When I awoke this morning I was wondering just what I wanted to blog about today.  It hit me right in the face as I walked into my sisters kitchen.  First off when I came down the stairs my nephew was in his father’s office on the computer playing games.  When I got to the kitchen everyone else was sitting at the table either looking at computers or cellphones.  Technology, what did we do before the days of checking our emails or looking up things to do or buy.  The question now becomes can we as a society live without our computers, laptops, tablets or cellphones?  What would it be like to wake up in the morning and sit at the table and have a conversation without any electronic noise in the background (including television)? Have we as a society lost the art of conversation?  Honestly picture one day without anything electronic, battery run or otherwise, could you do it?

You see minus the computer you would not be reading my blog right now. Bad thing for me as a blogger.  I find myself as guilty of doing the above as everyone else.  I constantly am checking my email, doing research for my book and shopping online.  Remember when research involved actually going to a library and finding books?  Think of all the time saved by actually just typing in a few words in search and having the information you want delivered to you in a split second.

Think of the app Facebook, before that we actually had to use a phone and call people to find out what they have been up to.  Think of all the people you grew up with before Facebook, you probably kept in touch with very few of them.  Facebook has brought so many people together, I know for me personally it has been huge in me being able to keep up with my friends, especially since moving to California ten years ago. But there are also things about it I hate, one of those things is I find out things from my family on Facebook instead of through a phone call or letter.  Another thing is people who have to post every aspect of there lives (you all probably have a friend or two like that), I am talking about the ones who post everything from their morning cup of coffee to their flossing their teeth at night, seriously, too much information.

I myself love the app YouTube.  Whenever something goes wrong in my house that I need to fix, I seem to always be able to find a YouTube video that shows me how to fix it.  I love that I can share a video with all my family and friends of holiday decorations that I have spent a lot of time on that I know they would never get to see otherwise.  Really, I don’t find I have a hate for this app.

Computers have taken us so far but are we really better off for it?   People who post things like how to build a bomb in your own home or people who prey on children, these are things that have made computers a danger to society.  We can now watch our homes from our cellphones and tablets, these are things that have made things better for society.

Technology and computers really have their pluses and minuses.  On one hand you have to love it, on another you have to hate it.  We all know you cannot stop change from happening and if we are not willing to change we are left behind.   What happens to our world when technology has gone to far?  Would you know how to survive in a world minus all power?

Technology has indeed made our lives a lot easier.  It has improved a lot of the world. It has harmed a lot of the world.  Our homes are full of things from technology, we have gadgets right and left, we have our computers, tablets and cellphones.  We have ways of keeping our food fresh.  We have air conditioners to keep us comfortable, the list goes on and on.  Everyday of our lives are filled with it.

The art of conversation is my biggest worry when it comes to our modern ways.  I know we can communicate with our computers, etc, but can we still hold a real conversation with a real person face to face.  Can we go to a restaurant without hearing someone else’s phone conversations?  Do people even realize that they are speaking into their phones so loudly that everyone knows just what their conversations are about?  Have we become immune to all this?  I know when I go to a grocery store at least a third of the people are on their cellphones, I find this very distracting and usually end up forgetting things that I went there for.  Can we learn moderation of our devices and when it is too much?  Are we creating harmful energy waves from so many devices running all around us?  There are just so many questions I can raise on this subject.

I really do have a point to this conversation and that is for us to become conscious of our uses of our devices, to become conscious how much we interact with our fellow-man  on a one to one basis, to realize everyone does not want to hear your phone conversation or your kids games when they are at a restaurant trying to eat and spend quality time with the person they are there with.  You see there is a time and place for all these things and we just need to realize when that is.  Let’s not let ourselves become detached from humanity.  Next time you are out and about take a look around and see what I am talking about, do you wish to live your lives attached to a gadget.  Technology and computers, love it, hate it.

This week I am with 14 of my family members at a place in Thompson, PA called Hemlock Point Lodge. We have this whole huge home to ourselves and I got to tell you this place is gorgeous. My sister Mary and her husband John rented out the place for my nephew Nate’s birthday. He chose this over having a party and I am so glad he did.

