This post is not really about houses...but I'm going to write it anyway! There are no rules for this blog unless I make them up!
This weekend I went canoeing and camping with sixteen friends and friends of friends from law school. We canoed 30 miles down the Missouri River and finished at Washburn. It was my first Missouri experience and it was amazing. The river and the surrounding landscape was so beautiful! Being from Eastern ND, I think of rivers as rather gross, weedy, and muddy. No one really swims or does much of anything on the Red River. Then there is the Ottertail River in MN which is famous for its tubing and also being a murky, algae and weed filled cesspool. Even most lakes I have experienced are rocky, muddy, and have a greenish-brown cast that is best ignored when you are trying to enjoy yourself.
I was pleased to discover that the Missouri River is wide and sandy! It even has sand beaches along the banks that are deeper and nicer than any lake I've seen around ND and Minnesota (sorry lake lovers!) The water is clear and you can see the bottom most of the time. Because the river is shallow, there are many sand bars and you can wade in most places. It doesn't hurt your feet because the sand is so fine and there are few sharp stones mixed in. (There is however, alot of flat, shiny pieces of coal and alot of coal dust washed up on the shores!)
Anyway, I had a great time with my old friends and getting to know new friends, and it reminded me of a current Coleman camping equipment commercial that features old time footage of campers and points out that recreational activities such as camping were the original way to connect with friends and family, and that Facebook, Twitter, and text messaging, even with their instant gratification, cannot compare. Here is a link if you are curious:
The canoeing was really fun, but my favorite part of the trip was when we stopped for the evening on a large island to camp for the night. It had a great beach, and the plateau was covered with wild sunflowers and native grasses. We had a great time playing "extreme bocce", grilling, indulging in cold beverages, and of course talking nonstop. The weather was perfect, and even though most of our clothes and sleeping bags got wet during the journey and had to be hung in the trees to dry, we remained "happy campers."
Here is a shot of a few of our tents (there were more).
I love this photo! This is a view from our camping island.
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