This past week was all about Scouting and Rain. We returned from rainy Italy late on Saturday to rainy England. When we had left, the country was in a drought and there were water restrictions in place. Now, one week after returning, there are flood warnings all over our region, although we still have water use restrictions. All fine, until you add in Scouting.
Tuesday afternoon, my Girl Scout troop met after school for some camping training. We talked about what to pack and how to pack it. Campfire building skills were also imparted. This was all to be ready for the big camping trip this weekend. Already, the forecast called for rain everyday from that day through the weekend, so our guidance was to Be Prepared! Everyone left the meeting feeling ready for anything and very excited for what would be the first camping trip for some of the nine girls in the group.
I continued to watch the forecast each day hoping for more information about the forecast. Particularly, would it be a complete washout with rain all day throughout the weekend or sporadic showers with intermittent sun to cheer us up? Each day the forecast seemed to shift from one outlook to the other.
Thursday was a partly sunny day, which was a nice change from the washout on Wednesday. I had a Cub Scout meeting with the second grade boys afterschool. They played for half an hour on the playground to run off some pent up energy. Planning for rain, the program was inside a classroom, but we had science experiments to get the boys involved in having fun without realizing they were learning anything. If the forecast had been more accurate, we may have spent more time outside, but what do those forecasters really know?
As the evening approached and my anxiety about the weekend grew, I started thinking more about the potential weather for the weekend. Maybe some forecasters were calling for a partly sunny weekend, but what if they were wrong and the forecasters on the other channel proclaiming doom and gloom were the right ones? I needed a contingency plan for camping on Saturday night!
A longwinded message to the Committee Chairperson for our group laid out three alternatives for my group. We were set to camp, but other troops in our council were going to be in a lodge at the same campground. One plan was to be set to sleep on the floor in the common room of the lodge. A second plan gave us the option to get parents to drive up and help us break camp on Saturday night. The third option was to go to a local Holiday Inn Express and get a few rooms! The chairperson tried to calm me down with assurance that the weather would be fine, the girls were tougher than I thought, and by the way, my group didn't pay the extra to get comfy space in the lodge. A little put off, I took a deep breath and went back to the forecast which said "Partly Sunny." As the rain outside my window blurred my vision and blocked out the stars, I tried to be positive.
Friday, I spent the day preparing: grocery shopping with other leaders, last minute laundry, trips to the hardware store and packing backpacks. I also practiced the mantra that all would be better than I thought. Really, how bad could it be? Don't worry, the morning would come and I would know soon enough.
Saturday morning Katie and I had our gear in the car by 6:15 to be at the school by 6:45. We had on our raincoats and waterproof pants, ready for the weather as it was raining already. The bus ride up to the campground was wet. The water streamed down the windows, but all of the girls laughed and focused on the adventure and not the weather. Upon arrival, we lead the girls up to the camping area. As we walked through puddles and noticed standing water in fields around us, my co-leader and I were nervous about finding a good area to set camp. We did agree on an area right outside the front of the lodge where our other troops were bunking, finding that not only was there was no standing water, but it also had a very close proximity for a quick getaway and warm bathrooms.
Through a light drizzle, the girls managed to set up three tents and one gazebo in an hour. Impressed with their accomplishment, we relaxed with a morning snack. We encouraged the girls not yet in full raingear to get prepared before heading off to our first activity of the day.
Now it was time for Climbing. The campground had a wall stucture outside of the main activity lodge. The girls were set to climb and belay. They did a great job all trying to get to the top. A few made it up and not half made it even half way. With Wellies and raw, numb fingers, the obstacles were fierce. They were ready after an hour and a half out in the rain to have some lunch.
Back at the camp, we were in for a surprise! We had put the lunches in the back of one of the parent's car; however, one lunch had been left behind. It had been found by a crow! The bag with a few clementines was left behind. I guess the bird didn't like fruit anymore than my kids. The scout who lost her lunch was devastated and it took much encouraging to get her to eat something else or to take food from her friends. What a lesson for a first campout!
Our next activity was indoors in the Activity lodge. The girls were so relieved to finally get out of the rain. By this time it was 1:30pm and we had been outside since 8:30am. An added bonus was that the latrine block by the activity center had WARM water in the sinks and HOT AIR DRYERS! You wonder at my expressiveness, but if you had felt the ice cold water in the latrine block by our campsite and found there were no towels or dryers in that latrine, you would realize that these things are actually LUXURIES! We had all the girls stop before we were off to our next activity.
Katie on the Ladder Climb
Our last activity for the day was Aeroball. This was a very fun activity involving trampolines and throwing a ball into a hoop on the opponents side. Each jumper could only spend 5 minutes at a time on the trampoline to avoid injuries. With an hour and a half at the activity, the girls became quite worn out. You can get quite tired jumping on a trampoline even off an on every 5 minutes for that long of a time. Exhausted, we made our way back to camp to make dinner.
