Monday 12 July 2010

The Camp Out.....


Husband always winces when I say; 'I know: I've got a good idea.....' No trust, no faith!

Home Field is our play field; there was a football pitch and golf hole there earlier in the season but now its a meadow on fertilizer drugs: Sky high with feathery grasses, it desperately needs to be harvested and made into hay.... If only I could locate Land Man and his tractor, but he's super-busy managing nature on his patch. However, in line with my new plan, hubby mowed a play-lawn near the bonfire and paddling pool............

A long, long time ago my pal lent us her tent. It's two-man tent but she seems to have lost the men, as all I can find in the bags are the tent poles and the canvas.. boom, boom! Geddit? It's early in the morning, bare with me....

....... It was still about 23°, late in the afternoon, when hubby and I started to put up the tent on the newly mowed grass. It is really cool, shaped like an igloo with plenty of room for one adult and two pint-sized sproglets .... Oh, the adult will be me then?!! (Hubby's more 5* than tent!!!)

By 9pm they were scrubbed and, military style, were on parade in the house.

'Blow up Beds?'

'Check,' they saluted

'PJs?'

'Check.'

'ONE Toy?'

At this, a squabble erupted: Apparently the 5yo was smuggling in lots more duty free than his allowance permitted. The 7yo, was incensed, purely because she hadn't considered contravening the rules and was furious with herself.

Finally we got to the tent.

'You've chosen the chilliest night for ages,' Hubby helpfully noted, before zipping us in and abandoning us for a night of peace in the house.... Grrrr.

....We sang, we told jokes, we discussed life the universe and everything and then, when my eyes could stay awake no more, I screened some cartoons on my iPod.

All was well until about 10:30pm: Hubby had mislaid a chicken, probably Happy, our disabled girl. Back out of the tent we searched and searched, only to find her in the coop all along! *This is exceptionally good news actually, as it means all our new rescued battery hens have finally sussed how to put themselves to bed. We'll just lock up and turn on the fence each night from now on. Yipeee...

Back in the tent the children had a wobble.

'We want to go into Daddy now.' The 7yo began to sniff, weeping would shortly follow.

'Nope.' I bellowed. 'Go to sleep. Right now!'

Remarkably, they did! Then the rain came, and came, AND came! I'm pleased to say that the tent is waterproof, my bed was beyond uncomfortable, and later in the night the 5yo and 7yo both abandoned their beds, in favour of sleeping on me! But: We have overcome another 1st - Sleeping in a tent. We are now cheaply portable.

Back in the house this morning (it's still sodding raining) I'm shattered but happy.

15 comments:

  1. This did have me giggling, we did similar in the back field at the outlaws before our first camping trip in the new tent

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for a morning smile.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good God, woman, you're on a slippery slope! Next thing you'll be going on a... on a... (I can barely say it), camping HOLIDAY. Stop this right now!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ha ha! You will be wanting our super comfy bed back now then! Well worth the investment if u are going to venture into camping again. We have just bought a new tent too - lovely! Tx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well the sproglets fared better than me. My sister and I always used to abandon camp in the early morning with our parents finding us snuggled in our beds.

    Good news about the chooks! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Family camping is great! We Glamp (glamorous camping) every summer with about 6 other families in our back field. Smoked salmon, bbq'ed lamb, chilled wine and Blow Up Mattreses and smores over the fire. Cath Kidston eat your heart out.
    Glad you have joined the party.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You're braver then me...no way would you have gotten me in a tent!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ha! You brave woman. Bear Grylls could learn a trick or two from you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. you are sooooo funny & cool!! thanx for nice nice comments on my blog!!

    agneta, the swedish one ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Haaaa what fond memories! No, wait this happened last summer... and will happen again this summer when my stepdaughter arrives from England for her annual holiday... THIS WEEK! aaaaaaaaaaaa!

    ReplyDelete
  11. TheMadHouse: Yes, seems a good idea to practise somewhere safe. Clearly I do not have enough padding under me. Am walking like an old woman now.... Oh wait! I am an old woman!!!

    James: I aim to please.

    notwavingbutironing: OMG. I feel I may be in need of one of those screen goddess slaps across the cheek and a "Pull yerself togerther woman!!!" Too late.... already planning where we could camp. Arghhhhh...

    Tania: Clearly I am being pulled over towards the dark side.... Costco must sell those blow up beds, hmmmmmm. Shame I live so far from civilization!

    Geoff: You cheaters! Yes exceptional good news about the chooks. I have a spare hour per night now!

    Mother Hen: Am sorely tempted..... have to be after harvest for the camp fire, otherwise the whole mountain could go up!

    Smiffy: I feel pretty brave. Was rather hoping foxes wouldn't appear!!!!!!!

    'Cross The Pond: Cor... Bear Grylls in a tent?!!!! Phooooorrrrr!!

    Agneta: Thank you so much. Your Summer shots are divine. Lovely kittens!!!

    Natural Selection: It's funny but camping in the back yard seems pretty tame unless you're 5 and 7!! It was well worth it.

    Technodoll: He, He. I'm praying the rain remains for a few more days - its my only defence against camping again this week!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very very well done you, I did a similar thing last summer at my brother's house - we parked the tent about three feet from the house, my boys and their Dad stayed -all night - during a filthy summer storm ! They officially have been camping ! I'll be around - if you let me have your email address, it won't be posted, I'll be chuffed to keep in touch I just love your blog and we are due to visit our bees some time in September xxx

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm with you hubbie a 5* girl but there again one can always glamp...still very impressive!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Belgravia: Rain and camping = not good.....Oh yes bees in September, please keep in tough, (or reinvent your blog so noone knows who you are.....)

    Tattie: He won't even consider 5*.....sounds a marvelous plan after the night I had!

    ReplyDelete

The Archers at The Larches

Lou - Chicken whisperer....

Lou - Chicken whisperer....

Snowy and Moon

Snowy and Moon