The house has five bedrooms and can sleep 16 people. The best part is the guy who owns the place is also the builder. He did an amazing job of making this place feel like your home. I am hoping to get some pictures soon so I can show the beauty of the place, but the one thing you don’t get is a lot of cellphone service or wi-fi. We all took great shot’s of the place but we just can’t sync all the items yet, so the pictures will come at a later time. If you want a little preview check out their website www.hemlockpointlodge.com.

Dee and I were the first to arrive and when we walked in our mouths literally dropped. The view of the lake is the first thing to hit you when you walk into the great room. This place is on a private lake and they have a row-boat, kayaks, paddle boat and a canoe. My first agenda was to get on the canoe and do some fishing. Now the fishing here is also great, the lake has pike, pickerel, perch and blue gill. All catch and release. We had the downstairs bedroom with a full view of the lake so the fish are constantly on my mind.

Our first day we arrived at 5 pm so we all just basically unpacked and sat out on the huge back porch and enjoyed the view. The kids claimed the hot tub that night which is also on the back porch. We also got in some card playing time when the mosquitos drove us indoors. My pops family has been playing a game called King Pedro for years so that is the game of choice for all his kids and grandkids. After a few hours of cards we all retired for a good nights sleep.

Day two at Hemlock Point. I got up at 5 am, now I normally never ever get up at that time but I woke up wide awake and super excited to get some fishing in and that is just what I did. Everyone who is here enjoys the fishing so my sister had a trophy made for the person who catches the largest fish this week. So far pop’s is ahead with a 19 inch chain pickerel. I also bought pocket knives to give out as a daily prize just to keep the competition going.

After fishing a good portion of the day Dee and I decided we would do a little hiking through the woods to the other side of the lake were some of my family were fishing from the shore. Now we have been told about all the wildlife here so we knew we might run into something. Let me tell you what I was not expecting to run into, and that is a bear. I have never in all my years as a camper run into a bear and in fact the only bear I have ever seen are the ones in a zoo behind bars. Well this day we were walking back on a different trail from the one we took and as we were walking just chatting away I look up and there about 40 feet in front of us there is a black bear and her cub. I made the mistake of making eye contact with her so she started walking right toward us. Luckily I kept my cool, Denise wanted us to just back up, but that bear would have just followed us so I started shouting as loud as I could, I was making different noises, not just screaming. Caw,Caw, Caw, Hiyout, Hiyout, I screamed out at the top of my lungs. After a few times of that the bear and cub turned and went into the woods. There was also a deer a little further up the trail that ran when I continued my call. I also carry at least three pocket knives on me when in the woods and the one has a whistle on it so in between calls I would blow on the whistle. Our hopes were to attract the attention of our family so that we would have more people and feel a little safer but that did not happen.

When we finally arrived back at the lodge we were a little shaken up. As we told my family about our bear encounter their first words were did you get a picture? I am like… are you kidding me?! This is a momma bear with a cub, you don’t stop and say can you please pose for me. We are talking real wildlife not something you see on TV. I have a great respect for the outdoors and I am not going to be one of those casualties that you hear about because I want a picture of the bear. Also, my family did hear us but some were just what is that strange noise, while others thought we were just goofing. So much for family help.

Day Three at Hemlock Point

Again fishing is the first order of business, most my family are across the lake fishing so Dee, my niece Sonja, her little baby and my sister Dolly decide we will hike on over there. We feel much safer in a big group. We made the hike with no bear sightings so when we get to the lake we figure all is good. At that point my dad and nephew decide they have had enough for a while. They had taken the row-boat over so they hopped in it and left. Not even five minutes after they left my niece and I heard a loud branch break in the marsh behind us. Oh shit, that was my first thought, not again. We look over and we see the baby cub run into the woods. Now we know momma bear cannot be far off so we decide to get the heck out of there. For me that makes two sightings in two days.

