And now..the end is near....

We are in the process of moving camp and are on days off.  Time to relax, do laundry, sleep, read and do nothing at all.  We've ended up with 4 'days off'..although only 2 are really full days off as the 1st day we packed up camp, and the last day we have to unpack and set up camp.  But it is still a time to unwind and reflect.  
We are spending our days off staying with good friends, Lance and Nicole, in Telkwa, just east of Smithers, BC.  We've parked our old trailer on their huge front yard and are just hanging out.  Jordan has gone on a road trip to Hyder, Alaska with her fiance, Daniel and some other members of the tree planting crew. She'll be back tomorrow.  Alley, Zac and I are doing the laundry, watching tv, playing on the internet and eating cereal....no desire to cook on days off!
Looking back over the past weeks, it seems like we have been doing this forever, and yet, it has gone by so quickly.  The kids and I have begun to look forward to getting back to the shack, seeing how the garden has grown, relaxing on the deck with a book and a cup of coffee, not to mention seeing hubby/dad and the critters.  Getting back to normal life.  But, we have also realized that the people we have met here will be gone and we will miss them, as well as the lifestyle we have adapted to.  I ask myself  if I will come back next season.  I still don't have an answer for myself.  In so many ways, I have loved this experience.  There were days at the start when I questioned if I would make it through.  But, that was when we were in the kitchen for 17 hours straight, feeding over 80 people in a kitchen designed for 50.  That was tough!  Now, we have found our 'groove' and I have enjoyed each and every day, no matter what it brings.  I am tired and my poor hands have taken a beating with all the time spent in water as well as sore arms from chopping, stirring and lifting.  But it has been worth it!  I have met so many different people from all over Canada!  My French has been refreshed, I have a great respect for tree planters and I have learned that I can still cook for huge numbers of people!!  All in all, it has been a great experience.  Spending time with my kids has been an added benefit!  We haven't gotten much schoolwork done, but they have learned so much from being here and being a part of the camp.  Jordan and I have worked extremely well together, and I find it hard to imagine it having worked as well if I'd had another baker.  She has done amazingly well for being a 'faker baker', as we have nicknamed her.  Her cookies, muffins and squares have gotten rave reviews from the planters!  
With only a few weeks to go, and just one camp location to move into, we are hoping this last part will be as much fun as the first.  Will I do it again next season?? Who knows.  It depends on many things and I'm going to have to wait and see how the year unravels first!