My blog for 7/21/2012 Camp Experience Chapter One

My challenge is how to get Cousin Camp into a logical format.  Camp has been occurring for 25 years, so every (McCall) family kid under forty years old has been to this camp.  Kids are welcome, adults are welcome, babies are welcome.  They all know the evolved routine and locations.  The youngest kids learn the procedure from the older ones, who graciously show little ones how it's done.  In fact they often carry the little ones around and help them participate.  This year other than two babies under one year old, the youngest child was 3, the eldest "child" was 18.  Adults from 20 through 75 attended.  The mix was about 15 adults from what we refer to as 2nd, and 3rd generation, and 30 from the 4th & 5th generation.

First of all, there were 47 of us out there for five days.  The Teenage boys showed up the first day for Setup.  They put together seven full size tents for people to sleep in, first come, first serve.  Trees line the creek area and surround the yard perimeter, so tents were under those to stave off the really hot sun.  Average temperatures each day were 91 degrees.  Two trailers showed up.  Mine was one of them.

This unusual set up by Cousin Jill came about because of the bed and breakfast she ran for years.  The parking lot includes semi-hookups for campers/RVs.  We all had limited power (not enough for air conditioning) and water (private well).  I think there are five cabins, (and the main house) also two storage buildings and several huge storage rooms attached to the cabins.

The rustic grounds are set up primarily for Cousin Camp, though it only happens one week each year.  All family parties for those relatively local are held at Jill's.  As are Easter, July 4, Memorial Day.  So things such as trampoline, foosball, pool, are permanent fixtures under canopies—all outdoor because it never rains in Descanso, just inches from the Mohave Desert.  Meanwhile, due to the ex b&b, there are six kitchens and eight bathrooms which each house either storage or laundry, extra refrigerators, etc.  Some rooms have permanent residents now, however, so can't be used.  There are still multiple refrigerators out under the trees. You never know what you will find inside them, and you are welcome to use whatever they hold—ice, juice, soda, water.

The point of Cousin Camp is to get a family of 169 blood relatives to know their cousins, to understand their pioneering history and develop relationships with each other.

Continued tomorrow.