LOCATION: Pinery Provincial Park, Grand Bend, ON
DATE: Mid-April
TEMPERATURE: Not-Warm

ATTENDEES:

Karen Founk, aka "Founky-Town!", aka "Barry Gibb"
Responsibilities: Comfort Optimization Officer, Hammock Tester

Jon Bartel, aka "Fleece-Sweatsuit"
Nikolaus Hubert, aka "Broth-man"
Responsibilities: Woodpile Curators, Playing Catch

Kristina Hubert, aka "Tina", aka "Teen Wolf"
Responsibilities: Whatever's Happening In The Middle of This Picture

There's something about forcing yourself up and out of bed at 8am on a crisp, cold April morning. Getting clear of the tent is the hardest work... all that stooping and crouching to pull on yesterday's clothes without waking up your partner. The zipper fighting you for every last inch before finally pulling wide to hit you with those first few, icey gulps of morning air. The fumbley, mechanical act of building a fire, stick by stick, with hands too cold and a back too stiff for the fluid motion of the later, warmer hours of the day...
I love that stuff. It's tough to beat spring camping!

The highest priority on any camping trip: Food! This trip's menu including chinese vegetarian dumplings, grilled chicken with garlic roasted potatoes and grilled zuchinni , pancakes, bacon and eggs. And wienies... naturally.

One of the great things about a weekend like this is that everybody has a task...

The Pinery is right on the shores of Lake Huron, so on Saturday we took an afternoon walk down to the water. It was freezing, but the view was great.

The hammock zone. Nik and I listening to the Blue Jays on the radio, Kar and Tina talking philosophy...

Comfort Optimization Officer confirms, this mini-chair is the business!! J