We returned yesterday from a four day camp out in the beautiful Iowa countryside. There is not much in the way of wilderness in these parts but Iowa is blessed with a park system that trys to recreate small patches of it. For the first time Arwen got to swim in a creek, the same one that I used to bike off to on those hot August days of my youth.

This trip was just a close to home getaway before we stow the camper for the winter and even though we were only a few minutes from the house there is something nice about being away from the normal noise and distractions available at home. Instead our attention is centered on keeping children from dying of boredom or starvation. I recommend it for everyone.