Our First Campfire

We've been living in our RV on the road since Sunday June 8th.  Some would call what we've been doing camping, though the nights we spent in the Sierra Trading Good and Walmart parking lots would probably not be considered camping by many.

And the nights in church parking lots, as peaceful and often beautiful as the grounds that surrounded those lots may have been might only be called camping to RVers. And while we have spent several nights in actual 'camp' grounds not once have we had an evening camp 'fire'.  And without that, I can't call what we've been doing 'camping' myself. We've enjoyed it all, but its not really camping without a campfire.

   NOTE: Many would say living in a 35 foot class A coach is far from any kind of real camping anyway, and I would not be one to totally disagree with them at all.

But tonight, while visiting with the O'Rourkes in Russell Gulch, we experienced the epitome of camping. We had a campfire, good food and beverage, great stories, AND good country and gospel singing!  Tonight we CAMPED!

 Tonight some of the O'Rourke's best friends up here in Russell Gulch gathered at Peggy and Brian's home in the hills for a wonderful dinner and a good old country campfire.

There was Julie, who knows some good songs and hails from New Jersey originally. Titus, who is an EE (electrical engineer) and is responsible for, among other things having to do with the O'Rourkes home, the design of their solar system (not the planets- just the sun). Titus comes from Amish and Mennonite roots in the state of Indiana. Julie and Titus live just down the hill below the next gold mine to the east from the O'Rourke's.

Marc and Lisa have a wonderfully built 100 square foot + loft cottage about 800' up the hill directly above the O'Rourke's home.  They come up from their home north of Denver for a weekend once or more a month.  They have MUSTANGS.  1965 Ford Mustangs in brilliant red (with white convertible top) and sultry black HARD all over. They are both non-reformed Confederates from the great state of Virginia. In fact Lisa has just applied to become an official Daughter of the Confederacy after tracking her rebel ancestor's to ground, genealogically speaking.

 All of us have come to the Lord in new and exciting ways over our lives and tonight we celebrated that, laughter, news, and could just enjoy His company and each others.

And the music Brian led us in as well.

I have a favor to ask each of you reading this blog.  You see the bone Peggy and Brian's beloved dog OPIE brought to the fire?  It's in the pic above on the left.  Its a deer or elk jawbone.  Well, throughout the evening OPIE was eating grass and choking. He has something caught in his throat. By the time we broke up he had not stopped choking.

As I type Peg & Brian are driving to the Evergreen, Colorado, Pet Emergency Center.  That's about a 45 minute drive down the mountains.  No matter when you read this, would you say a prayer for OPIE and his family?

Maybe its nothing serious, or maybe it is.  But either way OPIE is now our family too, and I thank you for intervening on his behalf.

God's Peace,

-Ken