The Great Outdoors

Ben and I spent last weekend with great friends eating great food in the great outdoors. We went camping. Although it was not Call to the Wild style, our kind of camping is not for whimps. Our first camping experience brought a torrential downpour and a colony of spiders. We happened to choose the one unseasonably cold weekend of the semester for our second camping experience last fall. What they say (whoever they are) is true: the third time is a charm. The weather was perfect all weekend! It was such a blessing to spend a weekend away from homework, filled with fun and laughter (and about 150 Scouts of various ages and kinds).

I know this guy looks like a homeless person we picked up along the way and asked to join our camping adventure. But it's actually just Scott. He used a stick to roast hot dogs and marshmellows instead of a clothes hanger. Now that's what I call real camping.

The Mangrums relaxing in a hammock.

Ben and our friend Joey relaxing in the same hammock.

Here are a few of my friends: Diane (married to Scott, the wanna be hobo), Kate Bean (what a cool last name), Ashley (kickboxer extraordinaire), me, and Aurelia (one of the coolest people that Louisiana has ever produced).

Preparing hobo dinners: meat, potatoes, onions, peppers, corn and spices wrapped in foil and cooked over the fire. Yum!

A friendly game of spades with Joey and Ashley.