This is Callie. She is a Lab something…we think maybe German Shepherd. This is where she spent pretty much the entire camping trip.
She did not like camping.
She did not like it at all.
She pretty much spent the entire trip telling us that we had to leave NOW.
Oh and she would not eat. Or pee or poop. She held it until she could not hold it any longer.
I don’t think we will ever convince her to go in the car ever again.
Because of copious amounts of camping gear, she had to squeeze between the car seats at Caity’s feet. This caused her to stand and whine in my ear the whole journey (45 min to an hour). We also found out the whining was because she had to really really ‘go’ and would not before we left and then freaked when we arrived at the camp site.
Allouette Lake up in Golden Ears Park is great because it doesn’t take long to get there, has flush toilets, showers and a wack of kids for our kids to befriend.
All the sites there are great too…I really don’t think there is a bad spot there.
Our site had this HUGE rock on which the kids could scramble.
It was surrounded by trees and ferns.
Our camping trip was interesting because when I had tried to reserve a site, I couldn’t until Sunday. However, when looking at the weather, Sunday was when it started sucking.
So we decided to just risk it and go on Friday. The weather was great. Phew.
We forgot a few things. An axe would have helped. So would a can opener.
Nana Crunch likes to chop wood. We had to borrow a hatchet.
So we set up our little camp and the dog freaked. See, she is very vigilant about the toings and froings of our kids. But being that the campsite terrified her, she was going mad when the kids kept disappearing out of her sight.
We didn’t even have to tie her up.
Caity loves camping because she loves the tent. She either wants to lay in there with you or play with her toys. Even on her first trip at age two, she would wander in to the tent and put herself down for a nap.
So on Day One, we were all quite pleased that a) the weather was good and b) that we got a great site and the place really did not appear to be that busy.
We tried to relax and the kids ran around looking for friends to play with.
We found a cool trail and explored the area a bit too.
It is funny, I never camped in the UK. Mom and I ventured to Manning Park when she first got a car…a teeny red Nissan Micra.
We had been to Manning Park before with a friend of mom and camped and stayed in a cabin there.
We have slowly built up our camping supplies, but first started out with no stove and did everything on the fire. Mom is the best wood chopper around.
So needless to say, most of my camping was up there. That is where I took Pat camping. I will have to scan in some of THOSE photos. My husband, while handy with an axe and so on, is not really a ‘get away to the wilds’ sort of person.
And then there was the trip there in which I forgot the tent poles. We slept in the back of his Honda Civic.
Yah.
Camping for mom and I consisted with us feeling like pioneer women and enjoy the beauty around us.
Camping for Pat and I consisted of a lot of reading and er “sleeping” in the tent. And eating.
Then I decided to invite along a bunch of friends.
THAT kind of camping is different. More em…stoned.
But a lot of fun.
Camping with kids is a whole other different experience.
When camping just with adults, you tend to look for quieter sites.
When camping with kids you tend to look for sites with MORE amenities and other kids. Not a whole lot of peace and quiet.
Mind you, it is great when they bugger of to another groups spot and harrass them!
I wish we had a photo of our kids dancing with the neighbour kids to some sort of weird Acadian jig we found on CBC Radio 2 – the only station we could pick up on the radio.
So camping with kids has a lot less beer and a lot less reading time and more ‘what can we do now?’
You are in the frakkin woods kids….go play!
Day Two – The weather was great again…after a cloudy start. So we headed out to the Allouette Day Area..well, the dog bit anyway. They are really strict about where dogs can and cannot go.
This was the only time we saw Callie happy.
Mind you, later on she was sooo stiff from all her swimming that she could barely walk for the rest of the day.
Glad to know the dog is as out of shape as me.
I just love that all that beauty is just an hour out of town.
We had a lovely evening that day, a great meal and fun with the other kids and a good fire.
Then, in the night…..we heard the first spatterings of rain on the tent.
Mom and I leaped up and rushed out to cover the table with our spare tarp and make sure everything else was under cover.
Later around dawn, the heavens opened and did not stop.
With gritted teeth I made coffee and then some breakfast IN THE RAIN.
It was NOT going to let up.
Callie was NOT going to leave the tent either.
We decided we had to break camp.
Nothing is more horrid than trying to pack up wet camping gear. Nothing.
The rain did not deter the kids..they were flying around the campground…soaked through…but having a blast.
Mom and I were NOT having a blast. We were totally dripping wet by the time we got things organized and loaded in the car. And EXHAUSTED too.
Trying to make sure we didn’t soak the car was fun too.
Despite the rain and terrible driving conditions it didn’t take us long to get home….
I am STILL working on the laundry pile and the tent is still soaking wet.
Ah …the great outdoors…fun huh??
Callie was so happy to be home.
She hasn’t left the couch since.
Maria says
Poor puppy!
And damn that’s a big tree trunk those kiddies are standing in!
Shannon says
I’d be understating it if I said I’m not the biggest fan of camping. However, it’s been long enough now that I’m starting to really miss it and my kids are finally almost old enough for me to put up with a weekend of camping again. I’ve had some less than great camping experiences but BC is the scene of some of my very happiest camping memories and I can’t wait to go out there again. There’s this lovely campground just outside of Chilliwack, up a huge hill (small mountain?) and we camped there a number of years ago and it was so beautiful and the site was awesome. I hope to go back there some day.
Shannons last blog post..Not That It Happened To Me Monday: The Backpack Edition
Skittles says
Poor Callie! She feels the same about camping as my oldest son. ๐
Reading all this and seeing the pictures reminded me of all the camping trips I’ve been on.. and makes me wonder why it’s been so long since I have.
claudia says
Yeh. I don’t think I will be going campin anytime soon. Eeesh.
Hope your tent doesn’t mildew up,lol.
claudias last blog post..Sad
wookie says
Our labs loved camping… one chewed the handle off the axe while we were watching the fire one night. Made the rest of the nights a little more interesting.
However, I just have to stick my assvice out there… I don’t know how old Callie is, but if she’s stiff or not as limber as she used to be, consider trying giving her glucosamine. Our black lab was quite arthritic as he got older, and we didn’t even know how bad it had gotten until we started treating him on the vet’s suggestion. It made a world of difference! He wasn’t like a puppy again, but it was like he was 4 or 5 again. Really worth it!
QuiltNut says
and this is why i do not camp! dh takes the kids and gives me a day or two of peace and quiet lol!
glad you had fun though!
CrAzY Working Mom says
Every single time we go camping the whole weekend is full of beautiful weather and when you get ready to pack up and go home you have to do so in the rain!? EVERY TIME!!!
CrAzY Working Moms last blog post..The End Is Near
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