Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Camas Prairie Experience

Camping on Little Camas Reservoir with Little Brother, Jordan, last weekend was quite the adventure. Thanks to all the rain we have been experiencing, the prairie looked like paradise and I couldn't stop taking pictures.


The prairie was carpeted with yellow flowers.

We were surprised to see huge swans on the reservoir.

The stormy skies and setting sun added unexpected drama.
Here's Big Brother Jim, Little Brother Jordan and our camper on the prairie.
After setting up camp and exploring the area on bikes, Jim taught Jordan how to build a campfire. We roasted marshmallows for smores, a new experience for Jordan. We tried a new experiment and substituted the chocolate bars for Nutella (because there were no chocolate bars in the house and no time to shop for some). We loved the nutty chocolate taste and the soft, melty texture.

We awoke to the patter of rain on the camper roof early in the morning the next day. Lulled by the rain, we promptly fell back to sleep. We did this several times before finally climbing out of bed after 8 am. Jordan experienced his first ever scrambled eggs and bagel and learned how to tie up his sleeping bag. By then the rain had subsided and we exited the camper to enter a beautiful rain-soaked world.
Jordan and Jim prepared to go fishing.
They took the canoe out on the lake just as a stiff wind came up and blew them back to shore. They practiced casting on shore before trying their hand at fishing. It proved difficult with the wind. Unfortunately, they didn't catch anything.
Meanwhile, I rode my bike and took more pictures.


Jordan loved the camper and is hoping to have one of his own someday.

Dark clouds were gathering quickly and we knew heavy rain was eminent. About noon we started packing up our gear. In the process, Jim got a fish hook stuck in his finger so deep that he couldn't pull it out. He spent the next three hours with it stuck in his finger as we helped him put the canoe on the trailer and tie on the bikes. He drove to Boise, dropped us off at our respective homes and, finally, took himself to the clinic. After his positive experience at the clinic, Jim is really glad he didn't try to dig that hook out himself. Our adventure, turned misadventure, will remain a fond memory.

3 comments:

Tori said...

Well, if nothing else, you definitely got some great pictures! Sorry it didn't turn out as great as you had planned. At least you didn't get stuck on a log or anything like that.

Shawn said...

Cool pics!

Dan and Dee said...

At least you can't say you didn't catch anything Jim!
The pictures were breath taking Janine!
Your trip looked very very fun, other than all of the rain.