Friday, April 15, 2011

Away to Unknown Lands!

Or not. Maybe just to Missouri. We set out on Sunday April 10th, after attending the baptism of the Ship's Baby. The drive to Missouri has become curiously routine, and rather than seeing a thousand new sights, we sighted a thousand landmarks. We stopped overnight in West Memphis, and got a halfway decent start in the morning. However, owing to circumstances beyond our control (the need for human beings to eat, and the the very indirect road system of Missouri) it was rather late when we reached our destination.
Bevier is in the middle of nowhere Missouri but it is not unpleasantly so. The campground here is not the best, but it is far from the worst as well. It is owned and operated by mechanics, and that is obvious in all the areas. There is a nice lake (pond) where one can look at, but not catch the fish. The lake is also home to a great many bullfrogs, who are delightfully unafraid of humans. Dan found one sitting next to crayfish pincers. We are supposing that the rest of the crayfish was eaten by the frog.
The lake is connected to the outside world by a creek. The creek is crossed by a rickety old bridge. The bridge is highly appreciated by the crew members, particularly the 2nd A.B. who has become infatuated with the "Redwall" series. The bridge never fails to be completely blocked by savage armies for the A.B. to fight his way through. Tallulah is parked at the top of a hill. The hill provides an excellent slope for the First Mate, the First A.B. and the Second A.B. to charge up while the First A.B. (also known as Basil Stag Hare) cries out "We're going home like a proper army, not a ragamuffin crowd!"(Mattimeo).
So far, they do not seemed to have disturbed any other campers with their antics. This is a good thing, as one of the other ships is marked multiple times with "no trespassing" signs, one of them complete with a diagram of how to properly defend one's territory.
Fortunately, the campground is also equipped with a large, open field, perfect for staging any sort of battle. Pirates vs. Natives. Woodlanders vs. Weasels and Wildcats. Crewman from the Starship Tallulah vs. Aliens From Distant Galaxies....
So, even in the middle of nowhere Missouri, we have managed to entertain ourselves.

The Baby

The newest member of the crew.