A Quick Trip to Camp Steiner

Yesterday we left for a short trip to the Unita Mountains and to Camp Steiner.  It's been very hot here in Cache Valley this past week or so, especially for us who are more used to the high altitudes of the Bear Lake Valley where we lived for so many years.  Camp Steiner is located at an elevation of 10,400 feet so the temperature was about thirty degrees cooler up there.  Stephen is serving as the Camp Director of the camp there this year and we had never been over that way.  We, of course, wanted to see Stephen and what he is doing over at the camp, but also Mason, Halle, and Gabrielle have been with him these past couple of weeks.  We wondered just how they were faring, knowing that Stephen has lots of camp duties and doesn't have time to supervise them very much.  Let me tell you, these kids don't need much supervision.  They  have active imaginations and are always trying to do the right thing.  Mason has kind of migrated onto the archery range, where he is a great help to the supervisor there.  He just turned thirteen and got a new compound bow for his birthday.  Stephen says he is a good shot with a bow and arrow and also with a rifle at the rifle range.  He didn't demonstrate his skills for us this time, but maybe we'll get a chance to see him in action some other time.  Stephen says he never has to be told what to do.  He just goes about doing good.  A good example for all of us.

The girls, you might think, would be out of their element at a boy scout camp.  Not so.  They are having a wonderful time.  They have planted a little garden and some flowers in pots, which they care for.  It gets close to freezing every night, but so far the have dodged the cold bullet.  I don't think they spend any time worrying about it, but it gives them an interest and something to do, as if they have a hard time finding things to do.  They have very keen imaginations and also there is another family there at the camp with some girls about their ages.  They have become close friends.    Halle has kind of taken the lead, and together with the other girls they have created  a play.  They insisted that we watch their much practised drama.  They had their parts memorized  together with all the actions and even costume and scenery changes.  They improvised and made a stage and seating for the spectators.  The name of their play was "Princess Catherine and the Pea.  Gabi was the princess and the "pea" was a nice round rock which they had painted green.  The story gave evidence of their imagination and willingness to take different parts and practice, and practice some more.  They wanted me to see it in the worst way, so I became the audience.  They did very well and I made a video of it.  When I replayed it for them they couldn't hear themselves very well sometimes so they wanted to do it again.

This time Grandma Iris joined me for the play in the woods.  They again did well and this time spoke up much better. I recorded it and it took about ten or twelve minutes.  I would publish it here, but it's too long.  I'm going to make a DVD of it. Some of you will no doubt get to see it someday.  They were so cute and did such a great job all on their own.

They live in a very rustic cabin with no electricity.  They don't get telephone reception or TV.  They do have running water in the cabin, but they have an out house for the other bathroom necessities.  They adapt and never did we hear a word of complaint.  I think these kids would have made great pioneer children like we used to learn about in Primary.

"Four cabin walls would be just right for me."  Well maybe not forever.!!

Gabi showing her strength after dinner with one of her camp friends.

Even Grandma Iris was a good sport and enjoyed our time there.  My honey didn't complain about the
"Honey Bucket", perhaps she felt honored by the name. ha, ha.

Stephen is doing a great job as the camp director and is highly respected by the staff and the campers and their leaders as well.  And even though he teases his kids some, they adore him and they are having experiences together that will never be forgotten.  Oh, if all kids could be so lucky.  Of course they miss Candice and little Sophie, but they are coming tomorrow for the weekend.  It's really not all that far away from their home, just a couple of hours.

Though Stephen is busy and has a lot of responsibility watching out for three hundred campers and their leaders he still finds enough time to go fishing a bit in the evening  once in a while (he even caught one while we were there) and be kind enough to take in his parents who are not nearly as young as we used to be, when they come for a visit.

And to top it all off the scenery was spectacular.  We are so blessed to live where we do, where the beauties of nature are so abundant.

Iris looking on as Stephen relaxes a bit with his fishing rod at Scout Lake.

Just two of the many reasons I'm glad to be alive.  This trip was just a quickie, but I enjoyed it about as much as quickies in the good old days our yore. My age is taking its toll maybe.