I took off 1/2 day Friday, picked up Karen and packed the car, then we had lunch and drove up to Portage. We set up camp and got in a nice long dive in the late afternoon. A bunch of our friends came up later on that night. We made a big campfire and hung out for a while before hitting the sack.
Saturday we did a "treasure hunt" dive, looking for hidden golf balls, which we later turned in for a prize drawing. All the prizes were donated, so our entry fees went to benefit DAN. I found a golf ball hidden in one the ledges on the north wall, but we couldn't find one for Karen. :dltears: But, everyone who participated gets a prize anyway, so it's all good.
I won a pocket first aid guide from DAN, and Karen won a hat. After the dive, I took a "power nap", then we went for a long swim, followed by a potluck dinner with our friends. Afterwards Karen decided to join the rowdy group for some FD&D (Fireside Drinking and Dancing) while I opted for a night dive instead. After a very nice 55 minute dive, I put on my "comfy clothes" , warmed up by the fire, then went to bed "early" (midnight). Sunday morning a few of our friends did a dive that was rather comical - they had brought this little blow-up alligator, and a little gnome (wizard-like sculpture). They duct-taped the gnome to the alligator, and attached the gator with a tow line to their BC's. So as they swam around underwater, the gator and his passenger were seen swimming around on the surface. It was TOO funny! They got a lot of attention, especially the little kids, who just loved it.
Later on Sunday morning we tore down the tents, packed up our stuff , so we could relax before the festivities kicked off at noon. There was a huge spread put out for the BBQ, followed by some birthday celebrations, then the big prize drawings. Again, all prizes were donated, so all the profits went to DAN. I didn't win anything in the main drawing :dltears: , but Karen won a cool swim mask. They gave away everything from t-shirts to a dive computer, and several of our friends won prizes, so that was cool.
Altogether, the event raised over $2,000 to be donated to DAN.
We left for home shortly after the drawing. I dropped off Karen at her house, much to the delight of her dog Kira. I have never seen a dog so happy to see it's owner!
I got home around 6:30, cleaned up my gear, and took a nice long hot shower, which felt divine!
I do love to camp, but it's SO nice to take a long shower and sleep in a real bed once you get home. 
The weekend was TONS of fun, and it was for a great cause, which made it even better. Can't wait for next year....
Laura