Day Four at Hemlock Point

Today we decide we want to fish across the lake once again. This time we take a portable wagon that my sister Dolly brought. We load it with chairs and some small cooler and snacks so we can fish for a while. Once again we get there and my dad and nephew who have been there since early am decide they had enough for a while. We stayed there and fished for about a half hour till the clouds started to roll in. We decided we would walk back before getting caught in the rain. This time we had no bear sittings. Well it turned out to be a day of rain off and on. Later that day my sister Dolly and I decide to take the canoe over and bring back the chairs and stuff we left as it looked like the day would be a wash out. Dolly got out of the canoe and was handing me some of the stuff when all of a sudden we hear branches braking, that can only mean one thing, get the hell out of there. I look over to where the noise was and sure enough there is momma bear, she see my sister and starts to run right at her. I tell my sister to get in the boat and again I scream my Caw,Caw,Caw, Hiyout, Hiyout at the bear and she does turn a little, at least time enough for my sister to get into the boat. We high tailed it out of there. Again my family, did you get a picture? Are they crazy, the bear was charging my sister and we are going to take his picture… NOT!

So now I am on a mission. We have been taking the boat over but staying in it hoping to see the bear long enough for a picture. Of course now that we want to see it because we are feeling fairly safe being in a boat, we have not seen it. The only other encounter with the bear was my nephew Ron and my pops were over there fishing and my nephew heard a loud splash in the marsh behind him. He got himself and pops back in the boat and did not stick around long enough to see if it was indeed the bear.

As I write this blog, my hopes are still to get a picture of the bear. Keep in mind I plan on doing this from a distance and from inside the boat. As for vacation time with my family, I am loving every minute of the whole crazy bunch.

I made it to the east coast after a long day of flight delays.  The first thing we hit Palm Springs Airport to check in and  the woman at the gate immediately told us our second flight was delayed.  Ok not a big deal I don’t mind layovers as I like to get out and stretch and not have to run to my next flight.  Getting through my small airport is a breeze Dee and I just happened to be the only two in line.

We took off and our flight went along smoothly, one hour later we land in San Francisco.  Yikes we get off the plane only to discover that the temps were forty-four degrees lower then what we left in Palm Springs.  First thing is to get out the sweatshirt.  As a rule of flying I always pack either a sweatshirt or a light jacket as I am one of those people who freeze on a plane.  Dee on the other hand forgot hers so I let her use mine until I was just too cold.  Dee ended up buying a sweatshirt with San Francisco on it, so it was a nice souvenir.

We find a seat at our gate and we get a text our flight is delayed longer then first expected.  Ughhh like I said I like layovers but there comes a point when you just want to get to were you are going.  Now we have over two hours to wait, so we decide we will get lunch/dinner since we know it will be a while before we eat again and plane food is not an option.  We did end up at a nice restaurant in the airport that had seafood.  I had a dungeness crab sandwich and Dee had fish and chips. Both meals were delicious but in the airport you pay twice at much as what you would elsewhere.  Next we wait and wait.

Finally our plane arrives and we know we will be boarding sometime in the near future.  When our group number was called we then boarded.  Both of us were stuck with middle seats but at least it was in the section with a little leg room.  The plane doors close and next thing we hear is the Captain telling us we are in a hold, it will be twenty minutes before we can take off.  After many delays we are finally in the air. We arrive at Philadelphia and we are lucky my brother in law, John works right across the street from the airport.  He had agreed to stay at work and pick us up.  Poor John, this is the second time I have had flight delays coming into Philly, he finally picks us up at 12:45 am and we make our way back to Lawrenceville, NJ.  Finally family time.

We are a big family.  When you get the gang together, we are loud, some times too loud but we tend to have a great time. Last night was one occasion that some of us got together.  We went out to Dave and Buster’s ,which those on the east coast know, but for those on the west coast or in another country, this is a loud burger joint with arcades and other games to entertain the kids and the big kid adults.  We ate our totally unhealthy meals washed down with a little brew. We chatted and laughed, we pulled pranks on one another, we had fun.  By the end of the night I was extremely exhausted, my head was pounding from the noise level which continued through the whole ride home.  Is this what I signed up for, coming from my peaceful existence to be swamped with people and constant noise.  Answer is you betcha, you see I really value my family time.  I don’t get to see them as often as I used to so every minute with them is another minute of my life I tend to cherish.  I would not trade this time for all the world.  I truly love my family time.

My first east coast post, next we head to Thompson PA for some R&R with the family so hope to have another post during that time.

Welcome to Palm Springs were there is 360 days a year of sunshine.

