Two days left of the campout and although there's something to be said about experiencing nature in its glory, taking wonderful photos of Mt. Rainier and assorted bugs on assorted flora, and sleeping out in tents listening at crickets lull us to sleep - I will be glad to be back in a warm bed, with hot running water, and four walls to keep our kids in some kind of controlled environment.
Not that we're roughing it, by any means. There is running water, ice-cold glacier water that numbs your fingers if you use it for anything more than half a minute. There is electricity, which allows me to type this post and watch movies with the kids, and charge up my iPod if I need to. There is a single burner in the shed, allowing us to have warm food. So no, it ain't really camping, but I ain't really a country kinda guy. I'm Joe Urban - I like my amenities. I'm not Joe Metro though, I can do without Lattes and low carb meals, and I can do without some things - but I know, I'm a wuss. If the world came to a point whereby technology meant nothing anymore, I would be obsolete fast.
Anyhow, we did get to do a few things that were fun. The kids enjoy the rivers and the swimming pool, and the vastness of their exploration has just done wonders for them. To be able to run around and pick up different things like rocks, golf balls, and cigarette lighters is doing them a lot of developmental good, I'm sure. Also, they just love the attention given to them by their aunts and their cousin Caleb, who was previously the youngest member of the extended family but is now like a hero to the my duo. For the first few days, and even now, Alex has been calling Caleb, "Boy" and just following him around, showing him things, trying to get his attention. It's fun to watch, and a little scary because Alex sure does enjoy the attention from older boys. Seems like Daddy's only cool at certain times. Older boys are cooler all the time.
I myself have had the chance to watch two movies at the campout. I finally watched "Fantastic Four", which was okay though I believe most of it is attributed to Jessica Alba, who may or may not have been good at it - I was just too preoccupied looking at her and imagining that whenever she was invisible, she was really supposed to be naked. And I got to watch "2046", which is a Wong Kar Wai movie - a sort of lyrical, artsy movie with which seems to exists outside the convention of current movies. It pretty much does its own thing without giving a damn about what the rest of the world thinks about it. And I thought it was good. Different, slower, and very cruel - but good. Sad as hell, but it sure elevates all the actors in it into something else. Very well done.
There's a ton of work waiting for me at home, and I forsee a lot of disgruntled mail coming my way, being how I'm behind of quite a bit of work. But I suppose it's what I brought unto myself. I'm sure after a day of rest of two, I'll be back in the stride of things. Editing like it was my only means of survival.
The kids are now sleeping in the tent in the afternoon, with some lullabies coming from my iPod outside the tent, tricking them into slumber. The others have gone to Secret Falls, which is the unofficial moniker of a place that my father-in-law "found" by himself. My wife and her two sisters are going to put a dedication stone there to honor him, complete with a little saying and initials of the families.
Yesterday we went on a trek and saw where his ashes were spread, and it was a bit of an emotional trek for everyone. Alex liked it because of all the huckleberries he got to eat, and Zoe liked it because she got the opportunity to show Kitty what horse poop looked like. I got to take tons of pictures, and I'm only happy with maybe a handful of them.
I think photos are interesting because if anything, looking beyond the skill level and beyond the inherent beauty of the subject, it is a unique opportunity to see the world through an individual's eyes. I mean, yeah, my photos mean I've been somewhere, and I took those photos. But more than that, they show what I think is wonderful, what I think is interesting, and whom I love. Which is what I hope that my photos will say over time, that I took so many damn photos of my kids is because that's what I loved about them. The way they played, the way they smiled, the way I looked at them.
Sorry about the rambling post, but I'm pretty bored. And man, I do miss writing, even though my writing isn't very good. I think the key for me is rewrites. I was looking at an old script I had downloaded on my Palm, and I just thought the dialogue needed a ton of punching up. It was just terrible to listen to.
Anyway, I'm done. My sunburnt face is starting to affect my concentration.
