riverAh yes! What a sweet time it was!
First of all major big kudos to Jen for coming at all. For someone who doesn't do nature ...... she was one amazing trooper! I was impressed with her ability to just relax and adapt to what was around her and not freak out at the sight of dirt. Its impossible to not deal with dirt on a continual basis at camp. They both were a joy to have at the claim and are more than welcome anytime to return. As often as they would like. Mi camp es su camp ...... lmao ...... or something like that.
For those of you who have wanted pictures ...... please go HERE
This link will take you to where tattooedjen posted a wonder picture story of their trip. Her pictures are awesome and really show you what its like around there! And she knows me well enough to know that I will hold her to a return trip.
Here is my journal of events ...... as I remember them ..... :
July 17, 2008
Arrived around 2:30 pm. Ate a couple of sandwiches. Dave took out the fridge and started doing what the folks down river in Sawyers Bar had told him to do with it; lay it on its side and beat on it a little and let it sit for a hour, lay it on its other side and beat on it a little and let it sit for a hour, stand it on its head and beat on it a little and let it sit for an hour. Fridge back in now. Waiting for some sign of life from it. Have downed a few beers tonight. Artichokes from the garden for dinner. SO GOOD! Sanded on bench (the Flintstone mobile) ..... see Jen's post linked above. No reading tonight. Tired and buzzed. Bed at 9:30.
July 18, 2008
Up early. It's cold. Back to bed. Up again. Steak and eggs for breakfast. Did dinner and breakfast dishes. Dave did some cleanup around camp. Helped load stuff up and take down to the gold hole. First run produced no gold. Well, some but very very little. Dave had changed sluice box and now decided to change back. Took lunch break. Afternoon run much better. Found biggest piece for this year thus far. Spaghetti and corn on cob for dinner. Dave and I carved each other initials into our little patio table. Dishes done. Light helping to pull bugs away from patio area. JEN AND JUSTIN TOMORROW! Going to have them carve their initials in table too. A bit too much beer tonight, good buzz going on. Dogs in bed already. We are soon to follow. Fridge is acting up ..... after some pretty positive response to the ass whooping.
July 19, 2008
Early rising again. Very very cold! Steak and eggs for breakfast again but with potatoes today. Did dishes and swept out trailer. Joe anticipating Auntie Jen and Justin's arrival! Been staring out window at the road for a few hours now. Dave putting finishing touches on the new private potty area! It is very cute actually. He did good. Took "whores bath" as Jen's grandma called them ..... face, pits and coochie ..... in that order as Jen says ..... lol ..... Heard traffic up on road. Headed on up just in case they are early ...... 11:15 am. Jen and Justin arrived right on time ..... 11:45 am. After getting them into camp took them on the grand tour. Fixed an Antipasto salad for lunch. Jen brought us a HUGE bag of almonds! They are yummy!! We are very happy! lol Smoked our very first blunt ..... and loved it. We both did. Justin rolled a pear first and then later a banana split. To say I loved the overall flavor of the "blunts" would be putting it mildly. If blunt papers were more readily available here ..... we'd have a problem Houston! We took a walk down to the swimming hole where we played stick with Petey and watched Lola and Joe cheerlead him on. Then up to the road for a little history site seeing tour. Dinner bacon wrapped fillet mingons (sp) w/ zucchini, Jen's Campfire Onions, garlic toast and watermelon. Flavor wrapper rolled joints for dessert ...... peach & cream, cherry .... oh, never knew such things existed ..... I'm hooked. After more chat and relaxing we all were pretty tired. Showed Jen and Justin to their tent. Assured them no critters should visit. Then of to bed for us. Great day.
