LOL!!!

I can't help it. I LOVE jokes and little funny stories.

Kinda like the stuff someone will send you in an email. Whatever the source, those little jokes can make my day!!!

Matches

Sally, a blonde, goes on her first camping trip. Her husband, who was a Scout Leader, was sick so she volunteered to take over for him one weekend. She got everyone together and assigned different duties to each scout.

Gabby was responsible for the food supplies, Mike would be the cook this trip, Johnnie was responsible for their maps and making up a time schedule, Tim was to decide on their events, and to fit them into Johnnie's schedule and Sally would test all their equipment before setting out.
They arrived at Big Moose Mountain and everyone was excited. They arrived right on schedule and were getting ready for their first event - hiking up the mountain. But first, they wanted to get something to eat. So Sally asked Mike if he would prepare the
meal and, of course, Mike said he would.
About 10 minutes later he came back and told Sally, "I can't make the supper. I can't light a fire with the matches you brought."
Sally replied, "I don't understand! Those matches should be perfectly fine. I tested them all just before we left."

Are your vehicles ready for summer camping?

Tow hitches can be a ball on the bumper well of a pick-up, or a bolt on receiver hitch. You can get receiver hitches and weight distribution systems for small cars to.

this is a BIG no no!!

No matter what the size of vehicle you have, if you've got a trailer that puts excessive bumper weight on your vehicle it would be a safe decision to get a weight distribution system for your vehicle.

Make sure the hitch and weight distribution system is hooked up properly.

check your tires!

Always check your air pressure on the tires. Every time I stop for gas I check my tires and put my hand on the side wall to see if they are getting to hot. I can't even begin to remember how many times I seen RV'rs on the road side with blown tires.

A good idea is to make sure to have all the proper tools to change out a tire if need be. It could save a road call service charge.

How do you camp?

Are you a firm believer that tent camping is the only way to truly enjoy the camping experience?

Or......

Do you firmly believe the ONLY way to camp is in an RV, complete with a modern, clean bathroom?

We actually love to do both!!!

We still love to tent camp, in fact went tent camping last fall while out deer hunting. Although, gotta tell you, over the years we have really upgraded our tent camping gear. Our tent is now a large tent, capable of holding our queen size airbed, two camp chairs, small table, and various camp gear.


A few years ago, we upgraded our RV, from a small 23 foot Terry Travel  Trailer, to our beautiful 29 foot Arctic Fox 5th wheel. It's really quite nice to sit inside a nice,comfy trailer and watch the snow coming down outside.

Cooking for kids.

Your headed out camping, and want some easy camp recipes for kids. Look no further.

Cooking for kids is real easy. It can also be a lot of fun, when you include your kids  in the meal planning and cooking.

There are so many simple, kid friendly camp recipes out there.

Here is an easy lunch or dinner recipe, Chili Mac Recipe!!  Yummmmm.........





 Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
2 cans of  diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained
1 1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other fun shapes
1 cup water
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

When dutch oven is pre-heated to 350 degrees, put in hamburger and onion.
Cook uncovered until hamburger is well browned, stirring often.
Stir in tomatoes, water, and pasta.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to about 250 degrees, cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Sprinkle cheese on each bowl when it is served.
Serves about 4.

Throw some salad together, and your ready for a hearty and filling meal.

Camping and wildlife

 If your camping, you're gonna run into some form of wildlife.

Of course, the usual would be chipmunks, squirrels, and of course those noisy, pesky birds, commonly called Camp Robbers. Those little rascals are just about anywhere you choose to camp. And they Know that your presence means FOOD!!!

There are a lot of different views on feeding wildlife in campgrounds. Personally, we do throw out the occasional peanut or bread crust for the squirrels, chipmunks and various birds in the campground.

We don't like to encourage feeding any deer that might be wandering thru camp, begging for handouts. Getting up close and personal to a deer, can just be asking for trouble. 

One year while working in Wyoming, we were seeing a lot of Antelope herds. They are a very curious creature. They would come right up to within 10-15 feet of where we were working. Just kinda like they were wanting to pass the time of day.
 

Jerry and Alice share their camping experiences.

When Jerry and I decided to start tent camping with our kids, we had no camping equipment.

So........that meant we had to start from scratch. Tents, one for us, and one for the three kids, a Coleman cook stove, Coleman lantern, a good cooler, sleeping bags and camp cookware.

We didn't want to buy too cheap of a tent. We finally found an Eureka tent in a sporting store in Reno, Nevada.

The poor clerk was a little confused looking when we insisted on setting the tent up on the salesroom floor. But we wanted to be sure it went up simply and easily.

There's nothing like trying to put up a difficult tent, when it's dark or the weather is nasty!!!

After getting all our camping gear put together, we than had to try and fit it all (plus three kids and a dog) into a 1989 Mercury Topaz!! Gotta admit, it was a very tight fit!!!

All this fit into the trunk and on the trunk lid! 

Not the kids tho, we stuffed them into the backseat, along with the dog.

What to cook when out in the wilds.

Do you have a favorite camp recipe?

I sure do. When we head out camping, my favorite meal is Biscuits and Gravy. Heck, it's actually a favorite of mine anytime. Throw in some fried potatoes with onions, and I'm a happy camper!!

Another fabulous recipe I like to fix up, Burgundy Beef Stew. Most times, I'll fix this up a few days before we are going to leave on our camping trip. Put it in a gallon ziploc baggie, throw in the fridge. Once your at camp, and setting up, all you have to do is dump your stew in a pan, put over stove or fire, and heat. Some store bought sourdough rolls go real well with this dish.

Here's an easy,yummy desert........

Dirt Desert-

Ingredients:

• Oreo cookies
• Cool Whip
• Gummie Worms
• Gummie Critters

Preparation:

Crush Oreos and mix with Cool Whip, Gummie Worms and Gummie Critters. Serve chilled.

This is a very popular recipe for kids of all ages!!!!!!!

How we found our first camp trailer.

 Jerry and I both grew up in an in Eastern Oregon. A wonderful, beautiful place to live.
Camping, fishing and hunting were the major activities for us.

We got married, left Oregon, and finally ended up in Northern Nevada.

By this time, we had three kids of our own, and wanted to show them how much fun camping could be.

We started out tent camping, spent several years doing that. After a family tent camping trip to Glacier Park, in Montana, we decided we'd like to upgrade to a travel trailer.

We spent  four years looking for a trailer that fit our budget, and suited our needs. We looked online, R.V. lots, and the Classified. We finally found a '69 Terry Travel trailer that worked for us. It needed a little bit of T.L.C. After some clean up, and repairs ,we were ready to go!

We've had the trailer since '01, and we still use it.

 !

More tips and ideas on camp cooking.

On the last post, I talked about some easy camp recipes. On this post, I'm gonna talk a little bit about camp cooking tips and  ideas.

If your new to camping and not sure where to start, here's a few tips:

• When planning for camping, create a menu. Plan for at least a hearty breakfast, light lunch, and filling dinner.

•  From your menu, you can make your shopping list. Don't forget, a lot of your menu items could very well be in your cupboard at home.

• Stock up on simple snacks. Grapes, carrots sticks, celery sticks, apples. You can prep these at home, and put in freezer baggies. Just pop in your cooler, and your ready to go.

• If you're just getting started camping, keep your meals simple. If your tent camping, your meals will be cooked over a gas stove, or campfire. Either way will limit your options. BE FLEXIBLE!! If a planned meal falls thru, be prepared to kibitz.

See you back here for more camping tips!!