Around the Cadac with bunting, tealight chandeliers and fairylights on the EHU

[notwavingjustironing]

Gawd, the minimalists will kill us.....

It was Someone Else's idea, all right?

Carry on where you left off, be it owls, bins, sharks, tins of vodka, karaoke etc. [grain]

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

Well, the minimalists aren't posting, are they?

My blardy tarp has blown down. I must have done it Wrong. They really are harder than they look, and in my defence, I did put it up myself - harder than the bell tent really, if quicker. You have to keep running back and forth between the two tall poles, hammering in pegs and tweaking guys. If there's an easier way than this, someone tell me, please!

Grrr. DS2 is the Incredible Non-Napping Baby. He refused to nap this morning (after waking at 5.30!) so we took him to the summer playscheme awake and grumpy. He slept on the way back, so did DS1, so I leapt into the kitchen to make 'pretend pizza' for lunch, whereupon they both woke up. Arghh!

[lovecat]

I didn't see who started this thread, right? I blame the owls...

Okay, Reshape, you're really beginning to worry me now wrt the tarp... Where's Slubber being practical when you need her?

Pretend Pizza? I'm intrigued...

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

Pretend Pizza is just some baps, split open and toasted in the oven, and then spread with reduced tomato sauce and cheese. Not exotic!

Tarp is fine, I'm sure - it was just my first time. You know they tend to be pitched corner to corner? So you have the tall poles at opposite ends of the diamond, and the other two corners are pulled with guys towards the ground. I think I made a mistake in attaching guys to the centre points too, and they're also pulled down to the ground, which I think took the tension off the previous guys. I'm going to search out one of those scary survivalist websites that show you 100 ways to pitch a tarp. Still haven't actually attached it to the tent...

[brambleschooks]

Also glares at forrin.
There was an owl there posed on the bin. It must have escaped. Maybe it was spooked by the PTA anti pest deterrent scarecrow.

Overheard conversation at gym:
'well I haven't spoken to her since the cupcake incident. She's one of Those kinds of mothers'.
Pursuing this conversation would have meant going into the showers with them, but What Does It Mean?

[lovecat]

Intriguing... there was a Cupcake Incident at my drama group but the women involved have no children, so it can't be them or that.

Pretend Pizza sounds my level of cookery, Reshape :)

I watched a whole Youtube thing about pitching a tarp featuring a bloke with a big hat and a scary beard you could have hidden a baby walrus in, but am none the wiser. They all seem to assume you want to sleep under it whilst halfway up a mountain in the Appalachians...

[scaryt]

JetLi - hope you get the nursery problem sorted out. It's a nightmare finding something else when you're so happy with what you've got.
And how on earth did you start a ruck on a crochet thread!?

Funtimes - hope your poorly boy is much better now.

Yellow - you are putting us to shame with your goddessery (great word). Impressive woman, I'm in awe really.

Reshape - you have me worrying about the tarp now, got one for festival at the weekend - it has to work!!

Thanks to this (well the last) thread I now want sloe gin and am contemplating taking smirnoff and apple to the children's festival (is that inappropriate????).

Well first time camping in a tent on Fri and my back is buggered. The anti-camping gods seem to have it in for me. Off to a chiro this aft really hoping for a miracle cure.

[Kingsroadie]

Hi everyone! From the not so sunny, slightly drizzly and definitely very windy south coast. (near Chichester).

So we managed to get the emperor pitched with no more holes made! I patched the tiny hole and we had rain last night with no leaks from the tent or the hole. We also have a few fairy lights and even some bunting up

But it is very very windy and our beach trip this morning ended with us all covered in sand everywhere! Currently snoozing in tent while the babe naps. The bloody dog woke us and her up at 6am which is about 2 hours earlier than she normally gets up so she is tired! Btw did I mention not to go camping with a puppy? Especially one who barks when he isn't with you (ie his mummy). Bloody dog. He is banned from our sept trip to Cornwall. Having said that, he is now fast asleep in his crate.

Overall it's going well though if not a
Bit stressful with toddler and puppy! Made some toast on the Cobb in seconds this morning - was v excited!

Sorry - can't reply to everyone on here as iPhone is restricting me somewhat but just wanted to check in..

[notwavingjustironing]

Jetli - are you sure you didn't start a rug on the crochet thread?