July 20, 2008
Slept well. Really well. Dave up early. Coffee made, bowls smoked. Signs of life from tent prompts me to get up and get bed made as well as more coffee. After morning chatter and more coffee I started breakfast. Turkey bacon, eggs, potatoes and toast. Dave is normally the breakfast cook, but somehow I ended up with the duty (Dave was very anxious to take Justin and Jen to the gold hole) ..... and fortunately for me .... it all turned out well. After breakfast I sent Jen and Justin off to the hole with Dave while I did up breakfast dishes. While heating water ..... no more propane. Gone. I could not do my dishes. I am not happy. But life goes on, we will leave today instead of early tomorrow. Down to hole to play with Dave and the kids for awhile before lunch and they head out. Jen and Justin bot did a great job panning for the first time. Sandwiches and chips for lunch. Jen and Justin loaded up around 3:00 and headed out. Joe was very sad to see them go, he went and cried under the trailer for awhile after their departure. Hugs goodbye. Had one awesome time. Jen promised to return. And that makes me very very happy! Left camp around 6:00 pm. Text from Jen later in the evening. Home safely. YAY! Hauled dirty dishes home to wash. Smoke rolled in an hour or so before we left. A large plume rising over the ridge beyond the swimming hole. Firefighters on road on way out and setting up camp at the forest service station down the road. Fire trucks passing us on way out. Sign posted "Caribou Fire Staging Area" ....... folks, this sucks. It looked too close. Fingers are crossed we have a camp when we return. Truly terrified.
I woke up at around 4 - 4:30 am with horrible stomach pains. Cramps to my toes. Painful enough to bring on vomiting as well. Sweating profusely .... and many tears a hour and a half later I was able to crawl back to bed and pass out asleep. No Jen, the almonds were not bad. They were too good. Dave and I just about finished, yes finished, that whole bag on Sunday. I made myself sick. And I know better than to do that to myself with nuts. Then added some zucchini cake sticks on top on them when I got home. I deserve what I got. It was a friendly reminder of overkill. And I won't do it again. At least for a long time. Don't enjoy that kind of pain.
Then I drove B. and her little dog to the vet. And stopped on the way back so she could pick up some ice cream. FORTY FIVE minutes later and a cart full of groceries I was finally able to take her home. Then I came home laid down and fell asleep immediately. For a couple hours. Still tired and sore from this mornings ass kicking I am now ready to call it a night.
Will do laundry tomorrow. And possibly head out Wednesday after I drive B. to her own doctors appointment. And probably to pick up more ice cream. Its cool ... $12.00 an hour to bake in a parking lot ..... whatever. Smoke has been predominate today. Thick. My voice has been cutting in and out the last few days. Possible sinus infection due to smoke, I'm sure. In any case this is story and I'm sticking to it.
Jen did such a great job that I really hope you will take the time to check out the photos and story that goes with them. I can not wait for their return. There is more fun to be had, more gold to find.
Peace All. J.
First of all major big kudos to Jen for coming at all. For someone who doesn't do nature ...... she was one amazing trooper! I was impressed with her ability to just relax and adapt to what was around her and not freak out at the sight of dirt. Its impossible to not deal with dirt on a continual basis at camp. They both were a joy to have at the claim and are more than welcome anytime to return. As often as they would like. Mi camp es su camp ...... lmao ...... or something like that.
For those of you who have wanted pictures ...... please go HERE
This link will take you to where tattooedjen posted a wonder picture story of their trip. Her pictures are awesome and really show you what its like around there! And she knows me well enough to know that I will hold her to a return trip.
Here is my journal of events ...... as I remember them ..... :
July 17, 2008
Arrived around 2:30 pm. Ate a couple of sandwiches. Dave took out the fridge and started doing what the folks down river in Sawyers Bar had told him to do with it; lay it on its side and beat on it a little and let it sit for a hour, lay it on its other side and beat on it a little and let it sit for a hour, stand it on its head and beat on it a little and let it sit for an hour. Fridge back in now. Waiting for some sign of life from it. Have downed a few beers tonight. Artichokes from the garden for dinner. SO GOOD! Sanded on bench (the Flintstone mobile) ..... see Jen's post linked above. No reading tonight. Tired and buzzed. Bed at 9:30.
July 18, 2008
Up early. It's cold. Back to bed. Up again. Steak and eggs for breakfast. Did dinner and breakfast dishes. Dave did some cleanup around camp. Helped load stuff up and take down to the gold hole. First run produced no gold. Well, some but very very little. Dave had changed sluice box and now decided to change back. Took lunch break. Afternoon run much better. Found biggest piece for this year thus far. Spaghetti and corn on cob for dinner. Dave and I carved each other initials into our little patio table. Dishes done. Light helping to pull bugs away from patio area. JEN AND JUSTIN TOMORROW! Going to have them carve their initials in table too. A bit too much beer tonight, good buzz going on. Dogs in bed already. We are soon to follow. Fridge is acting up ..... after some pretty positive response to the ass whooping.
