The Rock Chronicles

 

2009

October – 16th Entry

            Wow!  October was a very busy month, so I have to confess I slipped a bit on my daily journaling.  I am going to report my activities month-by-month for now until things slow down, but Amy said I shouldn’t count on that happening anytime soon.

            After returning from our mission trip in Appalachia, we quickly headed off to eastern Ohio for the Ohio Starcraft Camper Club’s last two campouts of the year.  The group camps at the same campground the first two weekends in October every year, just outside of Mansfield in Amish country.  Amy, the dogs and I arrived Thursday, October 1, and Linda and Jeanne on Friday.  The first weekend was the Halloween Campout, so the young ones donned their costumes for trick-or-treat.  Everyone had a terrific time.  I have never seen so much candy!  Mother Nature showered us with love, literally, so things were a bit soggy.  The campground has a large, heated building the club uses for activities and meals, so nothing could dampen our spirits.  Plus, a quick trip to a nearby Amish farm bakery for fresh donuts and baked-goods warmed my tummy.    

            Linda and Jeanne returned home on Sunday, but the rest of us stayed with a few other campers for the week leading up to the Turkey Roast.  It was a beautiful week of relaxation, fishing, sightseeing (an area RV dealer and another trip to Lehman’s Hardware Store in Kidron), long walks, reading and campfires; all shared with good friends Beth Hock, Sandy Roark and Linda Buehler.  The weather was a bit dicey every now and then, with high winds and some more rain, but it cleared just in time for everyone to return.

            The Turkey Roast is an annual end-of-year gathering, and everyone is welcome!  It is rich in tradition, and is now in the very capable hands of the Barretts, Downes, Glanzers, Phillips, DeCamps and others.  The gentlemen put the turkeys over the coals Saturday morning, and the birds spent the day turning on the spit.  The other folks prepared all of the fixin’s for a full-fledged Thanksgiving meal, and the campers brought salads, sides and desserts.  The weekend was jam-packed with things to do, games to play, friends to visit, etc.  Nearly 130 people gathered for this year’s event, and all toasted another blessed year of camping with friends and loved ones.  After dinner cleanup (yes, I helped!), many of the leftovers were tossed into huge roasters for Sunday’s turkey soup.  Boy, these Ohioans sure do know how to cook! J

            It was sad to see everyone pull-out for home on Sunday.  A few units lingered to enjoy the beautiful campfire, fall trees and crisp air.  We stayed another night, before heading home Monday morning and ending our 2009 camping season.  One of the things I will remember most from this campground is the sound of the Amish buggies and wagons clickety-clacking up and down the road.  Note: When you view the accompanying pictures online, be sure to open the Lake Timberlin album, too, for more shots of the above festivities.

           

 

            Amy and Linda apparently often camp into November.  However, their schedule just didn’t permit anymore outings this year, so I accompanied Amy to Midwest RV in Dayton to winterize the motor home on Thursday, October 22.  I met everyone in the store and shop, helped with the unit and even shopped a bit.  What a great bunch of folks!  Now I know why Amy speaks so highly of the Colerain and Midwest RV families.

 

November – 17th Entry

            Amy dragged me back to the church several times this month and put me to work.  The church has a big Christmas Bazaar the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the choir is in charge of the Bake Shop.  Choir members gather for two weeks to bake cookies, breakfast cakes, crescent rolls, and pies.  The ladies made home-made crusts, and boy, were they delicious!  Although Amy and I are admittedly not “bakers,” Amy is president of the choir, so we jumped right in and helped wherever we were needed.  We plopped cookie dough, mixed ingredients, refilled supplies, folded boxes, washed LOTS of dishes, and enjoyed a few nibbles along the way.  On one day alone we all baked more than 300 pies…whew!

            The Christmas Bazaar itself occurred on the day of the big Ohio State v. Michigan football game, so all of the workers and shoppers yelled O-H-I-O throughout the event.  What a raucous bunch!!  I had a great time helping and meeting new friends.

            Thanksgiving snuck up on us rather abruptly.  Amy’s family spends the holiday in Findlay, OH, at her sister Cindy and brother-in-law Paul’s house.  Paul smoked and fried the birds, and is known for having a rare or odd meat or delicacy for everyone to try.  Let’s just say this year’s treat was something pickled and leave it at that (groan). L  Anyway, we all joined with Paul’s family and had a great meal.  After dinner, many of us gathered around and played a card game called “pass the trash.”  Many of you may know it as something a bit crude ($*%^ your neighbor).  It was a great time, and I even won a double pot…woo-hoo!  Despite being stuffed, we all found room for dessert.  The day was filled with fun and laughter, as evidenced by the picture of Linda and Jeanne bent over in hysterics (feel free to ask them what they were laughing about).  Cindy’s birthday was coming up on December 6, so we celebrated a bit early and I got to help open presents.

 

December – 18th Entry

            I am not sure how, but December was even busier than the previous months.  Amy and the choir rehearsed extra for the Christmas Musical and presented it at church on Sunday the 13, Amy’s birthday.   We had our first measurable snow fall, but it wasn’t enough to fire up the snow blower (bummer!).  Linda visited her family in KY during the week before Christmas, but I stayed home to help Amy with Shelby and Dallas.  We didn’t all accompany Linda because the girls thought all of us, especially the dogs, would be a bit much for Linda’s mom to handle during the winter.  I don’t know why???!!!  So Linda returned home Christmas Day, and we spent the evening with the neighbor’s next door, Tim and Carol.  I met their two cats for the first time, Sasha and Cinders.  On the 26^th, Amy’s family and several friends came to the house and celebrated Christmas.  What a crazy bunch of Yahoos!  After a wonderful meal, they exchanged some of the strangest gifts I have ever seen…I am beginning to think it’s a good thing I am not a permanent part of this family.  Some of those gifts scared me!  Once that was over, we again played “pass the trash,” but there were no pots for me this time.  I am trying to earn extra money for the casino in Hamburg next year, but it’s slim pickin’s.

            I wish all of you a very Happy New Year and many blessings in 2010!  I’ve recorded 3,154 land and water miles thus far with Linda and Amy.  To view the pictures that accompany this text, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/adecamp13/ and select The Rock Chronicles 6 album.

 

The adventure continues…