We spent part of last week at my family's annual camp out/reunion up in Eastern Washington (near Yakima). For any of you parents out there it was an 8 HOUR DRIVE- ONE WAY... and we all survived- no one got car sick (Ben and I were close a couple of times)- no one fought- people napped in the car- the snacks held out- we didn't get lost- we saw beautiful scenery through the Columbia River Gorge and through the fruit tree groves in Washington- read a lot of books- listened to, ok sang along at the top of our lungs to, a lot of 70's music (we love you Little River Band) -and thanks to one of Ben's friends, we had the emergency back up of a portable DVD player (it only worked for 30 minutes on the way up and we only used it for a movie and a half on the way home) but still it was nice to have. Emma was so sick of the car by the end of the trip that she went stiff as a board when we tried to put her in the car to go to the library this week- by today she's fine about getting into the car again, thank goodness.
My family rents out the whole camp ground for 4 days and nights, people come and go as they please, and the few die-hards that can go that long without a shower have the best time because they don't miss one minute of the action.
We all laugh that our family camp out is just an excuse to eat (and visiting comes second.) My mom's family live in the fertile farm lands of the Yakima Valley and grow some delicious produce. Here are the shirts they wear on the farm:
Boxes of peaches and nectarines were around all weekend for a sweet treat- note the large knife sticking out of the box so you could cut yourself off a slice or two:
Every year our family makes homemade items (cookies, birdhouses, art, quilts, etc.) or puts together gift baskets that we auction off to pay for the campsite and food. Here is an oil painting by my great-aunt Mavis:
Ben spent 3 days throwing rocks in the creek, exploring, reading, playing in the dirt and throwing rocks in the creek (I know I already said this but seriously, every morning he would look at me and I would say "yes, go throw rocks") I have never seen him get so dirty- it's hard to see in this photo but he was covered in dust from head to toe, he wore the same shirt for 3 days, I loved it!!!
Our lovely bathrooms, love that this outhouse has a woman spray painted on it, because it was such a privilege to use a "girls only" outhouse, we all know they smell so much better than the boy's- ha, ha.
One of my cousin's 9 year old friends, Natalie, spent 2 days catching and releasing frogs- I think she was a little sad that her parents wouldn't let her take one home:
Emma spent her time coloring, running off down the road, playing with toys in the dirt, playing with dirt, avoiding naps, running off down the road, trying to go to the creek, trying to eat chips for every meal, throwing rocks, petting dogs, and running off down the road.
Here she is running off down the road with a metal cow watering can.
Here she is with Dave, at the end of the road, pumping water. And trying to figure out how she is going to play in the puddle.
WARNING, GRAPHIC PHOTO AHEAD!!!
So the past few years the food preparation has become very competitive.
Deep fat fried turkey, twinkies, tofu, chicken wings, onion rings, corn on the cob, pickles- if you can dip it in batter my family has fried it.
3 years ago my cousin Tom brought a 5 level smoker and smoked duck, chicken, and turkey.
People make their own jerky and sausage, canned jams and fruits fill the tables.
Here is a typical breakfast of sausage, steak, ham, fried SPAM, potatoes, and eggs, oh, and did I mention this was all cooked on a professional grade grill that was brought up in a flatbed truck?:
Someone always makes a run into "town" for Krispy Kreme donuts.
Lots of food cooked in cast iron skillets, this year there was Paella in a cast iron skillet. Meatloaf in a cast iron pan over a fire. Pot roast cooked over an open flame. Coffee brewed in pots all day, percolated by camp fire.
My mom and I brought fresh veggies and salads- they only "green" food there, needless to say they were not finished off.
This year my cousin Jamie and her boyfriend Ron bought a whole pig roaster- they put the pig in, covered it with hot coals, and it roasted for about 5 hours. I would have to say it was the best tasting pork I have ever had (even if it was a little graphic- as Ben put it "bad day for that pig").
We ended our trip by driving through the town of Toppenish ,Washington, where my Great-Aunt, Mavis Willson, has been part of a mural painting project. There are dozens of murals painted all over town, untouched by graffiti, and just amazing to look at. Aunt Mavis had even participated in a few of their mural in a day projects. I loved that we finally had a chance to drive through Toppenish and get a chance to see these murals.
I love that my family can all come together once a year to eat, drink, laugh, dream under the stars, hear stories of our past, take photos, sing around the campfire, and for the most part, survive technology free for four days. I can't wait to do it again. Just as soon as I get the smell of campfire smoke out of my hair and the dirt off the bottoms of my feet...
