CAMP SLEEPY EYE

Soo...  My plans to get some stuff done on Memorial Day kinda fell through. (go figure)  I'm not saying I was being lazy, I mean Nick and I did get the lawn mowed and the tree in the front yard trimmed.  The reason for not completing more was because  Robyn and I were invited to the home of our small group leader for a holiday cook out.  Mark made home-made ice cream for the occasion

The ice cream man

On Tuesday it was back to the coal mine.  

I have been posting about a small wine bar we are making and told you about the wine holder post that would be on the bar.  Well, I found an old one at the shop and set up a little sample to show you what I have been talking about.  (where I got the wine at work shall remain my little secret)

now everybody will want one

Wednesday I laid out the p-gravel for the waterfall cap job.  We are still waiting for some material to be delivered to completew this project.  I took a very artistic photo of the gravel to share with you.  You can see the incredible variety of colors we get in Iowa p-gravel and it looks even prettier when polished.  This isn't the case in many places.

leave no stone unturned

Thursday we had to pour a overlay floor on the wine bar job.  Once it sets up we will stain it with multiple colors.  In this pic the guys are troweling out the product.

smooth

Friday we had to go back and repour that floor.  

About 15 minutes after we left, the client's sister walked in the patio slider and right through our wet floor.  And you thought those things only happened in the cartoons.  It isn't a huge deal but it pushes back the staining until next week.

After work, I ran home and packed a bag.  Canyon and I had been asked to go on a father/son camping trip with my nephew's church group.  They were already at the camp ground waiting for me.

Nephew Deano, Canyon, brother Steve and me

We got the tent set up, (Yes, I was going to sleep in a tent) and then had some hot dogs.  There was a group of about 10 fathers with more sons than you can fit in a tree.  I will explain that later.  As night rolled around we sat around the fire and talked.  The church group leader read from the book of 1st Samuel.  

It talks about how Samuel is first spoken to by God when he was just a boy.  He already lived with Eli the priest, in the Tabernacle (the place of the Ark of the Covenant).  He assisted Eli in the ministry at an early age.  When He was called by God he obeyed.  He went on to be a prophet.  

The group leader asked all the boys at the camp fire to also keep their ears open for the voice of God and follow faithfully when He called.

After a couple of hours of fire side chat I had to go home.  The camp site was only an hour from my house.  Robyn had asked if I would help her set up for a garage sale in the morning.  I put the sale signs up at 1am.  Then went to bed.

6:30am we started getting things set up then I went to get coffee and some ice for her cooler.  People began showing up by 7am

here come the bargin hunters

I took a shower and headed back up to the campsite.  Just as I was hitting the edge of Waukee I got a call from Nick.  He is house sitting for a good friend of his who is on vacation.  Nick asked if I could stop by because the disposal wasn't working.  It happened to be on my way so I swung by.  After a few minutes I was able to get it working but I noticed a leak.  Nick was concerned that he had broken it.  I assured him that it was just an older unit and he wasn't at fault, told him not to use that side of the sink and went on my way.

cool view from the mile long bridge

I found the group playing baseball.  It was an offensive juggernaut, for both teams.  Or a mighty big defensive struggle, for both teams.  The final score was 25 - 23.

Steve gets ready to drive in a run

Back at the camp site they had all the kids climb up in a single tree for a really cool photo.  There were so many kids, several had to just stand by the trunk of the tree.  It reminded me of the tree party in the Dr. Seuss classic 'Go Dog, Go'.

a bike gang

In the afternoon we went down to the lake to do some fishing.  I never got a bite but I heard some fish stories about the one that got away.  Then I witnessed a miracle, and I got it on film.....

a common sight when fishing with a church group

Canyon had the catch of the day.  It was so big it snapped his rod in half.

"I think it was Nessie."

The sun was starting to beat down so we started back to camp.  We had barely sat down when a bunch of the fellas decided to play some voley ball.  I honestly don't know where they get all the energy.

I'm exhausted from taking all these pics

Afterwards we settled down for some dinner, devotional time and some card games, (finally a sport I can play).  Canyon, Steve, Deano and I continued our card games in the tent until 2am.  I woke canyon up at 6am to go home and shower.  We had to be to church by 9.  

The truck has a full tank.   Canyon not so much.

We decided to go to Deano's church to see what it was like.  I think I will stick with my church, the 2 and a half hour service was just too much for me.  But we had a blast fellowshipping with the guys.

After church, I ran home to help Robyn paint the office.

This is the last room to paint upstairs

With my lack of sleep, my already limited painting skills were causing more harm than good.

I was afraid Robyn would paint right over me because I was moving so slow.  I think I did do a good job of holding the floor down though.

armed and dangerous

We finished up the painting, ordered a pizza and uncorked a bottle of wine.  A perfect ending to a very long, holiday shortened week.

Now I gotta get some shut eye.

Peace

Dan