RA Overnight Trip to Bent Tree

November 21-22, 1997

We had planned a camping trip for the boys to Bent Tree, but it was pouring rain. So we took ten boys up in that pouring rain and camped out in the basement of the house.

Since we were planning to have hotdogs around the campfire, we stuck with the hotdogs for supper at the house. Brenda had come along to help with breakfast, so she pitched in for supper also. Ben Brady, Johnny Huffman, and Mark Weaver fix hotdogs for the boys.

Ben helps Benjamin Brady with his hotdog and fixings. The hotdogs were nicer at the house since Brenda made chili to go on them.

We gathered up enough tables to seat the boys for supper. Michael and Brian Weaver, Adam Massey's back, don't have name other boy.

Well, maybe not enough ordinary tables, but the boys found flat places to put their hotdogs.

After supper, most of us went to the basement for games. ?, Michael and Johnny in a game of Chinese checkers.

A big game of UNO developed. Mark Weaver, Johnny Huffman, Michael Weaver, Stacy Gibson, Ben Brady and ?.

All three Weavers got into the UNO game, Michael, Brian and father Mark.

We finally got them to bed for the night on the first and second floors. Brenda and Johnny helped get breakfast ready the next morning.

Sitting the boys down with a plate and taking breakfast to them seemed like the most efficient plan.

Ben Brady and Johnny Huffman deliver breakfast to the boys. The pouring rain of the night before had stopped, but we were in deep fog. It was an interesting setting to be up in the cloud with no other houses visible, just the fog-shrouded trees.

Brian Weaver and Luke Balint dig into breakfast.

Finally the adults got to eat breakfast. Mark Weaver, Ben Brady, Michael Weaver, Johnny Huffman, Stacy Gibson. We certainly didn't go hungry.

After breakfast, we decided to hike up Chestnut Cove and stopped to take a picture at our traditional spot at the top of Buckskull Court. The adult leaders are Johnny Huffman, Ben Brady and Stacy Gibson. Behind the sign is Laudenslager. The boy across the front are ?, Allen Balint, ?, ?, Adam Massey, Benjamin Brady back with Luke Balint in front of him, Brian Weaver, Michael Weaver.

We headed out uphill on Chestnut Cove Trail, our usual route to the climb of Big Stump Mountain. When we reached the top of the road, we found the deep leaves of the forest soaking wet from last nights rains.

Rather than get all be boys' clothing soaked, we decided to head back down and go to the lake. Brian and Michael walk down the middle of Chestnut Cove Trail.

When we approached the driveway to the house, some of the boys decided to climb the high dirt bank and go across the woods to the house. ran17

Down at the lake, the fog was gone and we had a time of playing around there and had lunch before loading up to head back to Mableton. We didn't have the best of weather, but the boys seemed to enjoy camping at the house and playing games, so we praised the Lord for the opportunity to provide an outing for the boys.