Today was gloriously uncomplicated. I can already feel my life returning a bit more ‘normal’ as our 15 minutes of fame ala Colony starts to fade a bit. OK.. so it wasn’t really completely normal because I spent last night camping with Gabe at Button Bay State park with Gabe and his classmates. It was a fine night for camping.. a few light rainshowers.. but nothing too bad, cool weather and a ton of creative students..  

I showed up a few hours after the kids arrived. They’d already had a chance to build a secret fort in the woods.

Around 7:30 we all gathered for a campfire..

Each of the camping groups had prepared a skit..   Gabe’s posse did a touching rendition of ‘ice-ice-baby’ acapella.. It was heart warming..

All the skits were good.. some funny, some scary. some just.. goofy.. It was a riot. I did my part by doing some fire/light  magic (spinning steel wool. ultra powerful green laser  and hot air balloon)

I have to admit that I don’t remember much after that.. At that point I’d had about 3 hours sleep in the last 36 hours. I was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow I didn’t have. Some chaperon, huh ?   For all I know the kids took the car keys and drove into Burlington.   I did here today that I wasn’t the only tired guy. Gabe told me that he fell asleep on the ground outside .. and didn’t wake until 1:30AM when we woke up on the cold hard ground.

I slept great, though.. a full 8 hours of sleep.. can’t remember the last time I did that !.. Sleeping on the wooden platform was great for me.. just like in The Colony..

OI woke about 6:30 and took a short wak.. I saw my first flock of southward bound geese.. It reminded me of one of my favorite songs: Urge for Going by Joni Mitchell

“.. see the geese in chevron flight
flapping and a reeling before the snow
Well the got the urge for going
… and they’ve the wings to go….”

Here’s a version of Joni singing it back in the 60’s

The boys eventually woke and made breakfast.. Chocolate chip pancakes.. yum !