It is time to wrap up the 2013 camping season with some statistics. There is perchance one more trip on the slate, weather permitting, to Alum Creek State Park, December 7-8 for the NOVA Christmas Party in Dublin, OH. For now, I’ll just post the totals so far:
8, 357 miles of towing the trailer (doesn’t include travel miles without the trailer.) 19 trips out of the driveway and back home again. 78 overnights in the Silvermine. These statistics are not nearly as impressive as last year, our first year with the Silvermine. But, I am not sure that we could have packed any more trips onto the calendar during this camping season! Indeed, there were times were I felt hardly able to catch my breath before unpacking, regrouping, and heading out on the road again! This is Tom’s last year of teaching, and when the school year is over in May of 2014, the weekday camping season will be excitingly extended. We’re planning on exploring the fall weather in places we have never been able to visit during the school year. We have never thought of ourselves as “snowbirds”, but a short trip south to enjoy some warmer weather in January or February might be enjoyable. Meanwhile, we have a whole 2014 summer to fill up with camping trips that have become tradition over the years. Here’s to a short winter and an early spring!
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The seasons have definitely changed – from camping season . . . to sled-hockey season! This past weekend I accompanied son Caleb and teammate Kevin to Brampton, Ontario for the Cruiser Cup Sledge Hockey Tournament. They joined the Mid-America all-star team for three days of games. This year the team moved up a notch on the skill index and were anxious to see how they performed at a higher competitive level. If they could rev it up a notch, they might make it to the semi-finals and the championship game on Sunday afternoon! The first game didn’t begin until 7:00 pm on Friday, gifting us a leisurely start to the day and a non-hurried 7-hour trip over the border with our first stop at the hotel.
The first game was a shake-down for the team that does not play together on a regular basis. They quickly settled into the rhythm of good play and ended up with the win. Playing center, Caleb starts the play with the face-off. The team had enough players for 3 strings that rotated in and out every couple minutes -- meaning lots of reprieve from the exhaustive work of pushing a sled up and down the ice. The first game Saturday was a tie, and the second game was a win. There is a confusing method of accumulating points beyond just the winning scores -- points are determined for each team for their finish at the end of each period of play in each game. I don't follow it all and just know that the end result was that the Mid-Am team would be playing in the semi-finals on Sunday morning! Caleb did his part for the cause by providing an assist on a game deciding goal, and exhausted we made our way back to the hotel for pizza delivery to the room. I am not too savvy about the game of hockey, and I spend most of my time looking through the lens of the camera -- usually 2 seconds behind the puck and the action. During the last game I realized I needed to conserve my camera battery in the event I needed to document the medal ceremonies! Good call -- Mid Am won the game and delighted in the ritual of a gold medal presentation to each player and a trophy for the team! I went out on the ice to snap pictures of each player receiving his or her medal, and to memorialize the team with a group picture. Here are a few pictures with Caleb enjoying the rewards of the weekend! On his way back to the locker room Caleb and I spied the trophy sitting unattended on a bench! We snatched it up and Caleb was proud to get the chance to pose with the cup! Thirty minutes later, at 7:00 PM, we were in the van and making the 7 hour trip back to Van Wert. Great weekend! |
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |