life's a beach...

campchaos- the mountain dogs hit the beach

It's the way people try not to change that's unnatural...the way we change to what things were than letting them be as they are... Change is constant. How we experience change, that's up to us. ~ Meredith Grey from Grey’s Anatomy

If you had asked me back in October where I'd be in 6 months the answer would have been Carrabassett Valley. Our reality has shifted and we've adjusted along with it.  Today campchaos hit the ocean and as we walked onto the beach the waves from the Atlantic came crashing in.

2012 Chaos plunges in while Mayhem timidly checks out the surf

The tide was high and the sound was monstrous; the big dog broke out into a smile while the little pup tucked his tail and hid behind Dave. We realized that Mayhem's never been to the ocean before and Chaos has danced in both the Atlantic and Pacific.

2006- Chaos in the Pacific Ocean

Before too long Mayhem's fears were soothed by Chaos's joy and he frolicked on the beach and danced in the waves with his brother.

 Change may be scary but like Mayhem we eventually we all figure out how much fun it can really be.

Disney 2012

Want some more images from our travels to Disney? Click Here.

Colby Rips the 'Loaf

 Last year Dave and I trekked to Summit County for some ski time with the Frisco 5, this year it just wasn't in the cards as the 5 hour drive has become a 40 hour adventure but we did get to have Colby join in on the fun and become a Sugarloafer.

He even got a Sugarloaf handknitted hat to mark the occasion. Although he sported this red helmet for his time on the slopes.

We also got to enjoy the company of Keith who made the trek north from Beantown for a weekend of fun upta camp. 

And ended the night in true campchaos fashion with a small campfire.

Valley Adventures and Spring Meltdowns

A few weeks ago I enjoyed a great tromp through the woods with the pups in the early afternoon sunshine.

It was a beautiful Winter day and the pups relished in the early March sunshine and snow. The sun was just right and hitting their golden fur to make highlights that even Bliss couldn't achieve.

Chaos dreams of summer swimming while Mayhem eats a bit of snow.

And I enjoyed my new pink hat that I had knitted out of a fat ball of Rasta by Malabrigo.

It's true knitting has trumped blogging this year... by a lot. At some point I'll have to do a project rundown of the hats, sweaters, socks and other worsted goodies that have flown off my needles but today's all about meltdowns...
This weekend temps crept higher and the snow softened...

we enjoyed some time on the hill with this guy...

and this gal...

in the warm spring sunshine. Then a funny thing happened- temperatures didn't drop back to normal but kept creeping higher.  We pulled out a few pairs of shorts and sported them with our mud boots for an afternoon walk in the sunshine.

And realized that we could have worn chacos.

The pups didn't mind and went for a swim in the river.

Today I wore my chacos everywhere.... I walked in the woods and through a melting iceberg.

The water that skimmed the iceberg on the trail was almost warm and the air felt like an afternoon in June. At no point did I regret my shoe choice as I skimmed along the trail over dry ground, mud, ice and hardpack snow. I should have- this is March in New England. Water on top of melting ice should be COLD. The air temperature should have turned my toes bright red and shot pain through them. But it didn't. I was warm in my shorts, t-shirt and Chacos on a shady trail at 5:30pm in March. 

Another great day for playing ball and enjoying golden hues dancing in the sunshine. It's bittersweet, winter was short as was the snowfall and while we're enjoying this odd weather it's not ideal for a ski resort.

Anyone wanna go play in the river soon? I hear the boating is great and the bike trails are gonna be drying like spilled water in the Sahara.

new bedroom set up...

We shook stuff up a bit here at campchaos and moved the bedroom around. The new setup is more space efficient and lets the boys have their beds beside each other as Mayhem can't stand to be far from Chaos (or us).

 This isn't to say that they don't end up on our bed still... both pups enjoy a good cuddle time.

Elvis goes to Mountain Magic at Sugarloaf

A few weeks ago my brother, Virg, came over to visit us along with his 5 year old daughter, Elvis. Virg hasn't skied in at least 6 years and was pumped to be back out on the slopes. They arrived to camp chaos on Friday night and we got Elvis suited up in a helmet and goggles for her day on Saturday.

Elvis jumped ski school for the day where she joined Coach Emily and other 5 year old never-ever skiers and mastered the art of slidding downhill and stopping. The program is called Mountain Magic and it certainly describes how the day went for Elvis. We skied by a few times during the day and it was obvious that she was having a blast with her Coach and teammates. After we picked her up at the end of the day we took a few laps on the Birches with her so she could show off her new skills. It was obvious from the look on her face as she clicked into her bindings that a skier had been made that day at Sugarloaf.

Elvis also got to watch me finish her pink sweater...

and enjoyed sledding around camp chaos with her furry cousins...

Elvis becomes a Sugarloafer