Tom Sawyer in the making

I have read Tom Sawyer with my sixth graders several times.  I read Huckleberry Finn in college.  That dynamic duo were some of the orginal American trouble makers.  They lived life just a little on the wild side, pushing the limits of propriety--just like kids today, but in that more innocent, tolerable way.  You know, running away from home and sailing down the Mississippi on homemade rafts, only to return home after a criminal tracked them down in a cave. 

What does this story have to do with me?  My husband decided that will be his 2012 summer high adventure trip with the boy scouts-- to raft down the Ohio River, Tom Sawyer style, with the scouts.  So he made a raft to test with the boys, this year.  (He's such a kid at heart)  Well with the unforcasted rain this weekend, the father/son campout got cancelled because the parking area would have been a muddy mess. 

We went up to grandma's and tried out the raft anyhow.  We parked in grandma's driveway and hiked and drove our gear in with the 4 wheeler.

Does this look like a Tom Sawyer raft?  I think it looks more like a wooden pontoon boat.

 We were going to camp at the pond with the kids.  We ended up not camping because a large thunderstorm blew in.  We did all the work though.  Setting up Kyle's new tent for scout camp.  Last year I mentioned he was a tent collector.  We were going to break it in.  Well, it weathered the storm well, but it did not accomodate any sleepers.  (I'm a fair weather camper, wimp I know)

 Kayla and I got to enjoy the raft and did some more fishing.  It was fun.  Kyle knows some improvements he wants to make to make next year's trip a good one.

I wish I could get my home improvements projects done like he does for the boys.  Hmm, I wonder if I adopted 6 boys and had them live here with us if it would make any difference?  I doubt it!

Happy Memorial Day!