My wife and I moved here 10 years ago.  Above is what attracted us to the desert.  We moved here from the East Coast, New Jersey to be exact.  We made a list when we were making our move of all the things we would not miss, that list ended up with over 100 items on it.  You see both of us have issues with cold weather and after my car accident that left me disabled the winters just were to much on every joint in my body.  My doctors told me if I wanted a semi decent quality of life, my best bet would be to move somewhere warm and dry.  After we took a vacation here we were hooked, within 3 months we had signed the papers on a new home in the desert.

Now you are not considered a bonified  resident until you have spent a couple of summers here.  If you only spend part of the time her you are a snow bird and trust me we have plenty of those here.  Now if you have spent a couple of summers in the desert heat you then become a desert rat.  I don’t know who came up with these names but it is what it is and we are now desert rats.  Kinda makes us sound dangerous, desert rat.

I even googled it only to come up with nobody really having an answer for it besides that it pertains to a kind of person living in the southwest corner of the country.  No matter, what some call us is crazy, especially in the summer.  Today being the first day of summer what we got was a nice sunny 124 degree day.  Remember it’s a dry heat.

Those of us who live in the desert are not surprised to see this kind of temperature, although that high it is usually an August thing. In fact we got a full couple of weeks were the temperature will remain in the 110+ category.    You got to remember it is a desert that we live in.  Some people just don’t get it.  We read about four heat related deaths in the area today.  People going out and hiking and biking in this weather.  You just don’t do that when it’s hot, not even in a dry heat.  What part of hot don’t these people understand. You don’t exert yourself when it’s this hot,and I am telling you it is HOT.  You drink water and then you drink more water, but you do not under no circumstance think you are super human who can withstand mother nature.  This is the reason air conditioning was invented, in this heat we use it.  It’s hot, really hot.  Not just hot, hot we are talking fry your brains out hot.  This is the time of year when it seems like everywhere you go it is a ghost town.  You only go out in this kind of heat if you really gotta.

So people always ask me well what do you do on hot day like that?  Same as I did on the east coast, I sit in the air conditioned house or I swim in the pool, remember it’s a dry heat.   Yes today was hot and I mean it was really hot but like all good desert rats we survived it just fine.  You see I don’t mind my deserts heat, it only gets extreme for a couple months out of the year and then the rest of the time it is just beautiful.

So what does a smart desert rat like me do when it stays this hot.  Damn right I head to the east coast for a vacation.  Happy Summer, my next post will come from the east coast.

Today is a good day, not because it is Sunday, not just because I find that I am still alive, although that does help a lot, no today is a good day because we get to celebrate our fathers.  First I want to wish all the father’s Happy Fathers Day.  I would also like to wish my father in law, Bob Gaug, a very Happy Father’s Day.   Next I want to talk about my dad.

My dad, Richard Lee Daringer,  turned 83 this year and let me tell you that man has 5 times my energy and his brain runs perfect.  He is not a man for forgetting things.  He wakes up everyday and makes life count.  I mean he really makes every minute of his day mean something. When we were growing up my memories are of my dad working hard to keep his family fed and in clothes.  Not such an easy task when you have eight kids.  His solution for food on the table was to grow his own vegetables.  Every year I remember the garden getting just a little bigger then the year before.  His garden would feed our whole neighborhood.  When any of them needed vegetable’s my dad was more then glad to help them out.  He had so much that every week he would take it down to the nuns and load them up and my how they appreciated that.  Many of his kids now have there own gardens because of what pops taught us.

Now another memory of my dad that I am still so grateful for is he taught me how to fix things.  It did not matter that I was a girl, if I wanted to learn it he taught me it.  He always said if you are going to own something then you better know how to fix it or be rich. Well even though I would love to be rich, I still would probably fix certain things.  He also taught me woodworking, how to fix a car, although now cars are no longer made to be fixed at home.  The point is that my dad wanted his kids to know how to survive and for that I will always be thankful.

My dad taught us to appreciate the outdoors, he does not like being stuck indoors at all.  Even if it is just to sit outside and watch the birds.  I get all of that from my dad.  My mom would always say to me, you are just like your dad.  Well to me that is the best compliment anyone can give me.  My dad has a huge heart and is always helping someone and I try to follow in his footsteps on that.

