(Not) Live-blogging the Diocesan Family Campout

It was Sunday, November 26th when I first noted about the upcoming first-ever Diocesan Family Camp-out at Mt. Lassen down in California. It seemed impossibly far off then, especially with "the dark, cold and snow outside" at the time (though we had no idea how much worse it would get in the following few weeks). But now, 8 months later, it's almost upon us!

I was going to try to advertise and co-ordinate the folks coming from St. Bartholomew's, but I fell down on the job. (What was I just saying about taking on too much?) But I also have to face facts: very few of our families are campers, it is a LONG drive (~12 hours or more) just to get there, and we're generally just comfortable ensconced within our parish family.

On the other hanthat a proposed speaking engagement in Mexico City at the same time did not come through so I can attend the camp.

And we're not the only ones going, the "Miller Menagerie" are too! It appears they're also experienced campers, and also know well Anglican life outside our parish.

Preparations for this trip have been unusually difficult, though. First off: the tent. Years ago, for reasons forgotten, "our" tent (I "inherited" it) ended up in storage with family in California. It's old, dating back to the early 60s and with three rooms, each one of which would be an adequate tent for two car-campers, it's quite big. We fetched it on our last drive to California several weeks ago (I did not note it here: for my father's 80th birthday and 50th anniversary of his ordination).

We also haven't gone camping in several years, so some of our gear needed to be tested. One of the "twin" Coleman white-gas lanterns (one as old as the tent) needs a new generator -- no time to fix, so we go with one less lantern.

But we're going.

With cameras (digital), laptop and notepad in hand.

The bad news is that there will be no Internet (imagine that), and no cellphone either (my fallback Internet access); the nearest access to either appears that it will be an hour or more drive away. So it seems that I will not be able to "live-blog" the event for you all.

And maybe that's a good thing.

We head on the road tomorrow morning. The next report here, it appears, will be after the event.