Camp Itchy

A few years ago we learned about and decided to camp out in a lovely campground at the base of a small earthen dam lake up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  We arrived at noon and feasted our eyes on a immaculate, level, well laid out campground with flush toilets and sinks that was completely shaded by tall pine trees.  Birds were singing and squirrels were scampering about a small lake-fed bubbling brook that meandered through the campground.  It was an amazingly picturesque and peaceful setting.  And what was even more amazing, it looked like there was only one other camper other than ourselves in what looked like a couple dozen available campsites.  By the time we finished setting up camp, the sun was as well setting and it was dinner time.  We lit our campfire and started cooking.  No sooner had we started to cook when we were swarmed by what seemed like a million mosquitoes.  We were a sight to see, as all of us were running around swatting ourselves and others while attempting to spray bug spray on everything and everybody.  It became painfully apparent why there weren’t any other campers.  Late the next morning we all hesitantly ventured out of our tents, packed up, and drove our bite-riddled itchy bodies home.

    --- Itchy Bloodsource


Hot Chocolate

We were backpacking through Europe recently and were in the Cinque Terra area of Italy.  The evening was cool, so the four of us stopped in a little café for something warm to drink.  The other three ordered teas and I ordered a hot chocolate.  All the drinks arrived steaming at our table in standard sized cups.  When I went to stir my hot chocolate, I came to realize that what was in the cup was exactly what I had ordered…a cup of melted hot chocolate that my spoon stood straight up in!  We laughed and I ordered a cup of milk.  The bewildered server brought a glass of lukewarm milk.  I tried mixing some of the chocolate in the milk, but ended up with a lump of chocolate floating in now dirty-colored milk. We all laughed and spoonfully enjoyed the remainder of my gooey brew before it cooled and completely hardened again.

    --- Footloose in Europe


Love Is In The Air

For over six months it was planned.  Flights arranged. Tickets purchased. Reservations made, and tours set up.  Then after three weeks of enjoyably trekking throughout Europe, the day arrived and that evening as planned at sunset in Vienna, Austria, 200 feet up in a gondola on the Riesenrad (German for “Giant Ferris Wheel”), I dropped to one knee and proposed marriage to my long-time girlfriend.  Surprised that everyone else knew what was going on except her, she tearfully and joyfully said “Yes!” 

    --- Ryan W.