Best camping trip ever!

Ahhh, Memorial Day. It sounds like a lot of fun. There's no work, you get to spend time with friends, BBQ over open fire, drink beer, car camp, experience "nature," fight for ground at overcrowded camp sites, explain to the police that you're not 17, hide from the rain under a tarp, freeze in the snow, and pack your camp site up at 6p in 35 degree temps between snow showers.

Things started out well on Saturday. I arrived at a camp site and built a fire. The air was cool, the sun was warm. My friends joined me a couple of hours later and we cooked lunch - burgers and brats. Then the nightstick-wielding Larimer County Sheriff and National Forest Ranger showed up and rained on our parade. They explained that we needed to move - we weren't in a "numbered" camp site, and adding insult to (ego) injury, they told us we appeared to be of high school age and needed to see identification because we had beer.

Not a big deal.

We found another site a few miles away, which also happened to be at about 9700'. We made a few phone calls to redirect our friends, and life was good. Saturday was by no means a loss. A good night sleep made everything better, and Sunday morning was beautiful.

The clouds began to roll in around noon, and we preemptively set a tarp above our food and wood. After an unsuccessful attempt at shooting supper, we returned to camp just as more friends arrived. They brought rain. And snow.

As the six of us sat beneath a 9' X 10' tarp, the rains came. As the initial humor of the precipitation wore off, faces grew long and feet became cold and wet. Icicles formed on the edge of the tarp, which by now we had converted into a tent-shape to block the driving wind. A shovel served to support the center of the tarp and we all sat on pieces of wood to stay off of the ground.

Soon, talk began about Big City Burritos and warm and dry things - like beds and clothes. When the rain/snow finally let up, we bailed. Two people spent no more than 3 hours "camping," and another two got lost en route, only to gain phone reception in time for us to tell them we were back in ft collins, and they too should return.

I guess it could have been worse, but I don't want to be part of that trip. For now, I'll enjoy the 72 degrees here in Denver, and the salvaged friendships from what certainly had the potential to cause interpersonal hardship. Maybe next Memorial Day...

Because pictures make it better...

This one has been on the table for so long it's fading from the sunlight that enters through the reopened blinds.


Uh, okay...


Mastery of tape: F - unacceptable.


Did a 6-year old with Parkinson's write this?


Because you're too old to change it back?


F. Ken Fleckenstein says, "...


I'm sorry many of the notes referenced in my first post are no longer in the house. Eventually, the adhesive dried out and the notes fell. Whenever new notes are created, I will photograph them immediately and post them on this blog.

I'm also entertaining ideas for notes I could post before moving. I won't tape up blatant personal attacks, but if they're funny, please send them, too.