Camping Tip Number Four : "Read the Directions"
Abby adjusted the light blanket around a sleeping Lauren and smiled as she tucked the stuffed bear next to her daughter's head as a pillow. She settled back in her seat and refastened the seat belt. She glanced over at Luka. He was watching the Lake Michigan shoreline as he drove and was grinning from ear to ear.
"You're loving this, aren't you?" she asked. Luka glanced at her and then nodded.
"We did this in Croatia," he said. 'We would drive up and down the coast from one beach to another, my friends and I."
"And camp in a tent?" He shrugged.
"A couple of blankets maybe. We would sleep on the beach...cook on a big bonfire..." He snickered. "We were just stupid kids."
"Sounds like fun," she sighed.
"Did you do anything stupid when you were a kid?" Abby snorted.
"Oh...yeah!" she cried. "But nothing like that...and nothing I want to tell you about right now."
"Oh, come on..." Luka cajoled.
"Nooooo..." Abby laughed. "But let's just say that anything that one back there tries to pull on us won't be a surprise." Luka chuckled and glanced in his rearview mirror at his sleeping daughter.
"She's not going to pull anything on us," he sighed with a smile. Abby grimaced and shook her head.
"She will," she said. "It's in her genes...on both sides."
"No..." Luka said. "I'm keeping her under a locksmith." Abby laughed and sat back in her seat.
"Lock and key..." she corrected. Luka shrugged and focused on the road. She glanced over at him and her smile faded a bit as she searched his profile. Her heart seemed to swell in her chest until it threatened to choke her. Sometimes she was just overwhelmed with the feelings she had for him. It was scarey. She wasn't used to feeling like that.
Luka looked over at her and smiled.
"What are you thinking about?" Abby shrugged.
"I am wondering how I let you talk me into doing this," she sighed. Luka reached over and squeezed her hand and she laced her fingers through his.
"You're just putty in my hands," he said. "Did I get that one right?" Abby laughed and nodded as she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it.
It took them four hours to drive from Chicago to Muskegon State Park on the shores of Lake Michigan. Abby had to admit that the park was...beautiful. Tall pines liberally dotted the camp area and the ground was sandy and warm. The campground was full of families and Abby's eyes were wide as she took in the different camping set ups and smelled the sweet campfire smoke in the air.
Luka backed their SUV into the campsite they'd been assigned and unfastened the folded play pen from the top of the car. He set it up and Abby dumped some of Lauren's toys into it. Lauren was happy to be out of her car seat and able to move again. She pulled herself to a standing position on the side of the playpen and watched her parents. Abby helped Luka move the picnic table as they settled on a good spot to set up the tent. He grinned and pulled out the bag that stored his tent, poles and stakes.
'You've done this before, right?" she asked as she surveyed the confusing array of plastic, tarp, ropesand aluminum.
"Not in a couple of years but what's to remember?" he shrugged. He pulled out the tent and directed her as they staked down the corners. He pulled out the poles and frowned as he tried to remember which one went where. They ended up pulling up the tent stakes again and trying to put the poles in first. The entire tent collapsed..
"Were there any directions with this thing?" Abby asked as Luka refigured the tent poles.
"Oh, they're long gone," he sighed. Abby shrugged and went through the remaining items in the bag and pulled out a tiny square of paper that was lodged in the corner of the bag. She unfolded it as Luka cursed in Croatian and pulled pole sections apart...again. She glanced over the paper with a smile.
"Um...Luka..." she said. "Let's try it this way." She went through the poles on the ground and picked out two. Luka frowned as they snapped together. He watched as she assembled the tent poles and then handed him the hammer.
"Maybe it was a good idea to stake it down first after all?" Luka regarded her suspiciously and moved to hammer in the stakes...again. Abby grinned and slipped the tent directions into the pocket of her jeans.
