Slippery When Wet

The Management would like to remind you to watch your step when the ground is wet.  This weekend The five of us set out on the first camping adventure of the season to Turkey Run State Park.  Planning, preparation what do these words mean?  well damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead! Our first stumbling block reared its head when Nikki and I realized the Friday we had decided to pull Jonah out of school a bit early was a field trip and one I had already said that I would be willing to drive the church bus for.  So we blundered through preparations that shouldn't have been left to last minute to leave town later that expected.  all in all we did do a good job of last minuting and only forgetting salt, pepper, matches, marshmallows and extra shoes for Jonah and Riley. 

Our first evening was relaxing after the stress of the hurry up to get there.  The playground was close and our kids hit it off with others that were in a neighboring sight to ours.  Jonah kept forgetting the little boys name and kept calling him "Hay Dude."  Nikki and I relaxed around the evenings camp fire and turned in shortly after dark.  The next morning started as many Saturdays begin all be it the bath house is a bit further than at home and this being the case requires a community trip to the head.  Breakfast was sausage gravy, a one pot wonder type of meal that allowed us to hit the trail shortly before nine. 

Riley and Jonah standing on a portion of Wedge Rock.

Sugar creek had been out of it's banks earlier in the week by about 12 feet or so the beginning portion of our walk was very slippery with muddy silt covering trails and steps.  Morley rode on my shoulders for much of this portion of the hike tending to lean forward so as to force me to look straight down.  After we had made it back into the canyon  fifty yards or so things became cleaner but wetter the overhanging rock dribbling drops on us as we tried to avoid walking in the stream.  We made it as far as the Punch Bowl before tears of anxiety erupted from Riley, and soon after Jonah too.  With cold squishy shoos and wet pants cuffs we turned back.  Shortly after spirits lifted and smiles returned, it seams that now being wet it was not nearly as necessary to look for rocks to try to traverse the stream any longer so dirtier we got!  The park is arranged very nicely with a drinking fountain and a hose bib near the top of the stairs.  a quick rinse of everything below the knees and we were respectable to go into the nature center and rest.  To Nikki's and my shock we were actually on the trail for a little under two hours.

Nikki found it necessary and in retrospect it was a very good idea to leave the park and seek out a dollar store to find that most versatile of foot ware, the flop flop.   We returned to camp to make lunch, (hot dogs), and  everyone laid down for a nap.  during this time I had turned on the radio in the jeep to listen to music.  the station we listened to played all kinds of great stuff, they also forested thunderstorms for late that night and early Sunday morning, so after the wind blew down the awning down Nikki and I both agreed that we should pack after dinner and make our way home late Saturday.

Packing went great! things seemed to slide quickly into there spots I rolled the camper to the Jeep hooked up as Nikki took the kids to the bathroom.  I decided to let Morley (who stayed with me) to ride on my lap to the bathroom.  We jumped in and I turned the key to hear the click click click sound of the starter failing to start the car.  When Nikki arrived back with Jonah and Riley in tow she found a neighbor camper giving the jeep a jump start.  this however was not all the problems that the jeep had decided to thrust upon us this day.  once started she wouldn't keep running, or more to the point she wouldn't keep idling.  So we sat for ten minutes running the engine at 1800 rpm before I got up the nerve to drive home two footed, that's right one foot on the gas and one on the break. 

I kept her running until I had to get out in the driveway to unhook the camper and yes when I let off of the accelerator she died.  I was able to re start it later to put it in the garage so it would be dry to work on in the morning, so what could it be,  it wasn't the alternator or the battery.  this was going to bug me all night,  fortunately as I lay in bed I remembered that she did almost the same thing about two years ago and the fix was a thirty dollar part that easily installs in about ten minutes.

So it worked! we arrived we had fun and we returned home safely with out any extreme change of plans or mishap.  I will chalk this on up as a success!

Photo courtesy of Nikki