Finally the tent got its first brush with the great American wilderness, in the company of the Canadian cousins. We pitched up and went on a bear hunt... returned for a communal camp supper and my second encounter with the more venomous end of Virginian wildlife: I felt something on my leg, looked down, registered a shiny black spider, flicked and then observed it stand on the bench all the kids had just been sitting on, focused on its swollen abdomen and the tell-tale large red dot, seconds before P's foot obliterated it. Despite the 'insect soup' atmosphere, it was a fab site with immense trees and an awesome stillness... The cousins went trans-Disney with an endless fantasy game populated by multiple Ariels in the real-life setting of the Pocahontas legend. P had flashbacks to wandering around Disney studios in 1994 watching animators bringing her to life. It was blissful stuff and we actually got to sit back and relax (well, apart from the constant scanning for arachnids...), brew coffee and chat. The best fireside game turned out to be story-consequences that J found deeply traumatic - 'That's not my story!' she wept as Princess Bob dealt with more major life challenges than he'd imagined and plenty of poop!!!
We'll head North next - less venom, more black flies... and hopefully more of the top cousins. Thanksgiving's South Carolina plans now ditched as they have alligators!
Just sometimes I get a twinge of homesickness for the damp, gentleness of North Norfolk coast and the lovely Stiffkey campsite.