A snack revived us first before dinner prep started. At this time, 5:00pm, we were still certain we would spend the night outside. With a group to start building the fire and most of the girls on food prep duty, we started on our dinner. Now opinions started to shift. A few girls weren't feeling well and were taking turns resting in the lobby of the lodge to warm up and dry out. The rain was continuing to fall and what was a drizzle before lunch had become a steady patter throughout the afternoon. The fire was proving to be a challenge. The swirling, blowing wind and rain suffocated any small flame we could muster. Finally, a briquette from a fellow troop of campers got us started. As much as we had prepared, we were not ready for camping in such extreme weather and we happy to have help from the older group of Girl Scouts.
We made Crecent Rolls over the fire by wrapping them on the end of sticks. Then each girl made her own Foil Packet Dinner with a selection of veggies from those they had chopped and marinated chicken or cut up hot dog (I didn't set the menu!). After the crecent rolls, the packets went on the campfire. Morale was waning and the rain was increasing. All of the girls at this time went into the lobby of the lodge with their mess kits, water bottles, and bag of SWAPS to trade with the other girl scout toops. They set themselves up and we agreed to eat dinner inside to warm up. Relief spread across all face. Realizing that there was a group of girls who was losing all interest in this camping adventure, I put it to the group to decide if we would raise the white flag and sleep in the lodge. If the vote was 7 or more for the lodge, we would all sleep inside for the night. If there was another split in the votes, my co-leader and I would agree to consider splitting the group so some could campout. I left the group to work it out.
As I returned with cooked dinners, the vote was announced. 8:1 to sleep inside. The one scout was crying. My heart went out to her, but my cold, wet feet were rejoicing. This scout has a brother in Cub Scouts, and I believe she didn't want to be seen as weaker or a quitter. I tried to assure her that her parents (particulary her scout leader father) would be thrilled that she was inside and safe and not risking health and safety in the cold, windy rain. When she went to sleep later last night on her mat on the floor of the great room of the lodge, I am certain she was still sad to miss out on being in a tent and being able to tell her father all about it.
The girls tucked into their foil dinners and some were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't terrible. Opinions ranged from awesome to "aaah, okay, sort of," but it was something new for all of them which was fun too.
After dinner, all of the scouts came together in the great room for evening activities together. The older scouts led them in songs and then each troop performed skits for the group. Our troop did a great job performing skits that they wrote showing scenarios of Bullying and how they would work to eliminate it. This completed their work on a Girl Scout Journey and earned them a much deserved Badge!
By 9:30, their mats were rolled out and sleeping bags set. With clean teeth and warm night clothes they tucked in for the night. Some were quicker to fall asleep and a few needed to be reminded, "Mrs. deWaard will be really cranky if she isn't in bed by 11pm and will be even crankier in the morning and will have to tell their parents about it." Ten minutes later they were all asleep and I was happing curled up on a matress of a bunkbed open in one of the leader bedrooms. Aaah, no floor for me! Bonus! (Really, that was the only bonus of the weekend...more despair to come...keep reading.)
In the meantime, some of the leaders from the other two troop who were camping outside appeared at the lodge with an official from the campgrounds. Weather warnings we calling for severe rain and winds to come through at 1:00am that night. Secure in the knowledge that our troop of girls was set and safe indoors, provisions were made to move the other two troops into another lodge nearby for safety. My co-leader and I looked at each other and sighed with relief. If we had not already made that decision earlier, we would now be rallying nine girls in the dark and the pouring rain to pack up gear and get to shelter. I would be sure to tell the disappointed scout the news in the morning so she could assure her brother that the rangers forced us to go inside for the night.
Camp mattresses not being quite those of the local Travelodge, let alone the one I longed for at the Marriott around the corner from the campground, I was out of bed just after 6am and found that all the girls were up when I went into their room at 6:30. A quick look outside and I was aghast to find that I couldn't see our tents. A glance around the area and I noticed one up against the wall of a neighboring lodge and another was collapsed where it had been staked. The third was hard to see because it was not in the area at all!
While the girls and I packed up their gear to get the room ready for breakfast, my co-leader went to investigate. After her first pass she came in to report should could not find it anywhere. Her second trip out was more successful as she went off in the opposite direction and found it stuck in the trees at the far end of the parking area, over 50 yards away. I worked with the girls making pancakes conveniently over a stove in the kitchen. With no wind to contend with, breakfast at least was a success.
As a group, the girls were positive about the whole experience. Many want to go camping again so they can actually sleep in the tent. I guess that means I am going to have to do this again...unless someone wants to take my place. I am more than happy to share the joy!!!!
