Wednesday 17 August 2011

Fun by the Sea!

Being with a big group of friends makes a huge difference when you're camping in the Welsh drizzle!  Altogether we were 6 couples, 3 teenage boys and 3 dogs (DD, her partner and 2 dogs joined us at the last minute).

Above are all our tents in a row (we're actually positioned around a corner but you can't really tell from this).
From the left we have DD & A with 2 dogs, OH and me, communal gazebo, M & C with 1 dog, the boys (C, D & L), H & R, M & J and finally C & J.  The biggest blue tent belongs to first-time-for-a-long-time campers and they were just showing off with their ready-attached bedroom section and remote control light.  They were last-but-one to arrive and after 'helping'  put up  their tent a group of us stood around the entrance calling to the others to come and look. You'd have thought there was a fully fitted kitchen in there!   Another 2 show-offs were in the littlest tent at the end with their blow-up sofa no less.  We were duly impressed at how they'd got all their supplies and equipment (inlcuding sofa) into that little sports car until we realised that their tent was brought in M's 4x4! 

OH and my tent is about 8-10 years old and they don't seem to make them like they did when we were kids (you know - the big, heavy canvas type over huge metal-poled frames). The morning after the first rainy, windy night we all trouped down to the beach after breakfast - OH and I leaving our tent raining inside.  Luckily the bedroom side didn't leak as much, so our beds were only slightly damp!

M led us down a footpath in a wood that proved to be steep, muddy and dark!!  Only R was unlucky enough to slip in the mud and get covered in it all down one side (he was wearing OH's jumper at the time because he only took one which got wet the previous evening!).  We'd all forgotten something it seemed, but someone usually came to the rescue.

We spent the next few hours wandering over the rocks and around pools (to the right - just out of the picture) seeing what we could find.  We turned over stones and marvelled at the little swirling holes in the sand at the bottom of pools (which we presumed were sand worms?).


Inevitably, things turned into a competition to find the biggest crab. This is the winner, up on its back legs, attacking a giant hand.


Back at the camp later there were lots of wet clothes/towels with nowhere to dry them.  As it was still drizzling on and off we tied cord up in the gazebo and it became quite an effective drying room (oops, some fell off in the wind - add clothes pegs to the Forgotten Items list).
As we walked down to the Club House after lunch to watch Wales beat England at rugby, I took this pic of the fabulous view across the bay.

Sport fever rubbed off and a game of football was organised later during which DD's partner broke his big toe!!!!  He's going to the fracture clinic today and there's a chance he may have it pinned (OUCH)!

OH, DD, her partner and I left the next morning after a game of rounders (where no-one actually ran around because they were too stiff after the previous day's exertion at football, but just stood and hit the ball until they were caught or missed 3 times).  The men forget that they're not teenagers any more and invariably act like they are when we're together!

We've tentatively (pun intended) agreed to do this together again sometime. Let the friendly rivalry continue!! 

Bye for now
Teresa x

3 comments:

Linnhe Mara said...

We used to arrange similar outings with my extended family. It invariably rained too, but what do you expect in Scotland! It's amazing how you can ignore the weather when everyone is having fun.
The first year I borrowed an aged tent from my sister and like yours it rained on the inside. The boys woke up at 5a.m. lying in puddles. I bought our own tent to use for the next few years but when the others upped the ante by turning up in caravans and camper vans I'm afraid we bowed out.

Bev at Awaken said...

I admire anyone who does the camping thing...I just couldn't for many reasons...

I like a matteress to sleep on
I like a shower next door
I cannot survice without a hairdryer or an iron
I don't like the rain enough to lie in it at night fall
I dont like sharing my bedroom floor with insects
I dont like my neighbours to be of the four legged variety!

oh my goodness what a diva I sound! it looks great fun but then so do Spa days....mmmmm difficult choice!

TBH I am just a big baby and have to sleep with a solid roof over my head. Glad you had fun x

Vintage Girl/Marivel said...

HI,my friend:You are having fun,eh?
I love rainy days!!!
enjoy ,smile every second.
Hugs :)