Friday, July 6, 2012

Mrs. Confuffle, we camped again.



Dearest Mrs. Confuffle,

We have just returned from our  voyage into the mountains and as promised, I have written my yearly letter to you regarding our trip. Do you remember last years accommodations? Well, we have stepped up this year with our lively new pop-up! My dear, there is space for 8, electricity, a little stove and ice box! We brought our espresso machine! Heated mattress pads! What joy. We smiled sympathetically at the unfortunates in their tents, I am sure they appreciated our empathy.
Our children are four and six now and we felt them ready to observe new freedoms around the campsite. Of course this lead directly to them abusing these freedoms, as when our daughter enticed our son to pick a fight with a boy at the playground: A boy older and bigger than our son, and also skilled in karate, as became apparent when he soundly trounced our son and roundhoused his bottom.
To his credit, our dear boy did not come yowling to his parents, but instead, withdrew, had a think, then seemed to ally himself with his former adversary. It is good to know when you are bested, and better to know how to put yourself in the good graces of those who can whollop you. This childhood milestone I observed from a distance, and I am greatly entertained by the social dynamics of unattended children, although I do believe our daughter could one day grow up to be a dictator of sorts.
We are at a stage with our younglings where they are learning about the world: History, culture, geography, race,language, physicality. Everything is an  amazing discovery, and their questions are fast and many and usually delivered at top volume. As when we were canoeing down the Saco river. Along side of us floated a lovely couple, one of whom was very dark skinned. Our boy promptly proclaimed: "That man is BLACK! Like  REALLY BLACK! LOOK! I have never seen such a black, black man!" He was so excited. I smiled what I am sure was a perfectly natural smile.  I waved at the couple and told my son, "Isn't it great that there are so many people who are so many different colors in this world?" My son responded,"Yes, but that man looks like CHOCOLATE! What does he taste like?"  I might add that this couple was within earshot. I answered, "Some people are the colour of chocolate, some are the colour of cinnamon, some the colour of  hotdog buns. People come in all colours. You know that." He  absorbed that information, and we drifted away. Soon enough, their canoe passed ours again and again the boy piped up," HEY! There is that dark, black, chocolate man again!"
I asked my son, "Do you like it when someone points at you and says HEY! LOOK! That kid is little!"
"No!" exclaimed my son. I continued, "People don't like it when other people point at them and say things. It is extremely impolite." I continued," It is ok to notice things. We all notice things, and you may quietly tell me things you notice, but do not speak so loud that the person hears you."  He seemed to consider this."What if I like something, can I say something then?" I smile."That is a compliment and people like to hear those. If you like something about someone, go ahead and say it."
The next time we float by the couple, My dear boy chirps, "It's the dark, black, chocolate man!" And waves. He turns to me. "I like that." He says.
And so, Mrs. Confuffle, our educations continues.

 This year proved to hold a new adventure for our Aber. He must be growing suspicious of the mountains, I fear. Last year abandonment, this year he fell off a small waterfall. Apparently he was following my husband and son across rocks where there were some sizable watershoots, lost his footing and was sucked over. From where I was though, it rather more looked like my husband threw him over, them jumped after him. The gasps from the passers-by certainly seemed to indicate the latter. My husband claimed that when the dog started to go over, he had to release the leash and hoped Aber would pop up on the other side. When he didn't, my husband valiantly threw himself after him. And promptly landed on top of the poor beast, who was not stuck under a roiling pool, but in fact clinging to the edge of the rock face, being pummeled by the  falling water. Seeing my dog and husband leap over that falls was terrifically exciting to my son, who let out a whoop of excitement and seemed perched to join them, and I made a dash across the rocks to stop him. That is when I heard a shriek and saw my daughter, who had been defiantly testing her abilities (-and my patience, I might add) that day, fell in herself. Just into a pool, but still. All this danger and excitement led me to unleash a most vehement sounding, "Jesus Christ!!" And all the observers gasped again.

Nearing the end of our trip, after hiking to the tallest waterfalls in the state, climbing down gorges, swimming and paddling down the river,and visiting historic sites on top of Mount Washington, My husband developed bronchitis and pneumonia, which defaulted me into packing us up solo and hauling us home. A rather exciting first, as I had not had the chance to tow the pop-up. Yet I made it home without having to back it up. As the sick convalesced the next day after doctor visits, I decided it was time to practice backing up the trailer, which I can now do rather well although during my trails, I did back it up through my garden. Once or twice.We had too much lettuce anyway.

I do hope you consider coming with us next year, Mrs. Confuffle. You would find camping with the Lincolns to be filled with limitless potential for adventure!
Regards,
Mrs. K. Munday Lincoln

Atathrusa Falls

Trying to give an idea of how steep the gorge trail was-Very steep.

Cathedral Ledge



Mt. Washington cog railway



Mt. Washington-windiest place on earth!

Lake of the clouds as seen from the top of Mt. Washington

swimmers





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