Camping in Monticello

This is not the normal Wells family kind of camping (they are really more sleeping- bag- on- the- rocky- ground- but- it- feels- good- because- you- hiked- thirty- thousand- miles- that- day- kind- of- people), but I think that John, Larry, and Karen put away their contempt for us wimps in order to make everyone happy. (And also, I did that kind of camping when I was 3 months pregnant with Mimi and made a sacred vow I would never camp pregnant again. This was the compromise.) The girls were delighted with this tent trailer. They couldn't believe it was a "house" until it was all "pumped up." Then they spent the rest of day in-and-out, out-and-in, back and forth, exclaiming over every discovery. "Olivia, this house has a table." Mimi, this house has THREE BEDS!"
As you can see, I was fairly spry to start off. However, after a walk up the trail, I started in on my eye-swelling, nose-running, sneezing-fit-to-pee-my-pants, seasonal allergies. I wanted Claritin or Allegra, but I have only had Benadryl cleared by my OB, and luckily, ever-prepared Larry had a supply in his first-aid kit. (Which he never travels without.) (Really, my only surprise was that he didn't have it in the pocket of his overstuffed cargo pants. I thought he carried everything in those pockets.)So, this is how I spent the rest of the afternoon. (I'm lying on a sleeping bag stuffed in its sack, so it looks uncomfortable, but it was lovely. Not that I would have noticed anyway.) And evening. John got me down the trail and into the car because the girls wanted to go see the lakes. I made it that far, but then. . .
. . . I fell asleep again. The girls got to throw rocks into Monticello Lake and Foy Lake for an hour EACH, and I slept. We went to the overlook, where they played for an hour, and I slept. They hiked with Grandma, and I slept some more. It was really ridiculous. I woke up when it was time to roast hot dogs and go to bed. I still slept that night. It's like looking at someone else's vacation pictures to see this.
The girls got as absolutely filthy as anyone could have expected. This picture does not do Mimi's face justice. She was completely covered in Blue Mountain black dirt. Compounded with burnt hot dog, this was quite a sight. I wish it showed on the camera.

It really was wonderful. (The part I remember.) I love Blue Mountain--the smell, the aspens, the pines, even the scrub oak. The irises were blooming, and it was incredibly green from all the snow they got this winter.