This was an interesting weekend to say the least. Just when I'm starting to get out of the funk I've gotten myself in, disaster strikes again!

To preface this, I have to say my dad has been doing well-some bad days and some good. He's had an enormous amount of stress trying to deal with my mother's death and take care (business wise) of all the things she did. I don't think he really realized all she did until he had to try and do it himself. I don't think any of us knew just how organized and on the ball she was when helping him run his businesses. He finally felt a little bit ready for hunting camp on Friday when he finished re-building the cook tent floor (a bulding with 4 walls, a floor, door and canvas roof). Camp was mostly put together when he left on Friday night and then....(ominous music) it burned to the ground!!!

Can you believe it?!? Of all the rotten luck! Hunters are scheduled to come in 10 days! The cook tent, all the appliances, dishes, benches, everything in it and the cook trailer that the cook lives in during hunting season burned to the ground. Dad guesses that one of the pilot lights was blown out from some fierce wind they had and another pilot light from one of the refrigerators or something caught the excess gas and up it went. Some friends of the family were camping nearby and went to see what was going on and found a tower of flames. We're just sick for my dad. One more thing to add to the stress of his life.

BUT, the good news:
-The forest didn't burn down-there was no wind whatsoever-even the nearby cabin was scorched but not ruined
-My dad is okay-he wasn't in it when it happened
-It didn't happen DURING the hunting season...that could have been even more dangerous for the hunters
-He has many friends who have offered to come and help him rebuild

So, on he goes, re-builds and makes it work. He is an awesome guy, the first to point out the positives and immediately put together a plan to fix things.


On a lighter note, we had a great time at the ward camp-out! There was a terrific turn out, about 160 people. The traffic on the way to the camp was terrible (an 80 mile trip took some people 6 hours), but we all made it and had a great time.

We played water games, had a siamese kick-ball game (very cool, someone had sewn together a bunch of t-shirts and two people had to be joined together to play), rode the zip line, had a talent show, and ate some great food. It was wonderful!

On our way home we stopped to hike the Natural Bridge just outside Payson. It was raining, but we did it anyway and had a blast. Thanks to Leslie for remembering to bring extra umbreallas for us!

Soooo, it was an interesting weekend...and it's not over yet!