Camping and Quilting – Tackling Two Loves at Once!

Summer happens so quickly around here.  For months we deal with cold and snow and then almost like magic the weather turns warm and summer happens!

If we don’t get out and enjoy it we’ll miss it.  That is why I LOVE our new camper.  This past weekend was an annual trip to Van Buren State Park.  We’ve gone the last 3 years and off and on over the years since way before we were even married (1991 ish).  So a long time.

The trailer makes this trip SO much more enjoyable.  Not even kidding.  Just pull it, back it in, plug it in and we are good to go.    

Van Buren State Park is an older park and the sites are fairly decent but somewhat close together.  They allow two vehicles per site and several tents so camper density can get pretty thick.

I’m sure it is only because it is small and there’s such a big demand.  The sites reserve quickly every year 6 months in advance!

Lake Michigan is the big draw…

The campground is only a short walk to the lake.  I broke the rules and brought Holly out to the beach.  NO DOGS on the beach the sign said so I walked the dunes south toward the power plant…

Once down there we jumped down and I let Holly cool off…
She’s turning into a real aqua dog…

A quick dip and back up the beach and back up onto the dunes.  Then I got busted.  Yup.  I’m a delinquent.  Just minding my own business out walking the dog, took a dip and I was cited for breaking the NO DOGS on the beach policy.

Seriously?  So the dune is okay but the wet sand is off limits.  I wasn’t even close to the swimming beach area.  Nope.  Rule Breaker!

Fortunately I’m not that great of a liar and I calmly explained I was just out walking the dog.  I didn’t come intentionally to break the rules it just happened.  They let me go, most likely because I didn’t have any ID on me but did take my camp site down and gave me a heavy dose of reprimand.  Sheesh.

So basically, if you ever go to VBSP, don’t bring your dog.  In fact, there’s not very many places in Michigan you CAN bring your dog to the beach.  We took Jamba last year to a dog beach in South Haven but it was really really tiny and very rocky.  One would think Michigan hates dogs.

So back to the campground and looking forward to lunch.  I mean, pretty hard to give this face a ticket…

And lunch it was!  We made grilled pizzas!  This was a request to bring these back again from last year.  I brought the mixer and made the dough using the kneading beater attachment.  So easy!

The dough rising in individual servings on the picnic table…ready to be made into personal pizzas!

    Yummy!!!

Then back inside to work on the quilting of this baby quilt.  This is the 16 patch top I was working on as the Leader/Ender project while putting together Roll Roll Buzz Saw.

Not the best set-up, I was a little low in the the seat and I could feel it in my shoulders but it worked.  You can see some of the detail of the quilting…

I call this Dew Drop Backtrack, an allover pattern.  Really easy to do…

I sketched up a mock up.  Sketching out the idea really helps to figure out the travel pattern.  I originally thought I would need some of those zig zag filler spots, and actually sewed a few in a couple of places then realized I didn’t need them.  I was able to just make smaller and smaller Dew Drops to wind my way in and out of spots.

I’m just finishing up the last section and will have this finished for Saturday!  I’m going to give this as a shower gift.  It is always a good thing to get something made and then gifted.  I hope the recipient will enjoy it.

At night at camp we made s’mores and Jim even broke out his pineapple upside down cake recipe.  He loves to cook something in the ground using the coals from the fire. 

He ad-libbed it mostly using Jiffy Lemon cake mix as his base but did follow a recipe as a guide.      Then before we knew it was time to pack up and get on the road.

While breaking camp the kids spotted a toad!   

Use a cup!  Hurry, don’t let Holly get it!  Awe!  Look how cute this little toad is…

We tried to identify the species but none present were experts.  We moved him back towards the woods and away he went…

…and away we all went too with promises to come back again!

~Happy Quilting, Happy Camping!

~Cathy