No Wonder the Bandits Wear Masks

Friday I had a half of day off of work so that the four of us could head to Nordhouse Sand Dunes for a little backpacking, overnight camping, and swimming in Lake Michigan.

We hit the road about 3:30 Friday afternoon, and hit the trail about 6. It was Alina's first backpacking trip, though she had spent a few nights in a tent before. She did great. She got a bit tired near the end, and I carried her on my shoulders. Sam is a trooper. A backpacking phenom. He never tires. He loves the outdoors.

We got to our site about 7:15, after a few potty breaks along the way. We got camp set up, and attempted starting dinner. One of my stoves wouldn't deliver fuel. No worries, I brought two stoves.

We ate mac and cheese on the beach at sunset. Nothing says romance to me like sitting on a beach at sunset with my beautiful wife and our kids while eating mac and cheese. Alina wasn't quite used to eating on the beach, and what that brings with it. Sand. Sand in everything. We enjoyed desert on the beach, and the kids went back to running through the waves.

It was time to get the kids to bed and to get cleaned up and put away so that Jean and I could turn in. Sam helped me hang the bear rope, then he got ready for bed. Sam slept in the guys' tent, Alina slept in the ladies' tent. Jean and I washed dishes and got nearly everything put away. I went and got Sam out of the tent so he could see the big dipper. He said that he could see what I was pointing at and understood the big dipper. I hope so, it was beautiful. The entire sky was breathtaking. Not a cloud. Millions and millions of stars. The food was hung in a tree with care. Except for two packets of Gu, and a small bag of chips for snacks on the way in. We stuck them inside of the mess kits and put the mess kits in our packs that we hung on the notches of some trees.

By the time we got everything cleaned up and turned in, Sam was OUT. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... I started getting my sleeping area prepared, then started getting stomach cramps. I thought I had to go to the bathroom, but couldn't. I went back into the tent. The cramps came on hard, again. I went to my pack and grabbed the toilet paper and tried again. Some results. Great. Hmmmmm... wait... what I grabbed wasn't toilet paper. It was the matches. So, I went back to my pack for the toilet paper. I realized I still needed to go. Good. Wait, bad. What started as needing to go ended up not wanting to stop. Finally, it stopped. And, my stomach felt much better.

I woke up Saturday and it was pretty cool out. Low 50º's. The morning sky was colorful. I snapped a few pictures, then went over to get the food bag. See, the plan was to get both stoves firing properly, cook breakfast, and then enjoy the water. The food back looked much different than it did the night before. There was garbage all over the ground, and the bag was soaked. Racoon saliva I assumed. The inside of the food back was covered with hot cocoa mix.

I took the bag, and garbage, back to camp. I informed Jean that we had visitors in the night. She exclaimed, "Oh no!" and came out of the tent. I proceeded to show her that every morcel of food was openned. I looked at Jean and said, "Checkmate."

I told her the best plan would be to get everything packed up and hike out now. Before the kids got hungry and they don't have the energy to walk. Agreed. Sam was SO sad. He wanted to stay and swim. I told him that I did, too. It was so cool watching Sam and Alina enjoy our surroundings Friday night. I was looking forward to watching them enjoy it more on Saturday.

We got as much packed up as possible to send Sam, Alina, and Jean out. I stayed behind and finished packing up. They probably started 20-30 minutes before I did. I left our site around 9, and caught up to them in about 15 minutes. The thing that clinched it for me that this was a God thing was that every campsite I passed on the way out had their food bags hanging about 4' off the ground. Mine was 8'. What the heck.

When I caught up to the family, Sam was doing great, Alina was tired and moving slowly. I carried her on my shoulders for much of the way. Sam's attitude was great and made conversationt he whole way out.

We ended up at this little restaurant in Luddington called the Kountry Kitchent. Wonderful wonderful food. We were back home and napping Saturday by 1:30. Whenever one woke up we headed over to Millenium Park to the splash park and beach area. The water was warm. Like bathwater. Nice. Probably better than the 56º Lake Michigan water temp. Then, Papa John pizza.

I was bummed walking out. It was probably our last weekend that we would have to both camp and swim. A friend of mine is borrowing some gear tomorrow night for a trip he is taking with his daughter in a couple of weekends. We may have one good weekend after Labor Day. I hope so.

But, this weekend wasn't about me being able to enjoy a relaxing weekend with Jean and Sam and Alina in a setting that we all love. It was about God and God wanting to shape my attitude in the events that I wouldn't choose for myself. The desert is fertile to grow a better attitude.