We were invited to this very prestigious event which was held over the past weekend.In the neighborhood there are literally dozens of kids, all or most of which go to the same school and for the past 4 years the Dads have been taking the kids on a two day no holds bared camping trip. This year was no different.
Presquile is a sort of National Park type place about 2 hours east of Toronto and it sits on a peninsula in Lake Ontario and has several beaches and most important for this group, large group camp sites. The group usually takes up two sites one for the tents, pop-up trailers and campers, the other for the sports field.
We all arrived late Friday afternoon, the murphy's kids, less Jimmy, The Clarks and the Kawalchuk's caravanned together with a brief stop at the Clark family farm for dirt bike riding and a nature walk.We arrived around 3:00 amidst rest of the campers setting up tents, the dining hall/gambling room. The main event for the dad's is the Saturday night 31 tournament complete with a trophy and year long bragging rights! Friday night was a gourmet feats of hot-dogs for the kids and polish type sausages for the adults, that was it!
The camp fire was big, the stories long winded and by the end of the night the entire West Lansing Spiritual Group said it's prayers and hit he hay.
Saturday morning kids being kids they all were up and running around at 6:30 screaming and have a blast, the Dads were right behind them! Following a hearty breakfast of pancakes and sausages it was time for the annual dads versus kids baseball game. Kids got as many pitches as it took to get a hit. Dads had to bat one handed opposite hand 3 strikes, tough crowd. The game battles on for two hours and ended with a draw, no fooling. Next up the beach and more wearing out the kids. Some one has the video and I shall try to find it of the 30 foot Camper Van pulling up to the beach and 25 dads and 43 kids getting off, it will be a safety video later this fall! Lunch was cold cut sandwiches complete with condiments and cheese, the kids devoured the chow and we had to make a speed run into town for more!
Saturday afternoon was lazing around the campo ground playing catch, horse shoes, badminton and watching Germany and Ghana in the World Cup, it think the 40 inch big screen that came with the motor home was the real reason it was rented! Dinner was burgers, and chips!!! The battle for the crown and the 31 bragging rites. Many of the rituals that go into the tournament are not for public knowledge, they are after all rituals, suffice it to say when the dust settled, the defending champ was the first one out and on the new comer's stood victorious, I must confess the author came in third, which was a feat in itself! Looking forward to the invite for next year and moving into my rightful place as 31 champ of the West Lansing Spiritual Group!
more to come....
