The Great Outdoors

Living in the Northeast is like living in the great outdoors.  There are many opportunities to hike, fish, water ski, snow ski, swim and many other outdoorsy sports.  I like to be outside, enjoying nature like everyone.  I grew up snow and water skiing with my family.  What drew my husband and I to the Northeast was the ability to still participate in these sporting events.  Living in the Midwest there is not as much opportunity and what is consider a mountain for snow skiing can only really be a very tiny hill but snow ski on this tiny hill they do. 

 Amy and her Sunshine recently went on an all day hike where they hiked to a lake with small cabins.  Amy was telling me about the hike and the cute cabins.  "It is a first come, first serve type of cabin", she said.  I was a little perplexed by this so I began to ask a few question.  "Do the cabins have someone who cleans them?"  "Clean them, oh no!"Amy stated.  I began to think: cabins in the woods, people can stay at the cabins for free and they are not cleaned.   Hm mm I asked more questions "Is there running water?"  Then it came "Mother, these are not luxury condos.  There is no running water or cleaning lady way out in the woods.  There is an outhouse for bathroom facilities and a lake for bathing but wouldn't it be great for all of us to go on the hike and stay in the cabins?"

Hm mm, no it wouldn't be great for me I told her.  We took you camping when you were little.  We slept in an uncomfortable tent, used crummy bathrooms but had lots of fun camping with our children.  I would love to go on the hike for the day but I do not want to stay in the cabins that are never cleaned, have an outhouse and no running water.  I like a few amenities and I have no desire to do without those amenities anymore.  I guess that is what age does to a person---makes you want to have running water.  Now it's not that I am fussy but I am not even sure my 8 year old granddaughter would want to stay in the cabins. 

Amy and her Sunshine are planning on taking her nieces, one is eight and one is eleven, on the hike and staying in the cabin.  I am sure the girls will love the hike but I can almost hear the nightly conversation.  "The mosquitoes are bothering me.  I can't use the bathroom because it stinks.  We can't watch T.V."  Maybe I'll be wrong and the girls will love the hike and the overnight stay in the cabins without running water and a cleaning lady.  As for myself, I will be at home enjoying the lake from my backyard and going into my house with running water and a cleaning lady--myself.  That is my idea of a great summer evening in the great outdoors.

Hot time in the Old Barn Tonight

In previous posts I have discussed the quaint weekend activities that take place here on the islands, Christmas tree bonfires, golf tournaments on ice skates, and barn dances.   When I first read about the barn dances in the newspaper it conjured up images of western wear including plaid shirts, wrangler jeans, and of course cowboy boots.  All worn by amiable folks boot scooting the night away in a bright red barn hung with twinkling lights and hay bales for seating.

My mother was so enamored at the thought of a charming night line dancing in a down home environment she pestered my Sunshine and I endlessly about attending one of the barn dances.  "Come on Aim, just go it will be fun and then you can blog about."  I heard time after time, that is until on a recent visit we drove her past the barn where the dances are held and then her reaction turned to "ewww".

That's right this is not some quaint plaid shirt wearing barn dance straight out of the set of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers this is a rough and tumble camouflage wearing ride up on your ATV shoo the animals out of the barn so we can get to drinkin kind of dance.  This is a crush beer cans on your head grab the little woman who is covered in tattoos and sporting a mullet  (I am not lying about this there are tons of mullets here.  "I see mullets they don't know their mullets") kind of dance.

As we cruised through the country side my mom pointed out cute barn after cute barn that would have been an ideal setting for a barn dance complete with checked table clothes and homemade pies, but that is not the reality of barn dancin round here.  So if you want a night of some rough and tumble entertainment grab your siscors shear yourself a mullet and ride off on your ATV to the biggest baddest barn dancin jamboree you've seen this side of the Mason Dixon.