Road Trip Journal Day 5...Homemade frog gigs, dead snakes and filthy boys...

Today is day 5 of our road trip.  It's not exactly a road trip at this point, it's more of a rest stop.  Over the last couple of days, the kids and I have been easing into a slower pace.  If you were looking at this by most vacation standards, it probably wouldn't measure up.  I mean, there is no theme park, no fancy restaurants, no night clubs or theaters...there is only this...

The boys have primarily been out haunting the woods behind the house.  They have gathered essential tools that are needed to build fires (afterall, even though it is boiling hot, boys need to build fires in order to have a base camp) and knives to cut limbs and make gigs to kill snakes and frogs (which will then be cooked on said fire and eaten by said boys.)

Please take note of the filthy hands...and yes, the boys DID kill this snake, which they claim is a Copperhead (because all enemies are surely dangerous and poisonous) using their gigs and knives.  Since they cut the head of the snake off, and the dogs carried it away prior to my arriving with the camera, I cannot confirm whether or not the snake was a poisonous Copperhead snake, but I was glad it was dead anyway.

See?  I wasn't exaggerating about the filthy feet either.  Note the artfully staged dead snake.  Lee's idea (those are his feet.)

This is a boy haven for sure.  The only thing that could make it absolutely perfect for them at this point would be for me to leave and check myself into a spa for two days.  They could tap into their caveman/wildboy side more deeply without me reminding them to brush their teeth and at least bathe in the pool for crying out loud!  Why is it that boys LOVE to be dirty??? 

Oh, and let's not forget about this part of the vacation...the gut-busting laughter that goes with being 11 and 12 years old and being a boy hanging out with your silly cousin (who does a great impression of Larry the Cable Guy) and not being able to take anything seriously...

This is it people...this is the good stuff.