AHG Backyard Campout

 

This was the normally scheduled AHG spring campout weekend that we were planning to be at Oak Mountain State Park.  But instead of a state park campout, our troop decided to do one in the backyard during our time of quarantine.  Anabelle was working on her Explorer badge for camping, and it required her to put up her own tent and sleep in it for two nights.  So as I was putting up the family tent, I told Belle that I would help if needed when I was done...but that was not needed.  Davis had previously shown her how to put up this one man tent that I guess is now hers.  And she had it down with no help.  She was SO excited to be on her own, and me and Ruby had the large tent all to ourselves (No, you know Magan slept in the bed).  Ruby thought she was big stuff on the Queen Size Air Mattress in her OWN room of the 10 person tent.  I had my blow up  air pad and sleeping bag and was fine.  We got rained on the first night, but it was nice.  Me and the girls played Stomple before reading a chapter of The Borrowers, then Anabelle left us for the night. 

 

During the Saturday, I had some activities for Belle's badgework...we worked on Soap Carving, and made hiking sticks.  We had recently cut down some Cyprus trees that had been dead for like 3 years...but our neighbor Rob said that the limbs made excellent hiking sticks.  So I cut off the big branches, and the girls then sanded down their hiking stick, then spraypainted it (Belle chose blue, Ruby pink).  I made a smaller hiking stick for our other neighbor's little boy Anders.  And during all these hiking stick making, Davis and Sam jumped in and made one also. 

 

That evening the girls had a zoom campfire meeting with all the others in the troop.  And earlier in the day, Sam and I marked out a trail in the woods behind the house, and that night I let Belle lead us on a night hike thru the woods and along the creek.  We were looking for wildlife, but I don't think we were quiet enough.  The girls got to use their hiking sticks, altho I think Belle's was still wet.  That night in the tent was VERY WINDY.  Davis joined us and slept on the big bed with Ruby.  I don't remember anything else, but the tent was also used as a Barbie mansion and play area.  Love that these girls love camping out, and I am also glad this is only a couple of weekends a year...as I did not sleep well that second night.