Back in Black

While my VW Jetta wagon, Little Blue, is in the shop getting repaired (a $5000 and 3 week job), I get a loaner rental car.  My insurance stipulates that the rental be a vehicle similar to my own and someone at the rental company has a sense of humor because this is my loaner car.

It's a Nissan Pathfinder and it is large and in charge.  It has earned various names in its time with us: the Behemouth, the Canyonero, and Black Beauty.  When we roll out for long journeys, JT queues up "Back in Black" to accompany our movement.  It seems fitting.

The car has truckloads of room and, despite its size, is surprisingly agile to drive.  The gas mileage isn't great (about 20 mpg on the highway) but we ride in comfort everywhere we go, looking down upon the commoners.  After years of disparaging automatic transmissions, it's worth noting that I find this one impressive and it was quite handy in the three hour traffic jam that accompanied our departure from the Cape on Saturday (seriously, three hours…..Saturday departures will happen no more).

And did I mention that the car is spacious?  It has two rows of seats and both can be collapsed to create a vast trunk.  At camp, JT loaded up his air mattress to demonstrate the comfort available in the back of this beast.

My only complaint about the car is that it feels patently ridiculous for just two people to be exiting from the vehicle.  If I were to acquire one of these for my permanent use, I'd need several more children, enough to form my own baseball  infield team.  I'd certainly have the space.

Camp Traditions

One of the boys' favorite camp activities is playing on the beach and swimming in the ocean.

This is even more fun if the elusive Cape Cod shark gives chase, an event that invariably happens after some well-placed taunts from the boys.

And God bless that shark, because these boys are bigger than ever and chasing them off her beach is no small challenge.  But chase them she does.

Thanks, Miss S.  You took one for the mama team.

Camp Home

Last week, we made our annual trip to Cape Cod.  We've been joining the R-K family at camp for eight years now and the trip is a combination of new adventures and familiar routines.  For most of the time we've been making the trip, we've camped in the same set of camp sites.  Our tent bedroom affords views of the piney forest.

The dining room room is (mostly) bug-free.

The living room provides shady comfort with great views.

This year, DRK made a lovely, mossy art project.

Once little boys are now far larger than their shovels, though they still enjoy the planning that goes into digging a big hole on the beach.

Camping is a reminder of the simple beauty of nature and the pleasures of the outdoors.  The return home is a reminder of the many comforts of our first-world existence.  And the trip is one of the best parts of our summer.

Road Trip

When I was a kid growing up in California, we made frequent trips up and down Highway 99 to visit grandparents and assorted relatives.   I have distinct memories of the songs and baseball games we listened to on the radio as we made those road trips. 

For 8 years running, JT and I have made an annual July road trip to Cape Cod.  We have lots of traditions for this trip, including lunch at Cracker Barrel in Rhode Island and listening to music that I select for the six hour drive.  Those songs become the soundtrack to our annual trip and evoke memories of the journey long after our yearly camping trip is complete.  

When the annual trip first began, JT sat in his booster in the back seat of the car and the music we played came from playlists I burned on to CDs.    Over the years, the boy grew.  His booster seat was retired and eventually he moved up to the front seat.  My silver SUV was replaced by a blue station wagon.  My co-pilot came to have specific music preferences and he's no longer the seven year old who rocked out to Lenny Kravitz as we sped through Connecticut, though the memory of that trip is forever in my mind.

This year, he's made a playlist to join my collections.  We have some podcasts of This American Life, Radiolab, and the Moth Radio Hour to help keep us company.   We've got a loaner car while my VW is in the shop getting repaired and we're rolling north in a spacious Nissan Pathfinder that we've already named the Behemoth.

But the boy remains my co-pilot companion, getting tall so quickly that I can now envision the time when he will share the driving obligations.  This morning, we'll make the familiar drive north singing and laughing and listening to songs that will become our soundtrack for the summer of 2013.  Certain songs will come to evoke this year's Cape Cod trip and we'll have some more memories to share.  Let the journey begin!

Keen Style

In 2006, on our first camping trip with the R-K family, I admired their awesome Keen sandals.  By the end of the trip, JT and I had scored pairs for ourselves.  Since then, Keen sandals have been a staple in our camp packing list.  I am a Keen devotee for daily life as well, but it's at camp that the Keen shoes really deliver.  They are comfortable, sturdy (good for bike riding and walking in the piney woods), and waterproof.  When we get home from camp, I toss them in the dishwasher and they are right as rain afterward.

When I say these sandals are durable, I mean it.  In 2009, we took a group Keen sandals photo shot. 

This year, we did it again. The boys have new pairs, but that's only because their feet are growing.  S and I are wearing the same pair we had on in 2009 and this year TR got in on the photo action.  If these sandals could talk, they'd report on a whole lot of summer adventures. 

