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Camp of the Pines - Labor Day 2009
Submitted by: Jim Ford - 12/12/09 12:40 pm

Camp of the Pines - Labor Day 2009
This September we headed out for what I think was our 27th annual Labor Day weekend celebration. Our closest friends and family gather at Lake DeGray in Arkansas for. We're just a small group of close church friends and our families and we have a blast! Driving in from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, we meet up Friday evening at Camp of the Pines; an old church camp many of us attended as campers and some of our parents either helped build or administor. Read on for lots of pictures from the weekend.

The camp is located on the far side of the lake in a little alcove. We stay in cabins in the woods. Screens for windows, no electricity, and wooden pallets with camp-style mattresses on top for bedding. Need to use the bathroom or brush your teeth? Better be prepared to hike up the trail. With campsite names like Kaddahadacho, Cahinio, Tiak, and Nasoni, you get the distinct feeling an Indian theme was used. The adults spend the nights talking, playing cards, and drinking beer. The kids have a great time on the waterfront. Haley and Katelyn hanging out by the beach, my niece Jenny playing in the mud, Sneaky Pete hanging on the boat, and all the kids waiting for the boat ride.

Here's a few shots of the kids on the tube, Haley right after tubing (she claims Uncle Van can't throw her off!), and Aunt Kass holding and tickling Haley Beth.

We spend a lot of time hanging out in the pavillion area eating and snacking, playing cards, and talking (those old stories never get old!). Here's Amy chillin like a villain, our patriarch with his look-a-like nephew Paulie Walnuts, Barbara and Paul in deep conversation (yeah right!) and Debbie and me on top of the canoes.

Many hours are spent catching up with each other, telling old stories, and just feeling great with your family. Hiking the trails, exploring nature, and making new memories. And it's really all about the kids. Playing tether ball, me taking the kiddos out for a nice canoe ride, the and girls singing Taylor Swifts songs while I play guitar. Once an old camp counselor, always an old camp counselor.

I even got to do a little skiing myself. Nothing fancy. Just back and forth across the wake and over some chop. Amazing how tired you get when you're not used to it. Love it though. Takes me back to my days as a camper and learning how on a big pair of wooden trick skis.

And finally just a few random shots: Me hanging out on the boat, John and me drinking beer and perched atop a rack of canoes (seemed like a good idea at the time!?), Van looking cool as the captain of the ski boat, and this amazing little funnel web spider. Found this creepy but neat looking spider (from the Agelenidae family) outside the bath house. Watched him lure other spiders in, attack, kill them, and hang them up to eat later. Cool!!!

At the end of the weekend we're all wiped out and ready for some sleep! It's such a great weekend each year. It was a major part of my childhood and continues to be as an adult.

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