A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Friendly . . .

Last weekend Parker set forth on his first overnight camp out as a Boy Scout. For weeks he had his list ready and made sure I bought all the ingredients for his dinner about 2 weeks ahead of time. About five days before they left he started counting down. Each morning he would come up for breakfast and tell me how many days left until the camp out. Can you start to understand the excitement?

Just look at this face. He is all but glowing.

As an 11-year-old scout Parker is required to have his Dad with him on the camp outs. We have been teasing Jer for years that once scouts got in full swing in our home he could no longer avoid camping! He has said for years that the Army sucked all the fun out of camping for him years ago and he has not been since. I do not exaggerate!

The weather has been very, very cold here for the Spring season. We have had many a snow flurry in the month of May, so the boys went prepared for some serious cold weather camping. Every warm thing that could fit went in that little Jeep.

Parker has a great group of kids in his group. They have fun together at their meetings and had a great time making dinner around the campfire and then the obligatory roasting of marshmellows.

For some reason Parker decided to forgo the use of a chair and spent most of the evening on his belly in the dirt. I can almost hear Jeremy's eyes rolling on this one but according to Jer he just let Parker wallow, knowing a shower would be in the near future.

After what was in fact a very cool night sleep, the group hiked a while to this cave with some indian ruins inside. There are most likely hundreds of such dwellings in this area, many of which have some buildings and walls standing. Pretty cool stuff.

View from inside the cave over the valley.

Parker looking like an explorer from days past.

Great job guys! Everyone survived the trip and came home dirty and tired. The typical Boy Scout adventure.

Later that day I chatted with Parker on the phone about the trip (I was running the Moab race at the time). After many other details, I asked how he slept. He said he was cold and Dad kept pushing him off the air mattress. "But Dad slept like a baby all night!", he said.

Even later that day, I talked to Jeremy and mentioned that Parker claimed Jer slept really well.

"Ha! I tossed all night, was cold, and kept falling off the mattress. I thought Parker slept like a baby!"

I guess every story changes with the person telling it.