[Fennel]

hi

Just back from 12 days fairly minimalist camping in the Scillies. Well, car-less anyway, so very no-frills. Also there were water shortages on the small islands so there were notices begging us not to wash or do too much laundry - my dds were utterly happy to go 12 days without washing.

Weather was OK for the UK, not quite the Sub-Tropical Paradise they pretend in the adverts.

[lovecat]

[grain]

[notwavingjustironing]

I'm here all week........

[lovecat]

Fennel, my Uncle & Aunt went on their honeymoon to the Scillies, back in the 50's. For whatever reason, my mum has the photo album my uncle made of the trip - lots of b/w photos of waves crashing against the shoreline with copperplate writing beneath labelling them "Rocks!" and "More Rocks!" ad infinitum.

It kind of put me off ever venturing Scilly-wards... hope there's more to do there these days!

[CaptainNancy]

I'm a minimalist! Am seriously thinking of not going this summer though... it's just such lousy weather

[F1lthym1ndedvixen]

I am allowed to be here, aren't I? Even if I'm not actually going anywhere until Sept?

we're off the Budle Bay in Northumberland but with a big - potentially raucous - group. (so debating whether to actually camp with them, or to distance ourselves a little) I am very sociable - until around 1am when I want to kill anyone who is keeping me awake....

Oh fennel, I am shocked to hear that about the weather in the scillies. Mind you, been totally naff here so 'ok for the uk' would do me nicely right now. Fed up for being stuck indoors and dodging rain showers.

[F1lthym1ndedvixen]

It's just that this virtual camping lark is so soothing to my soul, after a really tough couple of weeks, where my planned fortnight's holidays were torn apart by a toxic brew of bereavement and husband working, and a poorly mother...

[Fennel]

I think the weather was probably a bit naff for the Scillies but better than the rest of the UK. Hard to know as on the smaller islands there was no access to papers or news etc.

In terms of things to do there is beach. More beach. Rocks. beach. sea view. etc. I could have done with a bit more to do on the dull or slightly drizzly days. We did some nice walks around the islands (not long enough for me, I like a bracing hike but the islands are tiny), and a lovely boat trip to see seals. More seals. yet more seals.

The kids and DP and my sister and her family all really liked it, very much. Personally it was OK but I prefer somewhere hotter with more to do and see, and more activity. Lots of people go camping there year after year though and love it.

[Kingsroadie]

Ps - we totally sucked at the awning - and have had to pitch it in a very odd fashion - not at all like the pictures on the websites. It looks very odd and not much like anything at all. It sort of helps a bit against the rain though... ?!

[scaryt]

Can't wait to see pics of your fab emporer Kings. Glad she stayed dry in the rain.

[ChippyMinton]

Hi all. Love the thread title

I am lurking, as it takes so long to catch up

DS1 and I have just dug the teepee out and are going to put it up in the garden for sleepovers, and DH has kindly donated a firepit thingy, so I feel an evening of toasting marshmallows and s'mores coming on.

[brambleschooks]

I have made granary bred but with real yeast so feel like a proper cook. The hens have done us proud today, so we're going to pop up the beach shelter and have dippy eggs in it in the garden, sheltering from the sun showers.

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

Fennel, The Scillies sound so blissful and quiet! What sort of place did you camp in? Was it very busy?

[muchostinky]

Great new thread title - Slubber will be pleased! [grain]

[Fennel]

No it wasn't that busy, we camped on St Agnes which is one of the little islands, a campsite right by the beach. Very beautiful. Farm shop which makes its own ice cream. Just one shop and no cars on the whole island. Then we camped on St Marys which is the "big" island - about 3 miles across. Also not that busy, or perhaps they just space the tents out a lot on the campsites.

It was quite blissful. in a slow nothing-much-happening sort of way.

[SeaShellsInTheMoonlight]

Loving the new campsite, much more spacious!

Second proper day at work and it feels like I've never been away. 20months away and I've hit every iv first time phew!!

Don't worry, I'm not camping either-all previous camping plans gone up in smoke and any new trips are looking difficult. However, IF anyone here has a 5m Bell an camping in Dorset/new forest area can I come and drool? I'm saving for one ATM but not seen inside. Dh
was almost sold on the emperor until he read it was 3m high (I ha missed that point) so he now feels it would be like taking the village marquee?!!

Bramblechooks

[SeaShellsInTheMoonlight]

Sorry, bramblechooks you are an absolute legend. Those photos are hilarious and a certain someone will lunch you should she ever be arsed to check in whilst she is in forrin parts