woo! sog sog! fun fun!

Well, we did it. We had another successful camping trip! Yep, after a string of bad camping experiences, it seems that we're finally getting the hang of it.

The forecast was beautiful. Couldn't have been better. Sun, starting on Thursday or Friday, getting hotter and hotter and peaking on Monday. Our plans were for a Friday to Tuesday stretch of camping bliss.

Sadly, a couple days before our departure, the weather forecast somehow flipped to the exact opposite of what it had said at first. It would be rainy, then more rainy, peaking on Sunday or so, and then maybe - MAYBE - there would be a peek of sunlight through the clouds. But just for a few seconds.

Here, Plava tries out her new boots in preparation for the rains. Note the weather looks nice still!

Well, we never saw that quick peek of sunlight. Maybe the clouds played a nasty trick and parted for that moment in the middle of the night. No, no. It rained then too.

Okay, so it rained. So what? We were camping in a biiiig trailer. It actually made it a very easy rainy camping experience. No midnight tent cave-ins. No waking up to the air mattress being half empty and your bum touching the very, very cold ground. (Who makes those air mattresses anyway? Has anyone ever had a good experience with one?) No, it was cozy and dry in the trailer. Very nice.

See? Doesn't she look happy and cozy through the screen door?

We camped for the first couple nights with others nearby. My sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew were there, as well as their friends, a couple with a little 2 1/2 year old boy. It was nice! It took away from the misery of the damp.

On a walk with the group to the lake.

The cousins walking together. So cute when they hold hands!

An awfully cute family.

And another one!

Watching the beautiful drippy-droppy lake.

The leaning people looking at an eagle. How do they DO that?

My sister, Teresa, and her wee E, keeping dry in spite of the elements.

Little F and Gregg enjoying a moment by the lake.

Little A does a funky lake dance next to his Daddy.

Wet, wet, wet!

Plava tests out her new boots. She seemed to really like dipping her feet in the lake.

I have to say that camping in the rain has its benefits. First of all, most everyone clears out as soon as one rainy night has passed. After the first night we were there, people peeled out of there like they were in a race. It left the place quite serene. It continued too, and by our last night, we were only one of 4 occupied campsites in the whole place. It was so quiet. It was lovely.

Another nice thing about camping in bad weather, and being mostly alone, was that the animals came out. At least the little ones. Squirrels suddenly showed up at our trailer door, paws open, hoping for some offerings. Blue jays visited our dinner table, serenaded us through our meal, and even helped with the leftovers! It was just lovely. Lovely.

Well, if you haven't camped at Rolley Lake, I recommend it. It's a nice campground, as far as provincial campgrounds go. The lake is nice and fairly warm, and the surroundings are beautiful. What a great weekend!

Plava offers some love to her fire-building Dad.