My dad is also a great joker.  Yes to some he seems like the quiet type who doesn’t say much, which sometimes he is, but when it comes to having a good time he can keep up with the best of them.  What other father do you know will put on a gold glitter wig and sing Dude Looks Like A Lady, while we had the Karaoke going for his 70th birthday.  I remember him also at times just taking my mom in his arms and giving her a great big kiss, just because he could.  He has shown his family that there is also a lighter side to living.

When my mom was alive, she and my dad were inseparable.  They had been married 60 years.  My dad took great care of her for as long as was humanly possible when she developed Alzheimer’s.  I cannot even know the pain he feels from my mother’s loss, she was the true love of his life.

I am so looking forward to seeing him in another week.  We will be heading to the Poconos where my sister and her husband rented a house on a private lake.  For me that means spending one week with the man I love the most.  I look forward to us fishing together, playing cards together and sitting by the fire chatting together.   For me this is time to be with my pops and enjoy every single minute of our time together.  Pops I love you and I wish you the best fathers day ever.

Happy Fathers Day Pops !!!!!!

I really didn’t have a clue how I was going to address this issue but my mind will not let it go.  So here is my attempt at trying to make some kind of sense of this issue.

When I woke up in the morning on June 12, first thing out of my wife’s mouth was did you hear about the shooting in Orlando.  Right away I got up and grabbed my phone and started reading the news.  I was in tears.  How can someone hate a group so bad to take innocent lives.  I have seen this same thing in my own area, even though the victims were not gay they were still hated.  I then got up and turned on the news and the images that I saw were just horrific.  As you already know I am gay and I am not ashamed of who I am.  I have a wife that I have been with for over 30 years.  So now the fight has again been brought to my community of brothers and sisters.  Why do people hate us so much?  Why do people fear us so much? These are questions that always cross my mind when I hear of senseless acts against my brothers and sisters.

Now I am reading that the shooter, I will not put his name on my page, attended this nightclub.  Now I don’t know how much fact there is in this but from what I have read I would say I believe it.  So this shooter is possibly gay and hates himself for it, or blames others for it, it is something we will never know.  The shooter also makes a 911 call saying he supports ISIS and mentions the Boston bombers.  Is it his faith that made him hate himself so badly.  Did he believe that by declaring this that somehow that makes him not gay.  No it doesn’t.  Now those who went online praising his killing spree, do they still praise him knowing that he was gay.  Then there is another question, was he just pretending to be gay just so he could pull off these murders?  You see there are just so many questions when senseless acts are involved.  How do we find out the true answers?  We have the power to stop this but are we willing?

There is a simple solution but it is one that probably will never happen in my lifetime.  Don’t teach hate and fear of a person, no matter what, or who he or she is.  When we teach a child hate, we teach them to fear that hate.  Children are not born hating, it is learned.   If you put a bunch of children who are very young together all they want to do is play with one another.  Now you put them same children together years later and depending on how they are raised you will see the ones who have been taught not to hate trying to make friends with every other child.  The ones who are shown hate not intentionally but maybe overheard in their family, those kids will be confused on who they will try to make friends with, but they will still eventually go to were they see the most fun is being had.  Now come the kids who are literally taught to hate. Add them to the group, those are the one’s that are almost guaranteed to be the bullies.  This is a sad and possibly true fact.  You may not agree with me and I don’t have any proof of this except in my heart, that is where I know.

Hate and fear go together.  When are we ever going to learn this lesson.  The mistakes of the past get repeated over and over again.  Aren’t there anyone willing to just say enough is enough.  I just hope that those of you who read this article take one moment out of your life to really think about this.  Don’t let hate win.  Those who went through this tragedy are saying it.  Other countries around the world are saying it.  Politicians have yet to catch on to this idea as far as I can see, they would much rather down each other for who said or didn’t say what, and for what, those who have been killed by this hate are still dead. Those who have been through this will never forget it. The Orlando community is willing to let love win, how about everyone do the same.

To those of you in Orlando, here is one sister who will carry your message forward, I will not let hate win, I will not let fear win.  I will remember and I will do my best to never spread the message of hate.

