Father’s Day

I had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend! We went with our Scouts out to Cle Elum and then even further into the boonies (four miles down a dirt road to Lord o’the Flies Campground). Well, it wasn’t really called that, but there were a huge number of flies. However, we noticed that they disliked the shade as much as we disliked the sun. So that worked out okay. East of the mountains is a whole different ecosystem. Dry with zillions of Ponderosa pines, like northern California. There was a beautiful rushing stream nearby, like something out of Middle Earth.

Camping was wonderfully easy. We set up the tent, made a few quesedillas for lunch, went for a walk, took naps, and then, after dinner, sat around the campfire and talked about the sorts of things you can only talk about when its men and boys (stupid things the dads had done when they were boys (and grownups) which the boys must never tell our wives about or imitate, on pain of death.

When it got chilly we all turned in and soon were fast asleep. I shared a big air mattress with Sean, our 12 year old, and some time in the middle of O dark:30 I was awakened by him pounding on it vigorously. I startled awake and could see him dimly outlined, sitting up.

“What’s wrong?” I said.

“It’s on fire!” he said.

Apparently he was having a dream that one of the other kids was trying to start a fire in our tent because it was too windy outside the tent. Eventually, he figure out that it was a dream and settled back in. I smiled and drifted off again.

Morning eventually rolled around and Mike Brooks, the Dad-in-Command made short work of both organizing the breakfast detail and herding the cats into striking camp. He’s just a natural born leader, that guy. Wonderful to behold. Me and my buddy Brian (the other Dad on the trip) and our kids got everything squared away on our end and we all made it to Mass in Cle Elum with seconds to spare. After that, it was back across the mountains and home, where we took luscious showers, and I went for a stroll in the back yard to feel the sun on my face and examins the fruit trees (everything passed muster).

As I sauntered around the back yard, I heard Sean humming a happy tune to himself, the sort po-dee-dum song he (and his mother) make when they are contentedly working away at fun project). I looked up to behold him contentedly filling a *gigantic* water gun he had fetched from the garage. This task accomplished, he looked up at me with wolfish grin, and attacked. I fled around the house and managed to get the hose he’d used–and neglected to turn off.

The next 10 minutes were satifying for both of us. 🙂 In that gentlemanly Just War Tradition way I have, I agreed to cessation of hostilities while he refilled. Then it was back to the fray. A perfect first day of summer. Eventually, various older kids, the Tash and sundry friends arrived and we chowed down on hamburgers and (how I love having a bro-in-law who works at a seafood processing plant) lobster. After that, I even got a couple of gifts for Father’s Day and, combined with that, we have a birthday party for beloved son Peter, who actually turns 14 next week, but since we will all be scattered to the four winds on his birthday, we decided to do the family hooptido yesterday. He got various sorts of awesomeness, including books on dragons, monsters, and sundry cryptids, as well as yummy cake. I got the ginormous Yale Annotated Shakespeare, which makes me feel rich. I also got a lovely wall hanging that recalls a particularly beautiful night I walked with my Luthien by a lake under a full moon. I have to find it a place of honor

Coolest of all, Luke and I *both* got Father’s Day prezzies consisting of these uber cool remote control helicopter gizmos that are simply the coolest toys ever made.

The whole thing broke up around midnight and I retired, feeling extremely blessed to have the whole fambly–even the beloved Cow–back together. Wondeful day!

By the way, the local paper did a fun Father’s Day story on this wonderful (and big) Catholic family we know. Fun stuff!