Funmurphys: the Blog

Scouting Report

I enjoy cub scouts. The weekend before last was our pinewood derby, and both the kids and I had a blast. As cub master, I do my best empersonation of the guys who used to hype the sunday races -- it seems like Don Garlitz was always racing his funny car -- I put on my best announcer voice and draw out the boy's names, highlight when brothers race, and just try to have fun with it all. I have found that by saying yes to pretty much any idea or offer of help, we have great parent participation and people just pitch in to get things done.

This weekend my son's den went for a winter hike at Beaumont. So we hiked four miles in the snow, over hill and dale. Fortunately, the temperature was in the upper 30's, the snow was powdery and not too slippery, and while we did get off the trail, we did find it again. When we realized we were off the trail, I told people, we weren't lost because we were all together -- you're only lost if you get separated. But the lead dad, in his words, "smelled a trail" straight up a hill, so we climbed straight up the hillside and found the trail we had set out on. I count it a success: nobody was lost, and the boys' main complaint was we wouldn't let them fall behind or wander too far off the trail. Somehow, the boys don't connect the two.