In my last post: "Spencer and I are prepping for a trip to a Hocking County cabin for a Cub Scout weekend outing. Lots of snow will ensure a good, wet, cold time. It looks like it will be dads and sons only; just like in the old Y-Guide days. Relaxing, I hope."
It was GREAT!! No electronics (TV, Wii, I-anything, etc.) per Dad Roger, the Den Leader, here-in-after referred to as the Outing Nazi(ON). I have to state here and now that I have, in my twenty plus years as an adult scout leader, seen all types of leadership. And like the infamous Seinfeld "Soup Nazi", it works IF you taste the soup. Following Kid/Dad made cold cut sandwiches, chips and water/milk lunch (no sugary drinks per the ON); we headed to the cars to drive to the site of the hike. Nursing a broken rib, Dad Frank, a Queens born and bred, third generation Neopolitano, stayed back to simmer his WONDERFUL homemade marinara sauce for a late dinner.
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| Half way down into the Rock Stall |
The gorge was pristine and secluded, only a few others had previously been through the 6" of snow prior to our after-lunch hike. The boys tried to run ahead but the snow and slopes called for caution. So did the Outing Nazi. After several tumbles and slides, the boys heeded the warnings of all the Dads and we decended into a deep cauldron- like chasm.
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| A small waterfall in the side of the gorge |
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| Spencer & Sdad at the head of the "Stall" |
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| The ridge back up... a 50' drop to the right. |
The ice encrusted ferns, moss covered rocks, cliffs and waterfalls were magical; eerily inducing images of elfin figures and hairy toed hobbits.
After the hike the Kids and Dads played board and card games for several hours. We followed the ON's timed agenda for the duration of the weekend... sounds a bit harsh but it worked well. The entire den went to a nearby small village for Mass at 1730. It was interesting to see Spencer react to the Catholic rituals. He and I had never been to a Mass together. Remembering his four years at Bishop Flaget School, he was respectful and followed the boys in all the responses except the genuflections and kneelings. I believe we were the only non-Catholics in attendance and perhaps he felt a bit awkward at our non-compliance to the staid service. We were not offered communion. It was a beautiful country church, Protestant feeling except for Holy water founts, the kneeling boards and stations of the cross.
Back at the "cabin', we all put together a great dinner of pasta, Frank's sauce, tossed salad, garlic bread and more water/milk. The host, Dad Joe Herlihy, set two bottles of wine out and he and I had some from one, no others did. The stories flowed and we howled at some of Frank's NYC tales.
After clean up we all suited up for after dark sledding on a nearby dam backslope. It offered a clear downhill run of 100 yards at about a 20º slope. Fast down and sloooow up. The kids played on a huge snow fort built during the day at the base of the hill by several teenage sledders. After two hours, the dam(ned) hill and the wind whipping off the lake at it's apex put us all in the mood for hot chocolate, lots of marshmellows and a good night's sleep, tucking in just after midnight.
Sleeping throughout the host's bedrooms, we woke up slowly to be treated to the ON's huge multi-fruit pancakes. Cleaning up and re-arranging the furniture, everyone pitched in without complaint. We headed home around 1030... an hour and a half ahead of the ON's schedule.
On our return home my new iPhone 4 buzzed as we entered a service area, telling of the need for 6 then 3 more call-ins for a structure fire on N Walnut Street. Too late, I checked in to find that one of our guys fell 8' off a roof and another had slipped on a tailboard on the ice... both are home and okay... thank God. Evan was understanding of my missing the fire... I still feel bad about it... S'okay, I guess.
On line I, once again, caught a chance to chat with Preston. He had just completed his first mission in A-stan, within a few miles of the Paki border, on foot. He is safe but they discovered an IED within 10' of the area that they were installing some technical devises as part of their road clearance duties. He's back out today as I type this. PHS STAY SAFE.
At the cabin: The new auto feeder and a water de-icer installed Friday, worked great over the weekend with production steady at 2-3 eggs per day; a little more than 20%, maybe we'll have to have another 22 caliber demonstration. I did a little clean up from Friday's Bonding time.
Parker has been schooling me from Brooklyn on this new iPhone. I appreciate his help and patience.
I get to work tomorrow, MLK day.
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