May.  Memorial Day Weekend 2010...

Brett and I packed the new 26ft Jayco camper with excited dread...

After last weekend's trial run at Delta Lake, we were anxious to get going, but at the same time, not at all eager to leave.  We were not looking forward to the 3 hour drive north.  For one, asking Ellie to sit still in a car seat for that amount of time is asking the world of her.  Number two, we worried about the poor dogs trapped in the back seat with a miserable two year old, and feared for Maggie's life.  And lastly...could I make it to the high peeks of the Adirondacks without throwing up....I never have before...

       [ The trip to Santa's work shop when I was little led to me tossing my cookies somewhere around Long Lake, costing my little stuffed bunny to lose an eyeball.  The 1987 trip to the Grand Prix in Lake Placid once again had me bent over on the side of Route 30.  Brett was prepared for this and had pulling over in a hurry already in his plan.]

None of this, I'm happy to report took place.  Ellen was a joy as she watched a little Fox and the Hound, and ate her half of my sub.  Maggie was a little trapped between her and Jr. but I think I only had to tell her to stop hurting the dog twice, when I caught her pulling out fists fulls of hair.  Maggie it turns out, is the one that puked ... in the truck.  But it was just a small amount and easily cleaned up.  I did get sick just beyond Long Lake, and Brett pulled over quickly (well done!)  I stepped out of the truck and Brett got the dogs and the kid.  Time to stretch our legs we decided.   It only took a matter of 90 seconds before the Black Flies swarmed in and attacked the fresh, new meat.  We hurriedly got all three back into the back seat, as I instructed Brett to "Drive!!"  Windows down, we did the best we could to shoe the little tiny buggers out of the truck.  Now, of course, all we are thinking is that that is exactly what we are walking into with this camping bullshit.  Again...that did not happen.  A few bugs here and there....mostly deer flies and mosquitos though. 

So we arrived at 8:00pm at Fish Creek Ponds, just outside of Tupper Lake, NY and nestled very near Saranac Lake.  We unhooked quickly.  Popped out the awning, laid out the rug, and Brett had a fire burning in the pit in no time.  Ellen stayed busy gathering pine needles into a pile, as the dogs laid right down with no worries.  This is all leaps and bounds better then last weekend when we did absolutely every thing with the Jayco hand book laid out on the picnic table.  I did stop once during set up however,  to take Ellie to the waters edge, and try to teach her to "Yoo-hoo." A long standing tradition at FCP, is to Yoo-hoo across the pond at sun down.  She did well.

The next four days would be the best, most relaxing family time we have ever spent together.  We walked and explored.  Ellie chased Dragon Flies as well as beautiful yellow Butterflies that we would later make up a song about.  We were visited by ducks, Geese, a chipmunk we caught in the dog's food dish, a beautiful loon, and our personal favorite was the family of baby squirrel living in the tree one site over.  Just amazing!! 

We worked hard with Ellen, teaching her to ride her bike, and I caught on tape when she looked at me and said, "I'm doing it!"  She never mastered the bike until we got back home, but she was trying so hard, and her determination is amazing....as well as her frustration....she's certainly her mother's child.  We also strapped her in and went on many family bike rides around the park.  I forgot how much fun a bike ride can be.  Twice when they weren't looking, I hopped on mine and rode as hard as I could!  I felt free!!  

We played in the water with the dogs, took Ellie to the swings where we spent what felt like countless hours.  She learned to Pump her legs and was doing great with that!  On one day, we rented a boat that Brett had to row over, because the boat delivery was not working just yet.  I worried that we would never see him again, as his navigational skills are not always the best and the livery was three ponds away.  He arrived in record time however and had one of the best moments when he took his little girl around the pond completely on his own.  I loved watching their silhouettes across the water....the tall man with the oars...and the tiny little person across from him that promised not to move in the boat....and didn't.  

On one evening, at ten PM, the sound of a loan bugle played out Taps across the water.  It was beautiful and very moving.  Honestly brought tears to my eyes. 


We learned that Brett's coffee maker has to be returned for a percolator, that we want to get a hammock, a bigger generator, and maybe a game of ladder ball.  We played great little preschool board games with our daughter, colored by the lantern light, and Jr. finally got his dream come true when  he climbed up into Ellen's bunk, and finally....after three very long years of hope...got to sleep with his little girl. 

I ate my first ever McDonald's breakfast and was seriously surprised to find that I like it!  Even better still, was when Michelle got hungry and tired of waiting for Brett to drag his ass out of bed, she made bacon and eggs for the family....and everyone not only ate it, but LIKED IT!  I was actually asked to do it again!!  woo-hoo!!  On morning number three, we ventured back out to McDonald's (since Brett needed coffee) and Ellen actually threw up on the side walk as we were walking in.  It was just spit, I think a little nauseous from the drive in and an empty stomach, but still....My kid threw up on Mcdonald!!  ha-ha. 

Other favorite moments were Ellen-isms.  She commented once on the "twisty roads."  [in hind sight, this might have been the same morning she threw up]   As she stacked needles, or sticks, or what eve she was doing one evening, she was naming the days of the week she knew.  "This is for Saturday, and Thursday," and the my favorite, "Loveday!"  I think  we could all use a loveday.  And then of course, there was the potty conscience little girls tinkling and poopy-ing, that said to me one morning, on the second false alarm, "actually, I think I'm all out of tinkle."  Brett loved one morning when she was angry at us for not getting her the bird she wanted at the hardware store...Brett opend the back door to get his new gas can for filling, and happily said, "Hi!"  to which she responded, "I hate you daddy."  We laughed so hard at just that!!  There were so many other adorable things she said, but that sadly, is all I can remember. 

We met nice people at FCP and were allowed to pet several passing pups.  The ice cream truck never came around, but I think it was still early in the season.  The whole place is well cared for and clean.  The shower facility was so clean and nice that I honestly looked forward to a public shower. 

All in all, a wonderful couple of days, and we were both sad to pack it all up to go.  I felt like I finally had my family back together and Brett and I treated each other the way we always have....with mutual respect, laughter, and love.  Only once did I mention divorcing him, as he watched me struggle to drag Ellen away from the gathering of butterflies.  It was just a nice, relaxing couple of days. 

Finally though, Brett dropped Ellen and I off at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, which I think EVERYONE should visit! and he went back to pack it all up, hit the dump station...and get us back on the road.  An hour later he pulled up out front with the rig, and Ellen and I jumped inside.  Luckily she fell asleep for at least an hour and for what ever reason I never once felt sick on the way home.  At times, sure, a little tough, but not sick, sick.  Oddly enough however, later that night my stomach was very messed up and felt exactly like motion sickness...can it really be that I had a delay reaction to the car ride?  hhhmmm...ya never know.

A week ago, Brett and I wondered about our new purchase and thought maybe we made a big mistake.  Today?  Well we can't wait to get on to the next trip!  We keep reliving the moments that we hope to hold in our hearts forever....Mountains and Memories.  That's what I will call our first big journey.  The ADK is beautiful!  Brett and I agreed on the way home, whether it's fall foliage, or mist covered summer day, the Adirondacks are just beautiful...and damn it, I love NY! 

I am one happy Camper.