A Needed Non-Football Post

As is my tradition I try to do a non-football post when football seems most important....so I do it again...

One of the things I've always loved is camping. One of the things I've really really loved is camping with my kids.One of the things I've really really truly loved is camping with my daughters....with a couple of their friends along.

What love! ... What Love! There is nothing more fun than watching two daughters, show two friends, what they love.

Many many years ago, when Alena and Jodi were still young, I took them on a camping trip to one of my favorite spots. Back then it was little known, rarely found by visitors, because locals shot down the sign that pointed to this dirt road that led to this really wonderful camp.

Called 'Meadow Creek' it was one of the true great hidden wonders of North Idaho. Years ago Cananda and the US had brought a gas-line that had to cross under the Moyie River and Meadow Creek Campground was created to house all the workers. Its unfortunate that a couple years ago it was desecrated by a wild fire. It really was one of those rare places that had a deep well water souce and still seemed.....rough...now it is trying to grow back. anyway...back to my thought. I'm not sure if I can share this story, with justice, in writing. It really is best if I'm there and Alena gives the climax...but here goes.

I was on one of those camping trips, with Alena and Jodi and me. As sometimes happens in North Idaho it rained some old-person's-cat and a fat man's dog the first night. When I woke up I knew I needed to find some dry wood for a fire. I put the coffee on the Coleman and hiked up the hill. Those of you that know these things know that a thick woods has many drie hanging branches. Its hazy and cloudy, not sure where I'm at, but the branches are dry. I already had enough branches to get a good fire started, and was about to head back, when I see this one large branch and pull. It is not just a good branch it is a big dry good branch.

Greed is a funny thing...it pays you back. I pulled, pulled and pulled again and suddenley thought I was on a hill of red ants. The stings on my legs were viscious. I bent over to wipe the ants off and realized (imagine all the air you could possibly suck in at this moment) that I had knocked a Bald-Faced Hornets nest out of the tree and it was split wide open right by my feet.

For those of you that don't know...a Bald-Faced Hornet is what we in Idaho call this very mean black insect that has the body of a Yellow-Jacket but is black with white rings around the eyes. Meanest of all insects.

After sucking all the available air in North Idaho I began to run. I could hear the river, knew I needed to get to water, but in the excitement forgot the hill I had climbed. By this time I had ten to twenty stings, being chased, heard the water...so I jumped.

This where I sucked all the air out of the Rockies. I jumped, looked down, and there was nothing but twenty or thirty feet of air between me and the rapids below. Its funny when you see those cartoon characters, suspended before a fall....because that's just what it feels like. Its like time stops.

I hit the water, knew my knee had been hurt, but thank God for loving the water...and my Mother who gave me that. I kept my head, as I rolled with the rapids, keeping my head above and moving in the right direction, some big guy (out for early-morning fly-fishing) stopped my rolling and helped me to shore.

Some time passed as the 'Big Guy' and the 'Camp-Host' helped me back. I was sitting when Alena woke up. She saw me covered with all these amonia and somethings the 'Big Guy' were putting on the stings.

I had put coffee on an hour ago...I needed some coffee. Alena, can you bring me some coffee? Yes Daddy!

She pours a cup, walks to give it to me, trips over something....................you'd have to be there......