Connor and Elise, of course, came running out of the tent barefoot to see what we were doing, and I kinda freaked out. They got yelled at and thrown back into the tent. The rattlesnake was curled up in the bush next to our minivan, and had been trying to cross the street and leave the campsite when several cars (including Ryan's) scared it back into the brush. I decided that the thing to do was leave it alone, and try to give it a chance to flee, since it obviously didn't like being near so many people. I staked Wiley between the tent and the bush (not as a sacrifice, but as a deterrant), and we went around to the picnic area away from the cars to let it (hopefully) crawl away. 
After about 10 minutes I went to throw some trash in the dumpster and peeked, and saw that, yep, the snake was carefully crossing the road and exiting the campground. Then we had to take pictures. 
The rest of the evening was really nice. The kids played in the dirt, we ate ravioli, took a walk, and started a great campfire. 
The kids got new flashlights for the occasion (dollar rack at Target), and delighted in shining them in each others' eyes. 
We toasted marshmallows, which Elise definitely approved of. 
Then, after the kids were so tired they were spazzing out, we put them to bed and just chilled together by the fire. Very pleasant. At least, until Wiley, who was staked just behind us in the gloom, jumped up, yelped and started frantically trying to catch something on the ground. He chased it until he hit the end of his tie-out, then started limping and shaking, and collapsed in the dust. The only thing I could think was, "My dog has been bitten by a rattlesnake, and is going to die." I picked him up, we rushed him back to Ryan's car, and I started choking out instructions to Ryan about racing the hour down the mountain to the emergency vet in Eagle Rock, as Wiley trembled and shook in my arms. Ryan, bless him, was a voice of calm. He got out his boy scout manual, looked up snakebite, and told me to try to find a wound. I couldn't, and as we talked there, Wiley started to calm down and support his own weight. We quickly realized that he wasn't going to die. Rather, this was something that had happened to him once before when he had become overexcited. A doggie fainting-spell more or less. Last time, the vet had done an EKG and said it wasn't an obvious heart problem, but that they couldn't tell exactly what the issue was. Anyway, we think what really happened was that a moth fluttered in front of his face (I had seen something mothy, but forgot it in the rush of freaking out). He was surprised by it, tried to catch it, and was clotheslined by his leash, causing him to faint. We spent the rest of the night teasing our brave poodle for fainting at a butterfly. Everyone slept great that night except me. I learned that a camp cot really does need a mattress pad to be warm and/or comfortable. Somehow Connor ended up with his head in his sleeping bag, and his feet on his pillow. 
In the morning we had breakfast, then packed things up and headed down to the Mt. Wilson Observatory to hike around for the afternoon, where we saw this giant telescope. 
On the way home, after a beautiful day of blue skies, we descended into a fog bank and had to go about 10mph the entire way down the mountain. At home it had been raining all night and day, so I guess we picked a good time to camp. Plus, the following Monday I started to feel rotten, so the timing had been perfect. Hopefully we can do it again when I'm feeling better!About two weeks later (the first week in July), my parents were on their way to a dog show in . . . I forget, but it was on the coast . . . and stopped to visit with us for a couple days! I was a lousy hostess, just sitting around looking greenish, but it was still a great visit. My mom brought 3-D chalk for the kids, and both she and Chuck read them tons of books.
We also had a great barbecue, which I would have enjoyed if possible. It was really nice to see them.
We've really had fun this past year doing Joy School. I wasn't sure if it would be worth the work, but seeing the kids grow and play together (and learning how to do the activities with them) has been way better than if I was just sending Connor to preschool somewhere else all the time. Plus, these families are some of the most amazing people I've ever met - the kind of influences I totally want around my kid. We're planning on doing Year 2 next September, and Claire (one of the moms) already has plans for Elise and her daughter the year after that. Yay Joy School!
