Winter Campout & Allergies

Last weekend, we went on the Adventure Guides winter campout. I took Truman with me, just for fun! Tommie & the other boys were in a cabin with their group. We arrived at camp to find gorgeous scenery and absolutely perfect weather. We couldn't have ordered up better weather for a winter campout. Last year, it was so miserably cold and snowy/icy that most people went home early.

For campouts, I have the responsibility to arrive first (or as close to it as I can get), while Tommie has to finish his work day, pick up the boys from school and then travel. Camp was 2 1/2 hours from home. I arrived around 4:30 p.m. and Tommie arrived around 8:00 p.m. on Friday. I received a phone call from Tommie at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday morning. He said that he was going home. After being at camp for a mere 12 hours, he packed it up and traveled 2 1/2 hours back home. Why? A nasty little thing called Mountain Cedar. Apparently, the cedar is in full pollen stages at this time of year and this camp was chock full of them. Many people over the years have had to leave the campout due to a strong allergic reaction. Tommie's throat started to close and his eyes swelled up and he was miserable! At the camp, you could see the pollen swirling around after a particularly strong wind and if you hit a branch with something like a nerf football (not that that happened or anything!), you could see the pollen cloud "poof" off of the tree. Not fun.

I felt particularly bad for the older boys, because this was supposed to be THEIR campout with dad and they had to go home, while Truman - the tag-a-long - got to enjoy a full weekend of fun with mom. Because I was working, it would have been impossible for me to fulfill my responsibility and wrangle three boys. I offered to keep one, but how can you choose which one gets to stay and which one goes? So, this was supposed to be our one (and only) Adventure Guides campout as a complete family and it ended up being a mother/son weekend with Truman and I. We had a lot of fun, but the rest of the family was sorely missed.

Truman's favorite parts of the weekend were horseback riding and hiking up the mountain!