I chose this title for our camping trip to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia because it's a Civil War song that Julia and Daniel just sang at their Spring Concert. The song became somber and dramatic as they sang the last verse, "dying on the old campground". Fortunately we weren't dying, but here's our story...
Our son-in-law Luke invited us to go camping on his families' farm. The Decker farmhouse was built before the Civil War and during that war his Confederate family put their valuables in the large grandfather clock and buried them so the Union Army wouldn't find them. Their neighbors were not so lucky and their farmhouse was raided and the hardwood floor still has stains from blood spilled there.
So, that's the background. It was a rainy day but the men decided we were tough enough and we took off. Andrea, at least, was excited because it was her first camping trip outside. We met Kara and Luke at the nearby town of Winchester about 6 pm and then followed them to the farm. It was very lush, rolling fields, trees--and very wet! We found a beautiful spot of field with trees in the background all around us, and unlike other spots we walked, there were no cows or cowpies. Yea!
The grass was about 2' high. We were pretty soaked through with the water coming up from our feet even though it didn't rain on us.
Luke and Kara cooked some yummy chicken and potatoes in the dutch oven with coals on a rock. We pitched our awning and 4 tents around it. We started with hot dogs (or grilled chicken) because the dinner wasn't ready until about 10:00 pm. Then some had s'mores. Luke had a huge propane grill for cooking water for hot chocolate (and my water with lemon--but my new diet is a future story).
We went to bed with cold feet but the air was clean and cool and the next morning was sunny and pleasant. A few of us wore our flipflops in the tall, wet grass the next day rather than brave the soaking shoes, and we were actually pretty comfortable
After a breakfast of cereal, bagels, or bacon and eggs we took down our tents.
That's when Luke got out his homemade "tater gun" that he made as a kid. That thing was emormous and you can't believe how loud it was in that open setting! If you're like me and unfamiliar with a tater gun, you stuff a potato in the end. The excess falls off and you have a tight seal. Then you spray carbuerator fluid in the other end (The Idaho version that Erika shot with her college friends uses hair spray, which according to Luke is more sticky).
Then push the button and POW. I could never see the potato in the air but those who did verified that it went a few football field's distance. Then Luke scared us firing it straight up. That time I saw it--coming at me, it seemed.
Not everyone wanted to fire the gun and we were dubbed "spec-taters".
We played the game 'Mafia' for awhile, had lunch and packed up to go. Despite our wet start, we all had a great time and will remember our experience as 'Northerners' tenting on former Confederate soil.
Our son-in-law Luke invited us to go camping on his families' farm. The Decker farmhouse was built before the Civil War and during that war his Confederate family put their valuables in the large grandfather clock and buried them so the Union Army wouldn't find them. Their neighbors were not so lucky and their farmhouse was raided and the hardwood floor still has stains from blood spilled there.
So, that's the background. It was a rainy day but the men decided we were tough enough and we took off. Andrea, at least, was excited because it was her first camping trip outside. We met Kara and Luke at the nearby town of Winchester about 6 pm and then followed them to the farm. It was very lush, rolling fields, trees--and very wet! We found a beautiful spot of field with trees in the background all around us, and unlike other spots we walked, there were no cows or cowpies. Yea!
The grass was about 2' high. We were pretty soaked through with the water coming up from our feet even though it didn't rain on us.
Luke and Kara cooked some yummy chicken and potatoes in the dutch oven with coals on a rock. We pitched our awning and 4 tents around it. We started with hot dogs (or grilled chicken) because the dinner wasn't ready until about 10:00 pm. Then some had s'mores. Luke had a huge propane grill for cooking water for hot chocolate (and my water with lemon--but my new diet is a future story).
We went to bed with cold feet but the air was clean and cool and the next morning was sunny and pleasant. A few of us wore our flipflops in the tall, wet grass the next day rather than brave the soaking shoes, and we were actually pretty comfortable
After a breakfast of cereal, bagels, or bacon and eggs we took down our tents.
That's when Luke got out his homemade "tater gun" that he made as a kid. That thing was emormous and you can't believe how loud it was in that open setting! If you're like me and unfamiliar with a tater gun, you stuff a potato in the end. The excess falls off and you have a tight seal. Then you spray carbuerator fluid in the other end (The Idaho version that Erika shot with her college friends uses hair spray, which according to Luke is more sticky).
Then push the button and POW. I could never see the potato in the air but those who did verified that it went a few football field's distance. Then Luke scared us firing it straight up. That time I saw it--coming at me, it seemed.
Not everyone wanted to fire the gun and we were dubbed "spec-taters".
We played the game 'Mafia' for awhile, had lunch and packed up to go. Despite our wet start, we all had a great time and will remember our experience as 'Northerners' tenting on former Confederate soil.
4 comments:
I'm glad you guys had such a fun family time!! I'm not a big camper, but dutch oven food is the best!! I've tried dutch oven recipes in a crockpot, but it just doesn't compare. I love the "speck-tater" part too - how funny!! :)
Wow! That's some real camping. I'm supposed to go there this weekend, but I'm afraid of traffic. We'll see. Looks like you all had a great time!
That's so cool that you guys got to go camping in such a historic spot! What a cool family experience.
What a fun weekend. Camping is like that-wet, dry, surprising, fun, all at the same time.
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