July 4th Holiday at Girl Camp

Of all the holidays, I love July 4 the most. Why? Because it's summer, and a holiday of being outside!

This year, July 4 occurred on a Thursday, and that was just perfect for a long visit at Girl Camp in Elk River, Idaho.

The tiny town does a big fireworks show on the Saturday closest to the Fourth and swells with hundreds of extra people seeking old-fashoned summer fun. We usually have lots of friends, relatives, and/or fellow Girl Campers visiting for the occasion, but this year nobody was free to come. So it was 'just us kids,' meaning Hubby Ed, yours truly, and our fellow Girl Camp owner, Miss Shelley.

Different, but still great. No worries, no agenda, just pure R&R.

That's Shelley at the grill bar, rustling us up some breakfast. Her '53 Aljoa is parked up above.

She calls her trailer Cherry Lane. Although in this shot, it looks like it should be called Wild Daisy!

I stayed in Iron Pony, while Ed commanded the cabin that's across the street (with cable sports TV).

For this privilege, he got to cut the grass in the cabin's yard.

It made a lovely green carpet for some new outdoor furnishings.

The patio area by the Girl Cave got some new chairs, too. I just love that cool shade of green!

We cooked, we napped, we fished, we cooled off in Elk Creek, we visited with neighbors, and for the most part, kept our electronic devices turned off for the sake of the moment.

Which is say, I could have taken a gazillion more photos and manned the digital channels as usual, but I didn't.

Cuz after it--it was a holiday!

10 Ideas You Can Borrow for Girl Camping

1. Use an old ironing board as a sign. Bonus: Stand it up to make an extra table or an impromptu bar.

2. Transport treasures in a set of vintage luggage. Bonus: You can display the luggage itself once you've removed the items you put inside.

3. Use an old suitcase as a step. Tip: Reinforce the inside with scraps of lumber, and make a non-slip surface by affixing a carpet piece to the top.

4. Cut up old license plates to make signs. Bonus: They yield numbers as well as letters.

5. Make anchors for your awning-pole ropes. When you can't pound stakes into grass, these give you a way to anchor down the awing poles. For each, you'll need a large can, an extra-long eye bolt, a quick-link (it connects the rope to the eyebolt) and quick-mix cement.

6. Paint your propane tanks. Bonus: Add a basket of flowers to the top and you have an instant garden.

7. Make a pennant banner from vintage hankies. Bonus: Yours won't look like anyone else's.

8. Display your party clothes. Why save something as fun as these red shoes for just a single occasion?

9. Get creative with chalkboard paint.  Bonus: Any sign surface you make with it can be erased and used again.

10. Add whimsy with a simple but silly 'road sign.' Bonus: You can make one with nothing more than a few pieces of scrap wood, a handful of screws, and some white paint.