Got a tent now.
We have a lovely new 6-man tent, because we ended up deciding that it would be better to have a little too much room than to have too little, especially if the weather turned bad while we were out doing something that requires equipment - like birdwatching or astronomy. And we've had the weather do all kinds of stuff while we've been out in it.
After I sent Dad birthday wishes, and let him know what I was up to, he said camping sounded like a lot of fun, so maybe we can all go on a family trip this year - I'd love canoeing and camping, but if everybody else wants something with more excitement, we could go white water rafting in Pennsylvania. As I said in an email, I can just imagine taking the banjo and putting it in a waterproof sack, and canoeing down to a campsite - I've done the same thing with lunches, after all. But if we go whitewater rafting, the banjo stays in a cabin.
Dad also let me know what he's been up to: completing a half marathon in Iraq. He said he felt old when he realized most of the other runners had passed him, but he came in to the finish to the sound of cheers and chanting as his fellow soldiers celebrated his finish.
After I sent Dad birthday wishes, and let him know what I was up to, he said camping sounded like a lot of fun, so maybe we can all go on a family trip this year - I'd love canoeing and camping, but if everybody else wants something with more excitement, we could go white water rafting in Pennsylvania. As I said in an email, I can just imagine taking the banjo and putting it in a waterproof sack, and canoeing down to a campsite - I've done the same thing with lunches, after all. But if we go whitewater rafting, the banjo stays in a cabin.
Dad also let me know what he's been up to: completing a half marathon in Iraq. He said he felt old when he realized most of the other runners had passed him, but he came in to the finish to the sound of cheers and chanting as his fellow soldiers celebrated his finish.
posted by Plain Foolish | 8:45 AM
6 Comments:
A half marathon - wow! I'm impressed. And proud.
I'm very proud of the work he put into training for a marathon while on duty overseas. He said that while he came in, some of the folks were chanting "Our leader" and he wondered, since he was one of the last in, whether he shouldn't have been called their follower. I said in my note to him that there are more ways than one to lead.
So, so true. And your dad, from what I've heard about him (and I do want to meet him, too) leads in many ways.
Not at all how one emagines passing the time in Iraq! Canoe trips with banjos sound just the thing after that...
Cheers
lor
I would think half a marathon would be plenty in that climate. Whew.
Enjoy your new tent! We've got an old . . . it's either a six- or eight-man tent that we've used for everything over the years. Obviously, it's useless for backpacking unless one person is assigned to carry the tent and only the tent, but when the weather goes bad, it's invaluable.
This one is about 20 pounds, so depending on someone's carrying capacity, the severity of the hike, etc., it might be possible for one person to carry the tent and their own bedroll, but that would be it. On the other hand, we could fit 4 people playing cards, storytelling, singing, or otherwise waiting out the weather inside during a storm, with anything wet or muddy stuck in the vestibule.
And there's even a clear window in the rainfly for checking out the state of said storm.
And Dad has found ways to stay active both deployments, despite not leaving base much during parts of his deployment.
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