It was two years ago this very day that my mother passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease.  Mom was only 76 years young.  Her and my dad got married when my mom was only 15 years old.  At the time of her passing they had been married 60 years, just a month and a half till there 61st wedding anniversary.  On there 50th wedding anniversary they renewed there marriage vowels.

My mom had her first child at 16 years old and by time she turned 31 she had 8 children.  Six girls and two boys.  Mom loved her family very much and even though my parents lived from paycheck to paycheck, they still took in kids that needed a loving home.  Her devotion to my dad was from pure love.  She had a passion for life and was not afraid to fight for what she believed in.  A firm believer in women’s rights, she took on our local first aid squad and fought for the rights of women being able to ride the ambulance and hold offices in the squad, not just the women’s auxiliary.  She won her case and later became the first women president of the Yardville First Aid Squad.  These were the kind of values she instilled in her children.  You were taught to never give up on your dreams and always be happy in your life.  Mom was happy as long as her kids and husband were happy.

Besides her family she also had one older brother, my Uncle Skippy, and one older sister, my Aunt Peggy.  She loved them dearly and when they passed away she was devastated.  Mom had a very hard childhood with her mom passing away when she was 8 years old and her dad when she was 13 years old.  All three of the kids passed away at the age of 76.

My mom also had 18 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren at the time of her passing.  Since then 3 more great grand-kids were born. She was so proud of all her grandchildren and had a hand in raising quite a few of them.

I have so many fond memories of my mom, she was my best friend as well as my mom.  There was nothing that you could not tell her.  The world lost such a great gem when she passed.  I still have many breakdowns when I think of her not being here.  There are so many things I would still love to share with her.

Mom this page is for you, I will never forget your beautiful face and your constant smile.  I will forever hold you dear in my heart and remember your laughter.  I believe with all my heart that you are still watching over all your kids and grand-kids.  I have learned so much from you.  You were the most caring person I have ever known and I will never ever stop loving you.

I will always remember you, my angel in heaven.

Geraldine Rose Daringer
November 30, 1937 – June 10, 2014

First off I am just getting back from a beautiful vacation in Big Bear, California were my wife and I discovered that we are still able to camp.  This was our very first trip in four years.  We had both suffered many health problems that took away from us doing one of our favorite things.  We even camped in our tent, just like the old days.  Of course now we do kinda go the luxury route of a big spacious tent with cots and our power pack and a heater.  Now I know there are some of you shaking your heads telling yourself that, that is not true camping.  So to you who are still shaking your head I got one word – Age.  Yes I could probably do without all those conveniences but I choose not too.  I have had my share of sleeping on the ground freezing my ass off.  I did my time of crawling in a tent lying down just to put my jeans on.  My bones do not work the way they used to and if I want a few little luxuries to make my nights more tolerable then dammit I will.  I still light my campfire without ever using a match, how many of you can say the same?

I used to belong to a group here in California called Camping Women.  It was an excellent group and we all shared the love of the great outdoors.  We had women from all walks of life in our group.  Many of these women have camped longer then many of you are alive.  Yes they also did there time, so when they now pull up in RV’s who can blame them.  At least they are still getting outdoors and enjoying the company of self minded people.  We had a very diverse mix from college professors to the unemployed.  We would play board games together (remember those, no electronics needed), sit and tell stories by the campfire at night.  We had those who would pull out guitars, harmonicas, bongo drums and we would sing and dance and enjoy life.  Unfortunately after over 35 years the group could no longer sustain its membership.  Younger girls had no interest in camping and the rest of us, yes we are getting along in years, and each one becomes a little harder to make that long drive up a mountain.  So the group folded a couple of years ago.  It really is a sad thing, but most of us do keep in touch and we still try to get together trips here and there.

I learned many things by being a part of that group and I will forever be grateful to all the ladies who made it all possible.  Now to my question – To camp or not to camp.  For you parents who have children that are younger and you want to teach them there is life beyond computer games, go right now and buy a tent.  Make reservations at some of our great national parks.  Spend time with your kids that involves showing them respect for our great planet.  Remember if you don’t take this time your kids are being deprived of being kids.  To often I see parents that just shove there little ones in front of a TV and say, well its and educational program and they are learning from it.  That may be but don’t you want to be the one teaching them that same thing.  Your children are going to grow up fast and what kind of memories are you going to leave them with.  Are you going to be that parent who’s kid says I don’t remember a lot of my childhood but I do remember watching TV and I can quote you almost every commercial (oh wait kids can now fast forward through those).  Or are you going to be that parent that kid says we went here and there and we cooked over a campfire and watched the stars, we learned how to hike and learned the different animals that live there.  That is the kind of memory I have given many of my nieces and nephews as I used to take them whenever possible.  I guarantee they still hold them memories dear because whenever I see them, we still talk about them.

