It's a secret...

What is the secret, you ask. Well don't tell anyone but I had a great time camping! We spent 3 nights and 4 days in Ninilchik, AK. Our bishop and Relief Society President and their families have been friends for 20 some years. Many moons ago they bought cabin lots next to each other and camped on them all summer long until they built their cabins a few years ago. Now all of you thinking "cabins" like you think of cabins in Jackson, WY or Saranac Lake, NY don't. We used an outhouse, and they still heat their own water (with a gas stove). However they have woodstoves to heat (which came in handy when I was afraid Ethan was hypothermic one night and we moved in to their floor) and couches to sit on and beds to sleep in so compared to us back in their trees, it was a luxury palace.

Our host's cabin.

Every Memorial Day these two families and several other friends who also have lots and cabins in the same development, invite everyone to come down for the start of the King Salmon run, which begins the Saturday before Memorial Day at midnight. The problem this year was the fish forgot to check their calenders and didn't come. Memorial Day was early so they will probably show up next week.

However, we still went clamming, saw 3 moose (including the one that Champ chased through camp), went to Homer, roasted marshmallows, played football, saw a million bald eagles, shared potluck dinners, a Sunday night devotional, ate fried halibut and homemade chowder and relaxed with some awesome new friends.

Here are the pictures:



Carter in all his clamming glory. The clam gun is in the background to the left.

Clamming happens at low tide and Ninilchik Beach is supposed to be the best place in Alaska to do it. The record for that beach is a 20 lb. clam! We walked around in freezing cold temperatures in this thick, muddy sand looking for little divots in the sand that mark where a clam is below the surface. Then we would jam a Clam Gun way down into the sand and pull hard, hopefully pulling the clam with it and not a little bit of muddy, soupy water and sand. If you did not suck the clam up, you got down on your hands and knees and reached into the hole up to your armpit and dug the clam out of the bottom of your hole. But you better be fast because those suckers are fast. The real die hards come as the tide is going out and follow it all the way out and then come all the way back up the beach as the tide is coming in.

Ethan getting filmed by Brother Rampton as he kisses his first clam. Brother Rampton was so awesome with all the kids. He had them roasting him marshmallows for a rating 1-10 on well they did. It usually required a sampling of the wares too! In exchange, he dared the kids to see how many gumballs they could fit in their mouth (chewed). Our friend T got 24 in his mouth!!

The clamming group. About half of the people we camped with this weekend.

Olivia loved it!! She even went again on Monday with just JaDee and Carter. She was the only little kid not crying at the end and she and Carter were the only kids who went back on Monday. Brother Rampton called her a "real Alaska girl." She loved everything about the outdoors.

An eagle at The Overlook in Homer. There were eagles everywhere!

Us at The Overlook in Homer after church on Sunday

So my poll was tied at an equal amount of staying home this weekend or going on the backpacking trip with the girls. And after 3 successful nights of staying warm, thanks to a new bag and a supply of strategically placed hand warmers, I can stay warm at night.

And so I am going to the great outdoors again this weekend!!

I know, I know! What has happened to me??