Boys' Campout

On Friday night we had a group of guys descend upon the yard for a campout.  Something we really should do more often since we have so much space and rarely get full use out of the land.  This was a guy only event because it is ever so important to give boys a chance to just be with other boys.  Let's face it, most Moms are a bunch of wimps who  don't like the more active stuff boys enjoy and usually do their best to ruin the fun.  Boys need time to get away from that influence and just be.

All the tents gave the yard a decidedly different look. This picture only shows one of the areas with the tents.

From what I saw, the favorite activity for many of the boys seemed to be chopping up fire wood.  Every time I walked out to bring more food or fetch a child, a new boy was wielding the hatchet.  They had set up plenty of wood around themselves as a barrier to keep other kids out of the way although I do kind of wish they would refer to it as a safety circle, not a circle of blood.  Apparently that is the new phrase in Boy Scouts and it seems just a tad too real for me.

There were flashlights running past the front windows playing man hunt well past sundown and I don't think most folks got to bed until after midnight.  Our parish pastor came out to spend the evening with the boys and from what I understand, everyone loved listening to him share his stories and just hang out with the boys.  He also made sure everyone sang happy birthday to Liam.

We escaped the evening with only one injury, an unfortunate incident involving the grape lines.  I'm thinking the boys will up for hosting again next year if all goes well.