Camping is a great activity and it is not expensive when you consider the cost of a hotel room these days.  Camping brings a family close and helps us all to learn more about our planet.  If you really want to leave a kid with a feeling of self worth take them away from there electronics for one week and spend that precious time outdoors.  Some day as humans we will eventually destroy all of mother nature, will you know how to survive when the lights go out, will your kids?  I am not trying to be cynical but everyday you see more and more land being lost to what we call progress, get out and just see the beauty that is still mother nature before its to late.

Our campsite

Our tent, as you can see it is nice and roomy.

Always some Steller Jays to amuse us.

Some days I like to look back on my past and laugh.  Yes laughing at your mistakes in life are the only way to survive the stresses that life hands you.  I really don’t know how my dad and mom survived eight kids and all the others who somehow always found our door step.  More often then not my mom always took in strays whether they were people or animals, that’s just the way she was.

I remember back when I was about fifteen years old.  I was not an innocent child by no means, while I was not a bad person, I just did not think.  When you have so many people under one roof you tend to let some of them influence you.

It is no secret now that when I was a teen I did smoke pot.  Yes I even inhaled.  Nickle bags were cheap and it seemed to me that everyone was doing it.  Now my parents knew us kids were not angels but I don’t think they ever thought that we would become like “those other kids in the neighborhood”.  You know the one’s as you probably had a few who you where banned from speaking too.  Let’s face it, at that age you tried to get away with whatever you thought you could.

One day we were called to the dinner table after my dad got home from work.  This was typically how things went.  Well this day there was a little surprise decorating the middle of the table.  Yes nicely potted, there it stood for all the world to see.  What is that, omg is that what I think it is, how the hell did mom get a pot plant and does she even know what it is?  Those are the questions that were racing through my mind.  Then I saw it, that gleam in my mothers eyes that said one of you kids is guilty and I am here to sweat you out.  I sit at the table trying my best not to look at the plant.  My brothers and sisters were sitting there with there mouths ready to catch the next fly to buzz in.  My dad has his scowl going.  Oh fudge (now we know that was not quite the word I was thinking of).  There sits mom looking at each kid, one by one.  Oh she is good at this.  Finally after what seemed a lifetime she speaks.  “Look what your father and I found growing on the side of the house”. “You kids wouldn’t know who planted this would you” she says as she begins looking at each kid again.  Her eyes lock on me and by now my mind is trying to come up with a million and one excuses.  Play dumb, play dumb dammit you are giving yourself away my mind is screaming at me.  Well the plant just happened to be growing right under my window and the way mom was staring me down I had no choice but — to lie.  Hey give me a break here, I was fearing for my life right then.  So I speak up and say, “Well I found these seeds and I wanted to see what they were, then after they started growing I just wanted to see how big it would get”.  Mom looks at me real hard and says” You do know what this is don’t you”.  Now I knew playing dumb at this point would probably get me grounded for life so I acknowledge that yes indeed I know.  “Where did you find the seeds” she says.  Opps, I didn’t see that coming.  “I don’t remember exactly” is my reply and my mom give me the look like, do you really think I believe that.

After that my mom just shrugged her shoulders and back to eating we went.  See my mom knew all along it was me and she also knew I was lying, but instead of throwing a tantrum and grounding me for life, she did one better.  She made me think.

I learned a valuable lesson that day.  Never grow a pot plant anywhere where your parents are going to find it.  Just kidding although I think back then that is what I thought.  Oh and that pot plant remained on the dinner table that whole dinner.

Years later I recalled that story when my mom was still alive.  We used to laugh about it.  My mom enjoyed telling that story for years and yes I did confess the truth to her later in life, but she already knew.  See my mom was not just my mother but also my best friend.

Love you always mom.