Camping Story #5 - One Fish, Red Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish

Good Thursday morning!

First things first, thank you, Jennifer, for my Fireproof coupon. I'll be using it next Tuesday. I like that magazine, too, but I didn't pick up the February issue.

Secondly, LeAnna, is NCIS a good show? I've never seen it! I absolutely cannot add another show to my season... but I will put in a good word for you in my School Board letter!

As Camping Week wears down, I find that I am exhausted. Just talking about all the trips wears me out. But it's a good kind of tired when you come back from a camping trip, and you do eventually recover from it!

Camping Story #5 - One Fish, Red Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish

Ahh, Guntersville. Our favorite campground. Familiar, familiar, familiar. We even got in our regular Section... close enough to see the lake and enjoy the benefits thereof, but even closer to the bathhouse!

We had gone camping with other families from our church, and we were busy just watching kids on bikes, kids on scooters, kids playing ball, kids walking along the lake borders, kids getting really, really dirty... you get the picture. Kids having a ball!

As always, our attention was mainly on the now five year-olds as they went hither and yon. (Have you noticed the more familiar a child becomes with a place, the more courageous they are exploring said place? That's what we were having to really watch for. We had been to Guntersville several times now, and the familiarity was almost against us... almost like being in our own backyard, but not child-proof in any way, shape or form.)

We could see their little heads as they picked up rocks and threw them into the water. We were pleased they were obeying and no wading was taking place... but we knew not to take our eyes off them.

There they went. They were bending over. I wondered what on earth... Between the two friends they carried something large and cumbersome. They would bend over and put it down and then get a new grip on it before hoisting it up between them again. They were walking toward us, and we waited to see what they had discovered!

Into the campsite they marched, red-cheeked and breathless, holding onto their prize. It was a huge (and I mean bigger than the pigeon that landed on my head) fish. And the problem they had carrying it had nothing to do with the fact it was fighting them or wiggling or anything normal like that. It was a huge dead fish. Ugh!

"Look what we caught!" they excitedly said.

"Well, I don't know if 'caught' is the right word," I said.

"We did catch it," they claimed indignantly.

Uh-oh. I had offended them. "Well, that is certainly one big, dead fish," I said smiling.

"We want to cook it and eat it," they demanded.

"Uh, I don't think so. I think there's a rule about eating a fish that's dead when you catch it," I said, hoping they would buy that one.

"Oh," they replied looking at their catch.

One of the dads came up at that point and walked back to the side of the lake with them to dispose of the giant dead fish. (But not before I got a picture of the two boys with their "catch" of the day.)

"Well, that was pretty gross," the moms all agreed.

We settled back into our positions of watching the kids all around us, and special attention was given to the five year-olds once again walking along the lake. There they went. They were bending over. They held something huge between them and started walking toward us. I didn't have to wonder what it was.

If possible, this dead fish was bigger than the first. "Guys, what did we say about picking up dead fish?" I asked.

"We're pretty sure this one was alive when we picked it up. Can we cook it and eat it?" was the sly reply.

"I'm no expert, boys, but that fish has been dead for quite a while. No, we will not cook it and eat it! Take it back, wash your hands UP TO YOUR ELBOWS and stop picking up dead fish!"

Now I was getting worried as to why so many dead fish were showing up on the banks of Lake Guntersville. That couldn't be good. (One more picture to remember the "Year of the Dead Fish" and off they went.)

Again, we settled down. I was staring a hole into the back of the five year-olds' heads. Hands on hips, they were in deep discussion. Glances over their shoulders to see if we were indeed watching them. More discussion. And then I guess it was more than their five year-old little bodies could take.

There they were. They were bending over. This time they came up easily and started the walk toward the camp... each holding one small dead fish. For them to be so forthcoming about turning themselves in, I knew the discussions had brought forth what they thought was a reasonable explanation as to why they had disobeyed us for a third time.

They stopped in front of me. I went ahead and took the picture before they started talking, because when you punish a child, it kind of takes away from it if you start posing them right after you lower the boom.

"We just wanted to know what the difference is in catching the fish with our hands, and taking a fishing pole and catching them with that? The fish are going to die right after we get them out of the water anyway, right?"

Good one. "Yes. That's right. But for fish to be floating on top of the water at the edge of the lake means something is wrong with them. They could be sick or something, because a normal fish does not float on top of the water at the edge of the lake." Could I make myself more clear!

"So you're saying we can't eat these fish because they were sick before they died?" one of them asked.

"Yes! Yes! These are not healthy fish! This is not a healthy hobby! This is not like fishing with a pole from the dock! This is bad!" They were finally getting it.

They dropped the fish like they were poison. Since I thought the point had been made, I didn't want them to pick them back up and take them back to the lake. (I'd get Mikie to do that!) But I did tell them once again to wash their hands UP TO THEIR ELBOWS and never touch another dead fish again.

Communication is so important in parenting, isn't it? However, when I got the pictures back, I gave a set to each one. They were pretty proud of the giant fish they had "caught." I think they were much bigger than they remembered.

And after years and years of fishing, Josh has never "caught" one as big as the one he picked up with his buddy those many years ago. It's kind of sad really.

Maybe I should have had them mounted!

Part 4 - How to Camp With Your Family and Survive

Tent vs. pop-up camper?

So your first camping trip was a huge success. Everything went great. You loved it. Your spouse loved it. The kids loved it. But wouldn't it be better to camp in something you could use all year round. Something you could pack a set of kitchen things and linens in and be ready in a moment's notice to head to the great outdoors? Yes. That is a question you must ask yourself.

Do we stay in a tent, or do we invest in a pop-up camper?

We've never used a pop-up although we've had an opportunity here and there to try one out. I personally like the tent and the four months a year we camp. However, I know many, many people who like to go camping during the heat of the summer months, as well as in the colder months, too. A pop-up will allow you more flexibility as to when you can camp (with fans, heaters, and more protection from the weather). A rainy night and day in a tent is a little different than in a pop-up.

Also, people we know who use campers enjoy the kitchen facilities and sometimes even the bathroom facilities they may come with.

You just have to ask yourself if you're going to camp enough for the investment. A tent is very inexpensive in comparison to the pop-up, but if you're in it for the long haul, and some of you will be, you'll recoup your money with a pop-up.

I would suggest you camp several times in a tent before purchasing the camper. That will help prove to yourself that you are committed to camping long term and not just for a couple of years.

Also, there are always pop-up campers and larger campers for sale in the paper. It's not hard to buy a used one from people who have outgrown camping or have just gotten too busy to continue to camp.

Before you make the decision, just take a while to think about it. Our decision to stay in a tent had much to do with wanting to one day buy a boat (which we did after eight years of camping). What we would have invested in the camper went straight to the boat, and the last four years we have enjoyed taking it with us on our spring trips, as well as just going to the lake on Saturday or Sunday afternoons to go tubing or fishing.

Everyone is different. There's not a right or wrong answer to this question. It's just what you feel your family would enjoy more. (And a lot of people have more time in the summer to camp than in the spring or fall months with school being out.)

That being said, tune in tomorrow for our final installment of Camp Week.

Also, I'll have my little commercial/announcement at the beginning of the blog, as well as the story of "Me and Mikie" on Friday's blog, our 21st anniversary.

Have a wonderful Thursday! (Who's favorite day of the week is it?) I'll talk to you tomorrow.