~~LIVE~~LAUGH~~LOVE~~: FAMILY CAMPING WEEKEND & THE AMAZING DOG!

Hello again!

We had this totally amazing weekend with Rusty! Read on to find out what happened.
First of all I have to tell you we went camping with Donald Jr. & Chrissy on July 15th & the 16th 2011.

It was a rainy morning and we thought oh my gosh here we go again. Does it ever stop raining in NW Wi. on the weekends? *laughing* So we watched the weather from time to time once again! This time Lauri predicted the weather for later on and she was so good that she was right on! *laughing* But first when we got up there we pulled in the campground that we were going to stay at along side the Namekogon River in Earl. We got out and talked to the camp hosts and we found out that we weren't going to be able to park out truck in the campground. We said "WHAT???" but we have a truck tent. They said nope, not gonna happen here unless you go sleep in the parking lot but if you do that you will get into trouble by the Ranger. So we thought oh boy this is going to be a interseting morning isn't it. Here were drove all the way up to Trego area with just the truck tent and Donald Jr.'s tent. They gave us some other campgrounds to check with in the surrounding area. There was 2 reasons why we wanted to stay there. 1. The drop off site to float down the river. 2. it is FREE camping there! So we found out TENTS ONLY there.

Don decided ok lets go look around and see what else we can find. We stopped at the Broken Spoke (they were having a motorcycle convention - bands - beer - and partying) - campground was shoved off behind the bar - not bad but no trees means no shade! Plus all that partying and drunk harley guys ummmmmm NOOOooooo Way! Loud music right outside out tent? ummmm Not going to work for us!

Stopped at the Log Cabin campground near Jack's tube and rental: Talked to them inside cost $30 a night and if you wanted along the river it was $35 a night....but they only had one site left....#23...so they showed us the site before we said yes...Thank God!....It was a freakin MUDHOLE!!! and we thought and looked at the gal that showed us the site and said Ma'am we have tents and the is no way after it just poured down with rain that we are going to stay in that mudhole of a campsite! for $30???? Are you crazy?!!! We left and went looking once again.

Then off to the Trego Park - Talked to a woman there and it was $25 a night, told her that we were one family but had 2 tents and she said sorry you will have to take 2 sites per tent. So that would have been $100 for the weekend. Ughhhh - we gave up.

So here we were in the truck and talked and Don decided that we were going to go back to Barron (hour ride) to get the BIG tent. Which I am surprised he didn't put it in there in the first place because he usually does. So here we went back home as it was pouring down rain all the way there and half way back. Then Chrissy and Donald Jr. were down on the floor looking for a "OK". I said a "OK??" What the heck is a "Ok" *Laughing hard." So then Don Sr. got down there too and starting looking for the "OK" too.

Here were 3 people down on the floor in our kitchen looking for the "OK"

"Laughing my butt off" :(LMBO)

Here it was a button off her digital camera that she was trying to dry out because she had dropped it in the water last weekend when we went tubing. Well they found the ok button which was never on the floor in the first place (they look funny don't they). It fell into a drawer that was opened. hahahhaha

Low and behold!!! There is Blue sky cutting through those clouds!!

Thank You Lord in heaven!

In the meantime I was staying in touch with Jim because he was gonna go with us and go down the river too. (so we thought). That is when I predicted the weather again *laughing* I told them it is going to be sunny and warm later on... ah ha!!! I was right again!! It did just that :-) So what did we do? Where did we go??? Our course to the FREE CAMPING SITES along the river...heck why not!!! You just can't beat that ya know!

So here we are again next to the river and we registered for one big site for all of us. You can have 3 tents to a site. We set up and Lauri stayed in touch with Jim by texting. He didn't make it camping with us because his wife said it was gonna be to hot in a tent for him and their daughter (Lisa don't go camping so Jim does a lot of things alone or he goes with his friends that like to do the same things he likes to do). It wasn't hot that night at all in the tent, in fact it only got really hot after we left that weekend, so he lost out on a great time because she said no. Poor Jim, we know that he couldn't make it tubing the weekend before and now this too. It is always nice to find friends that like to do things that you do if your spouse don't like doing anything. :( Sorry Jim we wish you could have been there. Another time we hope!!

Ok we got all set up and ready for the weekend (Pic below)....

Look it was FINALLY Sunny!!!

Here comes MORE pics!!

