Tent Trials

Raine and I decided on Saturday night to test out our beautiful (it's green) new tent (thanks Dad).

  We wanted to make sure that 1. I could set it up (I so rocked it :) and 2.  It had no rips or seam damage, so that we don't end up with any surprises on our great Maine adventure of  2010 that's coming up next month.  It was easy to set up and fantastic looking and yes I realize I am a complete dork for falling in love with a tent, but it is sooo pretty.

  The air mattress we picked up that day on sale for 19.99 (6 dollars off! woohoo) at target was easy to blow up with our nifty Coleman rechargeable pump.  We decked it out in the latest fashions :) and made sure it was extra comfy.

Raine added two brand new pink camp chairs and I even set up our fire pit on some cinder blocks to complete the experience.  We even had the makings for smores and were ready and full of anticipation for our night out!   

Well this should have been a clue!  Everything had gone just a little too smoothly so when the skies opened up and let loose the fury of god I should not have been surprised.  Let me first tell you that I have never in my life seen a storm of this proportion!  It was awe inspiring and a little scary.  Just look st her face as the thunder shook the ground she was sitting on!

We stayed in the tent to try and ride it out thinking that the way the wind was blowing it would move through rather quickly.  It didn't!  Raine was kinda funny saying things like "Mom, Do you think we should go in?  You need to make a decision here because I'm a third grader!"  She cracks me up!!  When it got so bad that you couldn't even count to one between flashes of vivid strobe like lightning I made a command decision to run for the house.  We stayed low to the ground and ran as though being chased by demons and considering the war that was taking place all around us I don't think this was far off.  Back in the house with the lights out and huddled close we watched it unfold like an epic Greek battle between the gods.  It was Awesome and Raine though a bit nervous caught some of the excitement of the moment and even oohed and aahed as forks of lightning came down on all sides of the house.  It took about 40 minutes before moving off into the distance and being that we were still up we chose to go back out to the tent to give the overnight one more try.

We played a few games (bullspit / tic tac toe) and had just settled down to sleep when the torrential rain began again and the sky started flashing.  The look on her face was priceless as she said, "Mom, that's it we are calling it a night!  Let's go in right now."  Haha  I sometimes forget which on of us is the parent ;)

So it was off to bed with a promise to have smores for breakfast if the weather had improved (Hey, you only live once!)

Sunday morning brought sunshine and the promise of a beautiful day, even the cats came out to join us.  We lit the pit, caught some marshmallows on fire, and then had a healthy breakfast (farm fresh eggs, turkey ham, and zucchini) fireside. 

All in all it was a great "dry" run that we will never be forgotten and will be bringing us smiles long after the the vivid storms of this season move past us and make way for the long nights of winter...