CAMPOUT WITH KIDS!

The weather could not stop the kid's enthuasium about camping out at the beach last night.  Ora, my most common visitor at the Ranger Station, actually tried to bring on the rain!  She'd take a beach grass leaf between her index and thumb fingers and slide from the bottom to the top of a leaf, making a high-pitched (farting) noise.  She said every time she made that noise it would rain!  Luckily, it became more prevalent as we were all tucked away in our tents (or under a shelter as some of our more survival-ready teens were) sleeping.  But it didn't stop the kids from doing a GeoCash activity with the GPS to find candy (I think that search for candy while walking on hot coals!), or walk the beach to look for goodies (Elijah found some bones and he correctly identified some rib bones and what we are inferring is a skull, and he placed the vertebrae together properly; BOY IS HE SMART!), or play endless games of tag!

Dinner was a really great mix of "foil meals".  You just take any frozen ingredients such meat, vegetables and tator tots and wrap them in aluminum foil.  Then you stack them on a fish rack and place over hot coals.  After about 10 minutes you have a cooked, yummy meal!  Dessert was HEAVEN; banana boats!  You 1) put aluminum foil under a banana, 2) peel off a 1/4 section to the end, 3) hollow out that part of the banana, 4) put toppings on top of the rest of the banana --> marshmellows, coconut, chocolate or butterscotch chips, graham crackers, Reese's pieces, etc, 5) wrap the banana in the aluminum foil, 6) place on warm coals over a fire, 7) EAT with a spoon!

Activities with the kids included berry picking (and bushwacking through some devils club, see below), using a GPS to find a treasure, beach walking and tag!

Ora eating salmonberries!



Elijah's first round.... he shared with everyone too!



THIS WAY!

Which way do we go, which way do we go?



Feety pajamas!



My right hand adventure girl, Ora!

Ora found a squirrel cash

And when we woke up in the morning, Landon saw a momma bear and her cubs (which I didn't see in the brush) having breakfast!

Follow the tracks and into the brush, just to the right is the Momma.  She was about 200 m away!

We were monkey-ing around all night!

Ora is continuing the tradition with Gummy!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!

It was such a great night!  Great kids, and a great night!

Monday-Friday I will be with a group of 9 teenagers at Esker Cabin completing the Esker Creek Wilderness Challenge!  I can't wait!  This will culminate my time here in Yakutat!

BEACH PARTY TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE THE SUMMER!  Bocce ball and a HUGE bombfire!