B-DAY IN WEST VIRGINIA

WELL, I TURNED 37 ON THE 19th. I ALMOST WENT TO SEE BILLY JOEL. THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT. COST TOO MUCH AND I DIDN'T WANT TO GO ALONE. LUCKY FOR ME THOUGH, I GOT A BETTER OFFER....SPEND A WEEKEND IN THE W.V. FOREST LEARNING HOW TO BECOME AN OUTDOOR WOMAN, B.O.W.

I WENT WITH MY GOOD FRIEND SHELLEY, AND KATHY. IT WAS A LONG DRIVE DOWN. WE ALL GOT UP PRETTY EARLY. BECAUSE OF THIS WE ALL GOT A WAKE UP CALL TO A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE. I THINK IT WAS LIKE 5 OR 6 HOURS. VERY NICE SCENERY ON THE WAY TO ENJOY.

UPON ARRIVING AT NORTH BEND STATE PARK, WE REGISTERED AT THE LODGE AND HURRIED TO CHECK OUT OUR LIVING QUARTERS.

IT WAS A RUSTIC TWO BEDROOM NESTLED IN THE WOODS WITH EIGHT OTHER CABINS SIMILAR IN LAYOUT. WE DIDN'T KNOW IT YET, BUT WE WERE IN STORE FOR A GORGEOUS SUNSET.

AFTER WE SETTLED IN WE WENT TO THE WELCOMING SPEECH AND HEADED OFF TO OUR FIRST OF FOUR SESSIONS. MY FIRST SESSION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE "WHAT'S IN THE WOODS" , I OPTED AT LAST MINUTE TO SWITCH TO "INTRODUCTION TO SHOTGUNS". I LEARNED A THING OR TWO. NOW IT WAS TIME FOR DINNER. THEY SET US UP WITH EXCELLENT FOOD THE WHOLE WEEKEND.

THANKS TO MY FRIENDS, I WILL HAVE A VERY SPECIAL MEMORY IN THAT DINNING ROOM/RESTAURANT. YOU SEE, SAT. WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND KATHY MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE CHEF TO MAKE ME A CAKE. MY OWN LITTLE CAKE. THAT WAS SO SWEET. ANYHOW, THIS CHEF WHO HAD THE HOTS FOR KATHY OBLIGED AND BROUGHT THE CAKE (CANDLES LIT AND ALL) CLEAR THROUGH THE DINNING ROOM TO OUR TABLE. MIND YOU, EVERYONE IS WATCHING TO SEE WHERE HE IS GOING. AS ALL EYES ON ME FEELS LIKE I COULDN'T BE MORE EMBARRASSED, SOMEONE BREAKS OUT IN SONG. HOLY SHIT. THE WHOLE DINNING ROOM SANG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. IT WAS GREAT. EVEN THOUGH, I WAS AWAY FROM HOME AND MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS SHELLEY AND KATHY MADE THIS ONE A KEEPER! THANKS GUYS. LOVE YA. WAS GONNA PUT PICTURE OF CAKE HERE BUT IT IS IN MY PHONE AND NOT MY COMPUTER. SORRY. SO HERE IS A BEAVER BEATEN TREE.

WE SAW THIS ONE THE LAST DAY. THIS WAS DURING OUR LITTLE HIKE IN "OUTDOOR SURVIVAL". WE WERE LOOKING FOR SHELTER.

BEFORE ALL OF THOSE FESTIVITIES WE STARTED OUT WITH A GRAND BREAKFAST BUFFET THEN OFF TO SESSIONS TWO WILDERNESS FIRST AID. CLASS WAS VERY INTERESTING. ONCE AGAIN I LEARNED A THING OR TWO THAT I DIDN'T KNOW. A BENEFIT TO MY BRAIN. ENJOYED A NICE LUNCH AND OFF TO SESSION THREE-DUTCH OVEN COOKING. PROBABLY MY FAVORITE SESSION. I LEARNED THE MOST HERE. THE ART OF DUTCH OVEN COOKING IS NOT THAT HARD AND A MAJORITY OF THE RECIPES NOT ONLY TASTE SUPERB, BUT ALSO THROW TOGETHER WITH LITTLE EFFORT AND TIME. WONDERFUL CAMPING TOOL OR TO USE ON A REGULAR BASIS. ONCE AGAIN A FANTASTIC DINNER. BACK TO THE CABIN WE WENT. LOOKING FORWARD TO FAREWELL CAMPFIRE. HAD A FEW COCKTAILS AND LATER HEADED TO FIRE. THE COORDINATOR WAS TAKING PICTURES ALL WEEKEND AND PUT TOGETHER QUITE AN ENTERTAINING SLIDE SHOW FOR US. I THINK EVERY SINGLE PERSON THERE WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN A PICTURE, PARTICIPATING IN WHATEVER CLASS IT WAS. GOT TO HEAR SOME FUNNY STORIES FROM OTHER GROUPS AND THEIR ADVENTURES.

SUNDAY MORNING STILL NOT GETTING TO SLEEP IN, WE PACK UP HAVE A FINAL MEAL IN THE DINNING ROOM. WE HAD A CLOSING SPEECH AND A TON OF DOOR PRIZES ENDING THE LATE MORNING WITH SOME WILD GAME AND DUTCH OVEN CHILI.

LONG DRIVE HOME, WE WERE ALL EXHAUSTED. I DON'T KNOW HOW SHELLEY DROVE. MADE IT HOME SAFELY. ALL IN ALL I HAD AN EXCELLENT WEEKEND. I AM CERTAINLY PLANNING ON GOING NEXT YEAR TOO. THEY EVEN MENTIONED A "MOTHER/DAUGHTER" ONE IN THE FUTURE. NANCY WOULD LOVE IT. THAT WOULD BE AWESOME FOR US.