.  We headed back to the ranch. Abi had not had a great day I heard with some fits of crying but with heat and allergies you can’t blame her. People came off the river and dinner was starting to cook. Abi had her dinner and hung close to us while people chatted. I took a shower and listened, as the sun dipped below the shower wall, to the sound created by many different conversations going on at once. Being outside the group and hearing the hum I wondered how the neighbors really felt about us being there throughout the summer. It rained for a short time but dinner was soon on – chicken fajitas, shrimp and pasta, and all the munchies and crunchies. There was even birthday cake! There was much tom foolery and what not as the night came on and beer bottles accrued in the recycling.  I watched the stars as I tried to stay awake by the fire. You don’t see the stars in one large area much in the suburbs of Philly. 

Abi and her new toy

Sunday started the same as Saturday with the exception of David and I switching roles. Abi and I even copied Saturday by going to Ruby Tuesdays for lunch and then to Wal-Mart. Hearing David’s story about her meltdown the day before I ordered all the food at once and paid the check so we could cut out as fast as we’d need to. But, luckily she was feeling better and we made it a half hour before leaving. We rolled around Wal-Mart and I caved in and bought Elmo DVDs for the car. There is only so many times you can listen to the same 45 minute video about bells, violins, and drums. After Abi woke from her afternoon nap I set up the Elmo drum set. Are you noticing a theme here? Abi’s three favorite words are Dada, milk, and ELMO! “Momma” only comes out when she is sad. People began arriving from the river and this time she was not shy but was walking around, looking at the dog, and smiling and jabbering to people. It only took three days to get her warmed up. Let’s hope the next time she’ll come around quicker. Everyone told stories and talked about all the rafts that were on the river. On Saturday, Renee, Kim and i were the only ones in sight for many miles. Apparently everyone decided Sunday was the day to hit the river.

The Samlin’s car had lost back brakes so they needed to get home and figure a way to fix it so they began packing up to hitch a ride home with another paddler. Then the skies opened up with a torrential thunderstorm. Abi has just been put down and was sitting up from all the booming thunder. So, after sitting on the deck and watching the lightning for fifteen minutes and realizing that the storm wasn’t exactly blowing over I ran to the camper, took Abi out of the pack n play, pulled the shades away and we watched the rain and lightning. David had gone to get food so he had to run between the rain drops with ice cream and pulled pork to get in. We three hung out until the rain slowed. I was thankful for the camper throughout the rain storm. Last year it rained every time we went camping and it always created issues with waking the baby or leaking through the tent. So, all the trouble of getting the camper – delayed pick up, additional equipment needed, misinformation, lack of communication with the dealer, etc – seemed worth it in that moment. We are sorry that our tenting karma has moved on to the Cunninghams, whose tent blew all around and tore. Once the storm passed the stars came out and a fire was built. Again I watched the stars in between conversations and begrudgingly headed to bed. 

Monday we began the slow trek back trying to keep Abi happy in the car seat and us sane.

It was a hot and exhausting weekend but it is always great to see friends and try to lead a life resembling what we used to have. 

Abi and Daddeh

Things learned

•  Abi is allergic to cut grass as she was tearing and had snot all day long as the mower went round and round the huge plot of land. She also sneezes when sunlight touches her face.
• You are able to get a job and finance a camper on an expired driver’s license but don’t attempt to get a Sheetz reward card!
• Being diligent about keeping the baby in the shade doesn’t mean you won’t get sunburn if you don’t stay in the shade too. This goes for bug bites as well. 

Finally, as an aside, I planted these seeds two days before we left. They are summer squash, carrots, and bell pepper. It was mostly a “ah fuck it” move where I tossed the remaining seeds from the packets into containers of either all compost or half compost half dirt. I had doled out seeds in egg cartons and planted them only to have something eat half of them in the night. Well, check these damn things out after less than a week. WHAT THE WHAT?