July 19, 2008
Early rising again. Very very cold! Steak and eggs for breakfast again but with potatoes today. Did dishes and swept out trailer. Joe anticipating Auntie Jen and Justin's arrival! Been staring out window at the road for a few hours now. Dave putting finishing touches on the new private potty area! It is very cute actually. He did good. Took "whores bath" as Jen's grandma called them ..... face, pits and coochie ..... in that order as Jen says ..... lol ..... Heard traffic up on road. Headed on up just in case they are early ...... 11:15 am. Jen and Justin arrived right on time ..... 11:45 am. After getting them into camp took them on the grand tour. Fixed an Antipasto salad for lunch. Jen brought us a HUGE bag of almonds! They are yummy!! We are very happy! lol Smoked our very first blunt ..... and loved it. We both did. Justin rolled a pear first and then later a banana split. To say I loved the overall flavor of the "blunts" would be putting it mildly. If blunt papers were more readily available here ..... we'd have a problem Houston! We took a walk down to the swimming hole where we played stick with Petey and watched Lola and Joe cheerlead him on. Then up to the road for a little history site seeing tour. Dinner bacon wrapped fillet mingons (sp) w/ zucchini, Jen's Campfire Onions, garlic toast and watermelon. Flavor wrapper rolled joints for dessert ...... peach & cream, cherry .... oh, never knew such things existed ..... I'm hooked. After more chat and relaxing we all were pretty tired. Showed Jen and Justin to their tent. Assured them no critters should visit. Then of to bed for us. Great day.
July 20, 2008
Slept well. Really well. Dave up early. Coffee made, bowls smoked. Signs of life from tent prompts me to get up and get bed made as well as more coffee. After morning chatter and more coffee I started breakfast. Turkey bacon, eggs, potatoes and toast. Dave is normally the breakfast cook, but somehow I ended up with the duty (Dave was very anxious to take Justin and Jen to the gold hole) ..... and fortunately for me .... it all turned out well. After breakfast I sent Jen and Justin off to the hole with Dave while I did up breakfast dishes. While heating water ..... no more propane. Gone. I could not do my dishes. I am not happy. But life goes on, we will leave today instead of early tomorrow. Down to hole to play with Dave and the kids for awhile before lunch and they head out. Jen and Justin bot did a great job panning for the first time. Sandwiches and chips for lunch. Jen and Justin loaded up around 3:00 and headed out. Joe was very sad to see them go, he went and cried under the trailer for awhile after their departure. Hugs goodbye. Had one awesome time. Jen promised to return. And that makes me very very happy! Left camp around 6:00 pm. Text from Jen later in the evening. Home safely. YAY! Hauled dirty dishes home to wash. Smoke rolled in an hour or so before we left. A large plume rising over the ridge beyond the swimming hole. Firefighters on road on way out and setting up camp at the forest service station down the road. Fire trucks passing us on way out. Sign posted "Caribou Fire Staging Area" ....... folks, this sucks. It looked too close. Fingers are crossed we have a camp when we return. Truly terrified.
I woke up at around 4 - 4:30 am with horrible stomach pains. Cramps to my toes. Painful enough to bring on vomiting as well. Sweating profusely .... and many tears a hour and a half later I was able to crawl back to bed and pass out asleep. No Jen, the almonds were not bad. They were too good. Dave and I just about finished, yes finished, that whole bag on Sunday. I made myself sick. And I know better than to do that to myself with nuts. Then added some zucchini cake sticks on top on them when I got home. I deserve what I got. It was a friendly reminder of overkill. And I won't do it again. At least for a long time. Don't enjoy that kind of pain.
Then I drove B. and her little dog to the vet. And stopped on the way back so she could pick up some ice cream. FORTY FIVE minutes later and a cart full of groceries I was finally able to take her home. Then I came home laid down and fell asleep immediately. For a couple hours. Still tired and sore from this mornings ass kicking I am now ready to call it a night.
Will do laundry tomorrow. And possibly head out Wednesday after I drive B. to her own doctors appointment. And probably to pick up more ice cream. Its cool ... $12.00 an hour to bake in a parking lot ..... whatever. Smoke has been predominate today. Thick. My voice has been cutting in and out the last few days. Possible sinus infection due to smoke, I'm sure. In any case this is story and I'm sticking to it.
Jen did such a great job that I really hope you will take the time to check out the photos and story that goes with them. I can not wait for their return. There is more fun to be had, more gold to find.
Peace All. J.
