Of Course Bears Can Turn Doorknobs

Tonight at dinner we had rootbeer floats.  It took me back to my first year at church camp.  I must have been 8. We had church camp in Ketchum.  If you don't know where that is, it's up near Sun Valley.  Up in the mountains.  Up where it snows until late June. Lots of wildlife.

My first year at church camp was lots of fun.  I had so much fun that I hardly slept.  And of course, when I don't sleep enough I get sick.  So I would spend a couple days in the nurses cabin.  I would get better and then spend the last day of camp out with friends.  There were a couple other girls that had the same problem.  I made friends with those girls, and we knew we would spend a couple days in the nurses cabin together every year.  In the nurses cabin they weren't as careful about what they talked about.  So we knew all the ins and outs of what was going on around camp.  We learned very quickly that there were bears roaming around camp.  They found a bear one night digging through the dumpster and had to remember to put the lid down and lock it each night.  They had caught glimpses of momma bear and her cub, but they hadn't been around camp much.    The adults were concerned that there were bears, but didn't want to scare us kids.  But then again they couldn't have us walking around alone.  So they told us that bears had been seen and for us to be careful.  But us girls in the nurses cabin were privy to all the information.

Friday, we were able to go back to doing activities with the other girls.  Saturday was the day we were going home, so we were going to have a party.  We joined another cabin for our party.  We had rootbeer floats and other desserts.  I don't really remember the other desserts.  Everyone had gotten their float except me.  I was trying to avoid getting one because I am not fond of them.  They made me one, however, and I said I don't want one, but thank you.   So the counselor opened the back door to the cabin and poured it out.  Us girls were having a good time laughing and giggling as 8 & 9 year olds do.  One of the girls pulled the curtains back and looked out the back window.  She starts screaming, "there is a bear out there."  The counselor who was standing closest to the back door laughed and said, "yeah right."  Her cabin had been joking all week about seeing a bear.  But the girl was rather convincing so the counselor moved the curtains to see momma bear and her cub eating my rootbeer float.  We all started screaming believing the bear would open the door and come in and eat us.

When they finally got us calmed down, we went back to our cabin.  Our counselor decided she needed a shower.  We however did not want to be left alone because of course bears can turn doorknobs and come right into our cabin.  One of the guy counselors had come by to see if we were alright and warn us to stay indoors.  Our counselor convinced him to stay with us while she went to shower.  We feared that she would be eaten alive on her way to the showers.  It was about time for us to get ready for bed.  We made the guy who was staying with us stand in the corner so we could change.  Our counselor made it back safely.  Praise Jesus!

We all made it home safely with no more encounters with the bears.  They were able to trap the bears and move them away from our camp grounds.  So the older kids didn't have to experience the man eating bears.

I still don't care for rootbeer floats, but I do like a punch float.  Not quite the same, but just as good.

Raspberry Punch Float
1 lg can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 lg can frozen pineapple juice concentrate
1 liter 7-UP
42 oz. can pineapple punch
1/2 gallon raspberry sherbet
1 pt. raspberries

Thaw lemonade and pineapple juice concentrates; combine in large punch bowl. Add 7-UP and  stir in pineapple punch. Cube raspberry sherbet in large cubes; crush half the raspberries. Stir in raspberries.  Drop sherbet cubes into punch mixture just before serving. Makes 1 gallon punch.