Bow Hunt - Milo's Kitchen

This year the big camp was at Milo's Kitchen and while it felt different to be somewhere else after so many years....it was still a wonderful time.  We have our favorite areas to be sure but I think the whole mountain is such an awesome place.  I ride around with my little kids all over the mountain and have memories popping up all the time from my childhood and sometimes I feel like there's almost something physical in my chest that feels like a "heart squeeze".  I sound so old. :)  My cousin Katie and I used to take long rides all over the place and she is who really got me started learning which roads go where.  I'll often go to an area or down a road and remember the first time I remember being there with Katie or Mandy or Mom or Dad or whoever. I'm crazy nostalgic about this place. :)

 Dirty Face Grady is hanging on to his consciousness by a sliver.  He has just had the pleasure of hearing one of Grandpa's impromptu adventure songs and moments later he was fast asleep.  These songs are un-rhymed, unrehearsed, off the cuff, and so entertaining....the best!  He sings about a day full of mountain adventures for Grandpa and Grady (or other grandkid).

 Getting a back tickle after our "Mountain Church".

 Making a mess in Grandma's trailer.

 Trying to figure out how to steal one of the little "fuh-wheels".

 As usual Grady takes a bite out of all of Grandma's apples.  He had fun running around with Rachel's adorable little Nathan.  

 Grady and Nathan ready for a ride.

 Grandpa and Uncle Kirt savoring Aunt Marilyn's famous scones (so heavenly).....and Grady who had probably 20 suckers in this one week.

 Grady asleep on my Honda....he got tired of waiting for me to finish visiting. :)

Grady showed up one day with a big bloody scrape by his eye and we all said, "Grady! What happened!!??" and he very casually said, "I just fell on a rock."  He was not phased in the least.    Another day he was running around with Nathan and I heard him screaming in the trees and ran after him.  When I got to him he was inconsolable but didn't appear to be hurt.  I got him to calm down and he said, "I saw a big scary deer and IT LOOKED AT ME!!!!!"  More crying.  He's seen many deer before but seeing one in the trees on foot without mom and dad was way too scary.  Some of the family said they had seen a doe hanging around close by camp. The doe's aren't really as scared to be near camps and I have seen several walk almost right through our camp too.  A month later he still sometimes talks about it and says things like "I don't want a big scary deer to look at me, Mom."  He probably gave that poor deer the scare of her life too.