Diver - 7-8-2005 at 07:06 PM
When my oldest daughter was 3, we made our first trip south of the border with child. Needles to say, it was a very different trip than we had made in
the past. Driving no more than three hours at a stretch with long "play" breaks in between really slowed us down.
Whenever we stopped to camp, we enjoyed ourselves but were always on-guard with the new daughter. Only one of us adults could really relax or play at
a time. We got to La Paz and hit the CCC as usual. While we were there, we ran into another couple that was camped at La Ventana. We had heard about
the place before and decided to head there for the night.
I had never before realized the virtues of a large fenced campground. We were parked no more the 90 seconds when three other little girls came over to
ask if our daughter could come to their camp and play. My wife walked down with her and found that her mom was an aquaintence from home ! There were
at least 4 other couples with kids in camp.
Trading kid time for adult time was already a well-practiced ritual at the campground. Not only that, but a german grandma named Lisa was always
wanting to babysit the kids ! We were in heaven !! Adult fishing, snorkeling and sailing became a reality again ! BUT, someone still had to think of
ways to keep the kids occupied in a rather small world.
(In case you didn't know, La Ventana, like many other baja campsites, is the scene of the consumption of mass quantities of bottled fermented hops.)
Now we get to the rattlesnake tails....
One day as the kids were reciting their montra; What can we do now ? My wife came up with an idea from her childhood.
Rattlesnake tails can be made by piercing a hole in the center of a bunch of bottle caps and stringing them on a knotted twine.
We sicked the kids on the entire camp ! They were everywhere, collecting all the bottle caps they could. They had people saving them all over the
camp. The kids would get up in the morning and leave to check on the guys that said "come back in the morning, we'll have plenty!"
We had rattlesnake tails all over the camp. Hanging from trees and campers and tents.........it was a beautiful thing !
Did you ever make one of those 'Rattle Snake Rattles'...
Mexray - 7-8-2005 at 07:30 PM
...using a couple of large paper clips, a rubber band and a business envelope?
1. write "Rattlesnake Rattles" on the outside of the envelope.
2. unbend one of the paper clips into a 'u' shape, with the ends curled back into the shape of small eyes.
3. stretch the rubber band across the top of the 'u' , secured by the 'eyes' at the ends.
4. put the other paper clip on the rubber band in the middle.
5. now wind up the paper clip and hold carefully while inserting into the envelope - don't seal the flap.
6. lay the envelope on someone's desk and wait for the 'yell' when an unsuspecting soul let's his curiosity get the better of him and opens the
envelope!
Great fun!