Felix found us a great spot to camp this year. He has been coming out to Camp Longhorn so many years he knows all the sweet spots to set up camp. This year we’re back to the old place we stayed on one of our first trips to camp. It’s not too far from the kid’s mess hall where they eat all their meals. Sweet indeed! There’s always lots of scraps in those garbage bins. Felix sent Hank and Willow to search for enough food for all of the cousins while we are setting things up for the night.

Tito and Floppy Joe are hitting it off really well. They are both still young pups. But they do need to do a little work. Felix told those two to stay close and go find a bunch of sticks so we can have a big bonfire for our first night at camp. They are busy as little beavers dragging those sticks to the circle of rocks we found near the old place we are staying. Coco and I discovered a few rabbits had burrowed under the old building where we plan to stay. This could be a problem. They might be difficult to scare away since they like to make little tunnels where they can hide. They can go as much as 10 feet underground and create a space of almost 150 feet. Geez an underground room! My Mama told me as many as 30 rabbits can live in those underground tunnels.  This could get really interesting. Since Felix is busy setting up other things Coco and I will see what we can do to run those rabbits out of here. Maybe they haven’t established the entire tunnel yet. Come on Coco. Let go chase us some rabbits.

It’s getting late and Hank and Willow haven’t returned so Felix went to check on them.  When he found them he couldn’t believe his eyes. They had soooo much food they were having a difficult time dragging it back to camp. Yay, there will be a feast tonight! Nothing better than a big campfire and lots of scraps. About the time I said scraps, Texas Tito and Floppy Joe were coming to a screeching halt where Coco and I had returned to the campfire ring to begin starting the fire. Tito said, “what do you mean scraps?” Quickly Floppy Joe agreed with his new BFF, Tito. “Scraps”? They both asked …..”so, exactly what are scraps?” I began explaining that scraps were all the uneaten food the kids raked into the garbage off their dinner plates. Tito said, “oh I am on a strict diet. I can only eat certain things, in fact I am gluten intolerant and cannot eat anything with meat. I am sort of a vegetarian I guess you could say. My Mom buys me this special dog food.” Floppy Joe gave a big toothy smile and said, “I can eat everything! In fact I once ate a couch pillow. Not much of a taste but it sure was fun!”

Poor Tito was about to find out how dogs really live. That’s what makes camp so much fun. We get to be ‘real dogs’ for a while! We do all sorts of crazy things at camp.

Felix gave a loud woof for all the pups to circle up around the campfire that was really burning great by now. Time for chow pups!

Thanks to Hank and Willow we all had a feast! Lots of pizza bones, one of my favorites. Well, I call them bones, but it’s the crust those bratty little kids toss aside. Thanks kids.

I think we have time for one story Felix, what you think? Certainly we do said Felix. Dallas would you like to do us the honor tonight? Dallas replied of course I would love to do that. I began telling the story about being lost up on the mountain that year when the hogs were about to eat us alive only to face a huge bunch of coyotes running right towards us. I thought Tito might faint. He had eaten so much pizza crust he began to puke! O great, so who’s gonna clean that up? Welcome to camp! We’ll worry about it in the morning. I hope the rats don’t come out after we put the fire out. Floppy Joe said, ‘”rats?  Nobody said nothing about rats. ! Mama!”

Lights out guys, we’ve had a long day.