Starting to cook dinner :-)

(Don Sr. & Chrissy sitting down)

Hallelujah it is set up!!!

(Donald Jr.)

Donald's Jr's Tent

Donald Jr has great air power!!!

We were able to take the inner tubes into town and blow them up but the inflatables we had to use man power!! Donald Jr. is a great step son and I am so glad he hangs around us a lot! I especially love it when he calls me "Ma" makes me feel like i am important to him. Thank you Junior!! Love you!!

Looking Good!

Our whole site!!

Rusty getting in the shade.

Don cooking Hamburgers. They all ate them, I didn't care for them - yeah I ate one but I felt queasy afterwords. Do I like hamburgers?? Not really! I prefer chicken, fish or turkey if I have to eat meat. I could become a vegetarian quite easily and be happy.

Getting ready for the evening - BUGS BUGS BUGS!!!

Spray me down baby!! hahaha

(Chrissy & Donald Jr.)

No Rusty get away!

Ok The Next Day!

Today is the day that we are going to go tubing down the river!!

Woooo hooooo Baby!

So we had all of stuff ready to go but first we had to try to get Rusty down to the river with us. He was either going to swim along side us or get on a tube! hahahahaha I thought this dog is never going to sit on a tube!! So Don rigged one up and placed canvas on the tube.

So we got down the river and lets say it was VERY interesting to see Rusty try to get on this thing. He got on it and then jumped off - got on jumped off *laughing* it was so funny and I thought no way he is gonna end up jumping off and swim all the way down *laugh* So then after that Don drove our truck down to the end and then got a ride back with Jack's tube and rental for $11 back to the top. (If we had 2 vehicles that would have worked better and then we wouldn't have to depend on Jack's). So here we were waiting for Don to get back and we just let Rusty play in the water some to get used the strong current.

(Donald Jr, Rusty & Chrissy)

Don finally got back. But first I asked everyone if they wanted sunblock because after being burnt from 2 wks ago I was like no way am I going that route again! I caked it on and no one else wanted any. They all said nahhhh I don't burn and I was like okkkkk whatever you say hahahaha wait till that glare hits the water and you will pay for what you say, just watch! *laughing* but they said nahhhhh we don't burn......we will be ok!!

Don got back and we wnet in the river - Rusty was on and off again and then I said ok let me have my tube and I will get on mine first and then if he sees me on mine then he might stay on his too... Low and behold we finally got him on it. My famous words that day for awhile were. "stay" "Down Down - means lay down" "No" *laughing*

He finally stayed on it!!

He sat up like this for a good 2 hours and he was looking all over the place and probaly looking for a place to ditch us along the shore. *laughing hard* He wanted to be with me so he probably figured boy I better stay on this tube! I guess if Mama is sitting on hers and she is safe then I am ok too!

Rusty LOVES Donald Jr.!!

Funny when these 2 were floating off on there own - Rusty was making sure all his Pack was together & if we weren't he would look around trying to locate each one of us. When we finally all got back together again he relaxed.

There was one point that we did stop where it was really shallow and we let Rusty off and stretch but that is where I lost my good pair of sun glasses and I was upset and I almost lost my tube too, all because Don wanted us to stop. *laugh* Rusty got right back on it and wanted to keep going.

There were TONS of people on the river that day and they were ALL like "Oh my gosh look at that dog!!" "How cool" some would whistle, some would say good dog some would try to touch him. we all 4 said you coax him off you get him back on it - people stopped then and said nahhh sorry *laughing* They all thought what a COOL TOP DOG!!

Rusty rode on the tube ALL the way down the Namekogon River with us.

It is a 4 hour trip and what a

AMAZING TOP DOG I have!!

You sure can tell he is my Best Friend for his life and He is my Service Dog because he wants to be with me all the time. The only time he is not at my side really is when we are on the ATV. ( That is today now).

Your a baking lobster!! hehehehe

Nahhh she says I won't burn!

He finally relaxed and laid down!

Ahhhh we made it all the way down the river!

Back to camp!

What a day! Now it is time for the campfire!

You said you wouldn't burn??? Ummm just wait Donald Jr. I have proof you got burned LOL but you say you don't feel it and don't see it - but guess what? I DO!! Boy you are gonna be hurting in the morning!! Just wait! hehehehe Then I can say I told you so! hahaha