Big Basin

Silas' scouting den camped at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and Rosemary tagged along.

Here's a picture taken shortly before I realized that I'd forgotten to pack our sleeping bags.

So ... we skipped the first night, and I drove the kids home while they shrieked things from the back seat like, "You're the worst dad ever!"

This neat shot of Rosemary was taken right before a tick bit her.

Rosemary, still atop this huge log, started screaming, "A tick!  A tick!"  I clambered up there, not expecting to find anything. 

But damned if I didn't see the tick's rear legs kicking deeper into Rosemary's belly button as it scrambled to get away from me.

Borrowing a knife from a scout, I tweezed the tick out, killed it, and then drove Rosemary back to San Mateo for some antibiotics.

 A dead deer tick.

After my third drive to Big Basin, I finally was able to relax and participate in the cub scout events. 

Shown here:

The den volunteered to sweep the seats in the Big Basin theater. 

Silas spent a lot of time whittling.