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All Smiles at Camp Coyote by Chris (McDermott) Wilbeck
9/5/08
Labor Day, grilling and family fun just seem to go together.
So, we invited family over to give some of the basics of Camp Coyote a trial run.
Since we're not yet open for business, not all of our amenities are in place. But my mom, Barb McDermott
(from Des Moines), sister Diana (McDermott) Doherty and girls Maddie, Brooke and Grace (from Johnston), and brother Mike McDermott,
wife Jill, and kids Matt, Luke and Maya (from Johnston) were all eager and willing "testers."
We grilled hamburgers, chicken and hot dogs directly over the fire grid with
wire baskets and prongs. Packed the mess shed with a big jug of pink lemonade and dinner that included baked beans, Asian-styled
coleslaw, fruit salsa on tortillas, plenty of chips and chocolate brownies. We later roasted marshmallows for the mandatory
s'mores, sat around the fire ring telling old jokes and family stories, and gazed in awe at the blackness of
the night sky dotted with thousands of stars.
Then it was off to bed to The Bunkhouse and tents. We fell asleep to the sounds of the country. In the middle of the night, we even heard coyotes
yelping from afar.
At the end of the day, they gave Camp Coyote a McDermott-family
stamp of approval.
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Sitting around the fire before dinner is served.
Seated
left to right: Barb McDermott, Brooke and Diana Doherty, Kevin, and Doherty's dog Bubba.
Hammock testing ...
(left to right) Grace Doherty, Maddie Doherty and Jacob
... and more testing.
Jacob and cousin Luke McDermott ham it up in the hammock.
 
A competitive game of horseshoes between cousins Matt McDermott and Brooke Doherty.
On the grill and charred to perfection - hamburgers, chicken and hot dogs.
Smiley Grace Doherty and her "smiley" hamburger bun.
Jill was last in line for the mess shed - which got pretty messy after the entire clan went through! But, it was
packed with food that included rosemary-infused baked white beans, coleslaw with crunchy noodles, fruit salsa, chips and
brownies that were gone before we knew it. The big jug held enough pink lemonade to satisfy the thirsty crowd.
We've now decided to build another shelf to hold even more food and beverages!
An ever-changing array of super heroes are always present at Farmhouse Life. Two showed up for dinner. Spider-woman
(Maya McDermott) and Bat Man (Jacob) get their energy to "save the day." Looks like Bat Man wasn't too
happy about being photographed ...
Mike, Barb and Jill McDermott eat and relax by the fire. Mike deserved it, after biking more than 30 miles that
day on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.
Nothing beats an ooey-gooey s'more!
Cousins Jacob, Maya, Grace, Brooke and Luke check out The Bunkhouse. With flashlights in hand, they are ready for night-time exploring. Interior work is still underway,
but the building was ready for cots and kids. Permanent bunks are planned for the future.
The next morning, the women of the camp pose for a photo in Camp Coyote's new tent. It is big enough to hold four with a queen-sized blow-up mattress and two kid's sleeping bads.
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Welcome
to Farmhouse Life! Your Hosts, Chris & Kevin Wilbeck
Farmhouse
Life • 2244 U Avenue Rippey IA 50235 • Greene County USA
515-436-7041
copyright © 2008 FARMHOUSELIFE LLC. All
rights reserved. Website designed and maintained by Wilbeck Consulting.
The entire contents
of this site, including artwork, is owned by FARMHOUSELIFE LLC. No copying, reproduction, or downloading of artwork
or content is permitted without written permission of owner.
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