Camp White's Landing
When I was a Brownie/Girl Scout I went to Camp White's Landing on Catalina Island, an Island 26 miles off the coast of Southern California.. Now, I had grown up going to Catalina a lot, but always stayed on my grandparent's boat, or on my parent's boat. I'd never before stayed in a tent, on a cot, actually overnight, on Catalina. One thing about Catalina you might not know (I know you Californian's know this), is that there are wild boar and wild Buffalo that hang out all around the island, brought over there a long time ago by the Spanish Conquistadors. Just kidding, I think, I do know who brought them over there, I just can't remember, and it was a long time ago and not really key to this story, who brought them over. Anyway, they are there, and those boars are huge, black, with big tusks, and mean, and we were told to stay still if they come near. They move fast. The Buffalo on the other hand, were like giant grandfathers, who ambled slowly through the camp and would just stand there and stare at you, or the ground, munch a little grass, then move on a few steps, and then repeat the whole process. Usually there would be two or three at a time moving through the camp together, and all things Girl Scouty would stop.
The girls in my tent and I decided that we wanted our cots outside under the stars. Well, one night we had a wild boar standing in between my cot and the girl's next to mine. This thing stank to high heaven and in the moonlight I could see the coarse hairs rising from it's back. I could hear it snuffing around in our bags and rooting with it's nose, pushing around clothes and strewing them everywhere. I guarantee you, one of us had some forbidden food in our suitcases and this was the cause of the rooting.
An aside note is needed here. We are a skiing family. And, my mom made all of us down jackets from a kit. SHE MADE them! Mine was big, poofy and red. My mom, who always says she is not a crafty person, sewed and MADE these cool down jackets for my 6'6" daddy, and my sister and I. This jacket went on the trip with me to Catalina. I do believe it was only about 6 months old.
So, back to the clothes throwing wild boar. My friend and I, laid still in our sleeping bags until that thing was gone and when it moved on, we ran hi-tailing it over to our counselors tent and stayed there until morning.
The next day we had a huge mess to clean up. Our clothes were trampled in the dust and were everywhere. We two girls had to tell our dramatic story to anyone who would listen. And, of course the story got better and better with each re-telling. Who knows what version you are getting right now. Just kidding. I think this one is pretty accurate, if not embellished a tad. Har.
But, the story I brought back to tell my parents was even better. While I soaked in my second tub of bathwater, and while unpacking all of my VERY dirty clothes my mom asked me, "Hey, where's your down jacket?" I told her that the wild boar stole it and ran away with it when he was playing with all of our clothes. I told her that I looked all over the camp and in the oak trees behind the tent and I couldn't find it. That boar took it. He took it and brought it back to his nest for his wife's babies. Ok, I made that last part up for your enjoyment (as I made up the whole wonderful story for my mom).
You know what really happened to that cool jacket that my mom worked so hard to make for me? I left it on the Catalina Flyer, the ferry that brought all of us campers, and all the tourists to the island. I forget to pick it up on the way off, and there you have it. No wild boar stole it for his family, I forgot it. Mom, if you are reading this, I know you know the truth, but I'm sorry again for all the hard work you put into my cool jacket, and most of all for lying.
The moral of the story? Never make (knit,sew) your kiddos something that they can leave on the bus or a ferry somewhere. Or, let them take that homemade (knit, sewn) item somewhere a wild boar can steal away your hard work.
Now, you know the reason I don't make anything bigger than hats and scarves for my kiddos.
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And, on the knitting front....I have nothing to show. Still more of the same, but I have decided to do a bit of ripping back on my Rusted Root on those puffy sleeves. Kristi, you are right. Puffy sleeves are coming back, I am seeing them everywhere. You just won't see them on me. Nope. So, as usual, I'm following your directions. Thank you!






















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