This fall's camping excursion was to Sarah and Ed's vineyard. We camped there years ago when we were a much smaller family and the vineyard wasn't yet a vineyard. Sarah and Ed had just bought the property and we spent a very rainy camping night there with a two-year old Olivia and a baby Oscar. I remember Gabe trekking back to our car in the rain to get the Pac-n-Play because Oscar was too excited to go to sleep in the sleeping bag with us. Somehow we still had a great time. I think it was the company.
Nine years later, things were a lot easier. Mother Nature cooperated by giving us a picture perfect autumn weekend with warm days and crisp, cool nights. During the day, the children ran around the farm, looked for eggs, fed the pigs, got to know the cows, measured anything and everything, rode in the truck, and just ran around for the sake of running around. One of our friends, Gregg, brought a rocket and helped the kids assemble it and blast it sky high.
During the evenings, we sat around the camp fire, drank wine (some of us, anyway), made s'mores, and took turns building a story together about Hector, who traveled from Antartica to Mars, married a parrot, and lived at least two lives.
It was very generous of Sarah and Ed to suggest camping and to host all of us, but they may be sorry. It was such a great experience that we are likely to want to make it a regular thing.
Margy, how fun. Love all the photos, it's amazing how much all the kids have grown up. Alphonse and I need to plan a trip to BA this Fall, it's such a serene place and we love the wine of course. Alexis
Posted by: Alexis | October 12, 2011 at 01:37 PM
We absolutely LOVE Black Ankle (we are there a lot) and I can see how it would be a fun place to camp!
Posted by: Jamie | October 12, 2011 at 08:00 PM
I want you and Gabe as my parents next time around!
Posted by: eva | October 13, 2011 at 09:58 AM
Can you and Gabe adopt me?
Posted by: Katherine Schroder | October 13, 2011 at 07:42 PM
What a perfect camping trip!
Posted by: Andrea | October 13, 2011 at 07:54 PM