Willowbrook Camping Weekend

I believe the date had been in the book ever since last year at this time. Willowbrook has been coming up to the camp at least twice a year for the last couple of years anyway maybe more. We made preparations as the bathrooms were cleaned, stocked and ready to go. Sam Kelly was the contact person listed for this outing. I had never met Sam until my involvement with Camp Macoba. He really has a heart for the camp and is an avid outdoors man. Word is out that he is a pretty good cook as well.

Folks started arriving Friday afternoon. I made my way up there and met several of the guys. We talked about the camp and I mentioned that the new website for the camp had been launched:

http://www.campmacoba.org/

I saw one go by on the four wheeler and another brought his motorcycle. They went about collecting fire wood for the event. This particular one was connected to Royal Ambassador's (RAs) and was labeled as a "Lad and Dad" outing.

There was a good bunch of guys and I met so many that I can't remember their names....I should have written them down. I know that Chris Wilson came up after I had left. Darren Ferree and Michael McNabb were there and involved as well. Speaking of Chris, he is another guy I met through Camp Macoba. He's a gentleman and really has a heart for the camp. As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago he was voted by the MBA Executive Board to chair the Camp Macoba Committee.

I went back up there later and Sam had brought a log splitter which was making quick work of an otherwise difficult task. There were some logs being placed on the splitter that I just knew would jam it up, but didn't. Many of the guys were helping out stacking wood including some of the boys, one which rolled up a log that was as big as he was!

Saturday morning before work I got up early....4:30 and was going to make a giant pot of coffee for everyone. Sure that I would be the first one up, I ambled over to the camp and looked for the coffee pot but the coffee was already going and Sam was up by the fireplace. We talked for a bit and I made my way back to the RV before everyone began stirring about.

The next morning when I returned, everyone was gone and they did an excellent job at cleaning up the place. The official count came in at 44 for this outing and there probably would have been more had the temperatures not dipped down into the 30's early Saturday morning!

Friday, March 19, 2010

The camp had it's first campers of the 2010 season last night! I arrived out at the camp this morning and saw that everyone was up at the upper pond doing some fishing. Eddie Kimbrough had called the day before about coming up to spend the night with his three boys and a friend of theirs. My wife, Denise, had checked with them before bedtime and everything was well.

Overnight there was a little incident with a skunk and their dog, Biscuit, which stirred things up a bit. It seems that they were doing some sleeping out under the stars (without a tent) around the campfire, when the polecat wandered in. Biscuit commenced to chasing him and the skunk found a place to hide among some chairs and and old lectern underneath the pavilion. After all the excitement settled down there was a distinct smell in the air and especially on the dog. In spite of it all, the group managed to get a few hours of sleep before the sun came up--but not much!

I had never met Eddie before today but have spoken with him a few times on the phone. His family has reserved the place for a family reunion later on in the spring. Now I know Eddie's dad, Wayne, pretty well as we were part of a group that used to meet regularly on Mondays mornings for about a year or so. On the phone Eddie & Wayne sound close to the same. Well when I walked up to the pond there was Wayne with a pole in his hand.

We all made introductions and settled down to talk a bit. Wayne had some business to tend to connected with the church, and had to leave about 10:00 a.m. I sat down there with Eddie and talked for a couple of hours at least. The boys were in and out and catching a fish now and then as well. I managed to get in a picture or two. I don't know if there was anything Eddie and I talked about that we didn't agree on . . . especially church-related things. He caught several bass--one that I would guess went about a pound--while I was sitting there. Oh, and a few bluegill as well.

Then kids came running up with news that Biscuit had managed to run the skunk out of his hiding place at the pavilion, and had caught and killed it. A few minutes later the dog came running up, dove into the pond, and then rolled around for several hours in the dirt. Glad he wasn't coming home with me!

I went up to the RV to get a bite to eat and change clothes while they went back to the pavilion to eat as well. I started back on the project I had worked on earlier in the week, clearing out the overhanging tree limbs from the lower road. I am thinking about calling that road the "back door." After hauling two good loads to the brush pile, I stopped back and went out to check on the crew. Eddie and I sat under a tree and talked a little more there with his youngest son. While we were all sitting there the boy caught one, which I promptly took a picture of for posterity.

We saw the buzzards circling overhead . . . not sure if it was for the skunk or not . . . but they were getting mighty low. The Kimbroughs loaded up, skunked dog and all, and we all said our goodbyes around 3:00 or so. I hauled off one more load and then called it a day. I went inside, made me a late afternoon cup of coffee, and waited on the deer to come up by the RV which has become a near-daily ritual.

It was a beautiful day, some things were accomplished and I made a new friend!

Sprucing it up!

Today was a great day to be outside and outside I was. You never know what to expect in March but today was tee-shirt weather with the temps in the high 60’s. There is no shortage of things to do up here at Camp Macoba and today I started trimming back the trees from the roads. The low road appeared to need it the most so that is where I began. The road into the camp splits at the hill. The high road of course goes up the paved hill and then splits again while the low road goes around and slightly above the lower field. It then goes up and to the right by the Pavilion. Both roads run into each other eventually.

I filled the trailer up three different times and if you look at the pile one might think a little work took place today, which it did, but that really did not even scratch the surface of what lies ahead.

This is the start of what just might be a mighty big bonfire!