Campin' in the Rain

For the past 50 or so years the huge Thacker family has met the first weekend in August out at the family-owned, lovingly called Party Pasture for the family reunion. This past weekend when we went camping it was an end of an era and a very bittersweet time for me. I have some memories of being there with my Dad and lots of great memories from recent years spent there with my husband & sons, and my sisters and their families & my Mom & brothers. The property owner, who does in fact use the land as a cow pasture, has had a recurrence of cancer and has decided to sell the property because he can no longer care for it. None of his children can afford to buy the land so it will be sold and this wonderful tradition is coming to an end. When I told my dear friend Stacy that I was going camping she said "Like tent camping?" and when I told her that yes, we use tents she said "because you just don't seem like the camping type". Well you're right Stac, I'm not, but once a year I am. For the sake of family reunion and making my boys happy. Tyler got a kick out of hunting for frogs and snakes at the nearby lake and stream on the property. He also wanted to go out on the canoe again this year but it rained and rained and rained and with all the lightning I was not comfortable having him out on the lake in a metal canoe! The constant raining was a drag because it affected our dutch-oven cooking plans and my brother-in-law Brett's plans to build a fire without using newspaper (he wanted to do it the Boy Scout way- with all-natural gathered items). This year was more complicated because of Brad's broken foot and him being unable to help with the loading, set-up or pretty much anything else but he still had a nice time. I had to drive there and back and anyone who knows me knows I hate to drive roads that I am not familiar with. Talk about anxiety! But we made it in one piece and had fun and hope that somehow we will be able to continue on this tradition of camping- even if it is just our immediate family.

Sorry no pictures- I was just too overwhelmed with Brad's injury and the awful weather to even think about getting my camera out. If I can I will get some from my sisters and post them here. If it weren't for my sisters, brothers-in-law, Mom and brother Steven I wouldn't have been able to do this camping trip. They were such an incredible help and I thank each of them from the bottom of my heart!