That's happy!

21.6 miles!

One of the traditions we enjoy on our annual camping trip with the R-K family is bike riding.  For the first few years of our trip, the boys rode on trailer bikes that the grown-ups pulled along behind our bikes.  In this fashion, we could take some longer rides with the children quite literally in tow.  As the boys got older, they rode their own bikes around camp and on the bunny trail near our camp.  

For the past two years, we've planned a day to make the trip from a beach forest out to Herring Cove on paved bike trails.  Some of the trail covers fairly steep hilly dunes and the ride (and the trip back) is a tad over 6 miles.  With popsicles at the mid-point, the ride always felt like an accomplishment.

But the logistics of getting the bikes to and from the trailhead are a challenge and all of us are capable of riding more than 6 miles.  So when TR proposed that we ride  our bikes to the Cove and back we enthusiastically agreed.  We planned breaks along the way.  Then we packed up swimsuits and water bottles and TR led us out on a bike ride adventure that helped avoid steep hills and busy highways.  

We set off from our campsite to a bakery in North Truro for breakfast.  

Then we rode 6 miles on a highway along the beach, with a break or two for water.  The scenery on this road is familiar and riding by on bikes gave us that much more time to appreciate the view. 

The road took us by our favorite bay beach, just on the southern end of Provincetown. 

From there, we rode through town, and along the shore to Herring Cove for our traditional popsicle break with a view of the Atlantic thrown in for free. 

That brought us to a familiar path and we took the trail across the dunes to the shady pine forest.  Coming down the hill into the shade was one of the highlights of the ride.  It's one of my favorite views and the feel of the wind and smell of the air just make it that much sweeter.  We took a nice rest in the shade and then set off back to town for lunch at a deli on the east end. 

Once through town, we stopped at our favorite bay beach, hid behind towels to put on our swimsuits, and then enjoyed the water. 

The ride back to camp was another 5 miles, part of it on a trail we ride all the time.  Years ago, S named it Bunny O'Clock because we often see bunnies in the hedge along the path.  We did see one bunny that day but she was gone before I could make her picture.  In total, the day's bike ride was a journey of 21.6 miles and well-worth the quarter showers we all enjoyed at the end of the ride.  Now that's happy.

Real Life Conversations with JT: Oh No You Didn't edition

The backstory: We rent bikes when we camp out on the Cape and this year, after we picked up the bikes, we rode them back to our campsite in the company of Miss S, who also had a bike to pick up.  The ride is about 6 miles and features some hills.

JT:  Am I the only one of us who didn't have to downshift my bike to get up that hill?

Mama:  Are you the only one of us who hasn't given birth?

JT:  Point taken, Mama.

I believe the proper phrase for this exchange is game, set, match.

Tweets That Weren't

We are back from our annual camping trip, a trip that features a computer-free lifestyle.  That meant no tweets for the past 10 days, which helps to explain that strange sense of peace you've been enjoying.  But your respite is up, Internet.  I'm back.  More to the point, I kept a list of things I would have tweeted if I wasn't lolling about in the woods.  

1.  I cannot take seriously a man wearing a visor.

2.  To the man in P'town driving the ancient Ford Taurus w/ the thumping bass: Sir, that's not making you as sexually attractive as you think.

3.  Sure, judge me for wearing my niteshirt to the restroom in the morning, kid. But remember that I wasn't the one wearing lilac crocs.

4.  Something about camping in the woods makes me think that applying deodorant constitutes quality personal grooming.

5.  You're driving a giant Mercedes SUV…put on a shirt, damnit.

6.  Cost of a campsite for the night: $35. JT, announcing, "we smell bad" in the tent at the end of the day: priceless.

I slept in a sand-free bed last night, just steps from a bathroom featuring air conditioning and a flush toilet.  Today, I'll dig out from the mountain of sandy laundry in my basement, pet some cats of my acquaintance, and download my pictures from camp.  Despite the fact that it's Africa-hot around here, I am happy to be home. 

Camping!

Since he was 6 years old, JT and I have headed to Cape Cod in July.  We camp (outside! in a tent!) and relax with our friends the R-K family, enjoying the outdoors and the pleasures of an unplugged life.  It is a much-anticipated trip and JT's favorite part of the summer.  The supplies have been stacked up in the living room for the past week as we prepare for our adventure.  

This morning we loaded the last of our stuff into the car (no one wants to be without Cheetohs out in the wild, 4 miles from a grocery store) and we are headed north.  Posting will be a bit lighter while we ride our bikes, dip our toes in the ocean, and explore our favorite spots in the piney forest.   Ahhhh, summer.

Awesome

I have six years worth of photos of JT at camp.  Life around here often features reminders of just how fast he's growing up, but there's nothing quite like a break in our routine for me to realize just how much he's grown in a year.

Pictured below is JT at camp in 2006, the first year that we traveled to Cape Cod.

 And then there was 2007 (he's pictured here with his buddy D.....and lest you worry, the boys asked to be tied to the tree).

 Our hero was taller in 2008.

And taller still in 2009.

Do you sense a theme?

For much of 2011, I've experienced these moments of breathlessness about how incredibly fast time is passing.  This year's version of the boy is stronger, taller, and louder.

Just the sight of him (even when caked in grime) still fills my heart with joy.

And he's more awesome than ever, this no-longer-little boy of mine.

Food Friday: At Camp!

This year at camp, we had a three-burner propane stove to work with and I was inspired.  So one afternoon, I scored some quality steaks and with them I served up some home fries.

The smell while this meal cooked made the entire camp sight drool.  And the eating? It was pretty awesome as well.  Let's hear it for griddles and camp stoves!

Lessons From Camp

A few years ago, my fellow-camper and friend S over at But Wait wrote a post-camp rundown that she called Lessons from Camp.  It was a fitting tribute to a very happy time under the pine trees.  Those days always hold us in good stead for the year ahead and I like to keep track of the memories.  This year, I've decided to use her format to sum up our very relaxing ten days at Cape Cod. 

Save one of the year's celebrations (JT made the Honor Roll in the spring semester) for your boy's favorite Cape Cod kitchen: PJ's.

Take time to admire the tiny creatures in the sea.

No matter how big the boys get, the Land Shark remains a tough foe.

Challenge yourself.

Enjoy the ocean.

Beware of trees.

Planning ahead is always a good idea.

Have fun with your friends.

Take some time to admire Mother Nature's creativity.

Not to bad for 10 days work.  Not bad at all.

Oh, P-Town

Our annual summer camping trip takes us to Cape Cod.  At the very end of the Cape is Provincetown, a town know for its tolerance and free-thinking.  We were in town one morning, and I saw this bumper sticker on a car.

 If only the rest of America could see fit to engage its common sense gear.

Food Friday: At Camp!

 My childhood traditions featured some pretty delicious meals made at camp.  In the last few years, I've gotten a lot more ambitious about the food I make for our summer camping adventures.  Last week at camp, we fired up the three burner stove and made bacon, omelettes, and toast.

It's a truism that food eaten outside always tastes a smudge better.  But food eaten outside while camping is even better.

The Planning

As usual, we've made our camp list and we're checking it twice.  Last year, we forgot the neat sheet, the chair pads, and JT's sun hat.  So they moved to the top of this year's list.  The water bottles have been washed and dried, the dishes are clean and ready.  The silverware is secured in the pouches made by Grandma and the tent poles have been counted and organized.  Shorts and t-shirts are being stacked and organized; swimsuits are collected and ready. 

My book pile is organized and I'm ready to read.

At the age of 11 (and with the height and muscles to prove it), JT is a very able assistant.  He can carry almost everything and finds the camp preparation exciting.  I like this part of life with an adolescent; he's still willing to help out and can summon a good deal of enthusiasm for the jobs at hand.  So the pile in the living room grows and the supplies get organized and there is a reliable assistant helping to check our list twice.

We'll be sleeping in the woods tonight, making memories that will sustain us through the rough patches of life.  A few years ago when we arrived at camp, my friend S said to me, "no matter what happens, our boys will always have camping."  This trip, now in it's sixth year, is a tradition that teaches the boys the pleasures of simple fun, the ability to compromise, the value of independence, pleasure in the natural world, and the value of family.  That's a pretty tall order for life, let alone an annual vacation.  But we will easily fulfill it.

That's most happy.

Outdoorsman

We're getting ready to head north for our annual camping trip.  JT's gotten his summer flea-and-tick haircut.  Last week, I ordered up his annual pair of outdoor sandals.  Keens, of course.  They are waterproof, durable, and can be consigned to the dishwasher if they need a thorough cleaning.  They belong to an 11 year old boy, by the way, so a thorough cleaning is often required.  This year's pair are men's size 9.5, a sure sign that time is marching on with a pace I find awfully quick. 

Around the same time, a  friend happened to pull out her pocket knife for a quick task.   JT was transfixed.  Could it be I was planning to take him out to the wilderness sans pocketknife?  No.  Emphatically no.  He is now the proud owner of a 13-function tool.  He used it to liberate the Keens.  I'm confident that he has elaborate fantasies of the many ways this knife will come in handy while we're at camp.

Wildlife need not be afraid, however, as I've laid in a supply of cheetohs and M&Ms.  We may be living outdoors, but that's no reason to give up all the pleasures of civilization.