Faron Wahl, Manager.

If there’s one common thought shared by every single person in this region recently, it’s definitely “surely this weather will straighten out next week”. I’ve certainly thought it myself every week for what seems like several months now.

We’ve tended to a decent list of challenges the wet weather has produced on our grounds, including soggy camping areas requiring substitute placements, a sinking railroad curve needing emergency foundation work, and a few schools who dared not allow their students to muster through rain, wind, and 45 degree temperatures to carry out an otherwise highly anticipated school tour.

And yet, we’re so much better off than many. Camping and recreation areas within miles of here are experiencing record flooding, in some cases beyond anything imaginable. And our hearts go out to local farmers who have carried loads of stress and strain just trying to get cows calved out and equipment readied for eventual planting that just keeps escaping them.

We know it will improve, and as we near the month of June, the likelihood of breaking this long cycle does get better. Warming temperatures alone are nearly guaranteed to some degree as the tilt of the earth puts us more and more in a direct trajectory of the sun’s toasty rays. That planet axis thing just isn’t shaken by our little surface weather cycles.

Now that we’ve kicked off the traditional camping season with Memorial Day visitors, we look forward to those warm, sunny days with guests simply looking to unwind and enjoy quality family time with us, away from the heavy stresses of life. And we’re ready to greet you.

We’ve added a couple of hotly reviewed outdoor camping games to our list of offerings, yours to borrow simply by asking at our gift shop. Any adult who’s camping with us can come up during shop hours and sign out either game for a period of the day or for an evening. There are no fees attached; this simply amounts to value-added fun while you’re staying with us.

Tumbling Timbers is a yard-sized variation of the classic tabletop game where you stack rectangular blocks into a tower, then take turns removing one block at a time until someone simply can’t do so without the tower collapsing. We saw a couple of campers bring this game with them last summer, and it’s highly rated online. If you think it’s fun to play on a table, wait ‘til you try the macro, campsite version.

Or take a crack at Bulz-I-Bucket, a hacky-sack relative of “beanbag toss”, wherein a stacked pyramid of bowls are the target for two teams scoring with a set of bean-filled round bags, either tossed, kicked, or else landed by a combination of those two means. Again, online reviews are excellent, it’s easy to learn, and it’s good for a wide bracket of ages.

The only caveat to checking out either game will be a requirement for dry grass and grounds, in order to keep the games in good condition. And yes, despite the past few weeks’ record to the contrary, we anticipate many sunny days ahead. Virtually no summer here is ever void of them, so plan on spending a few of them with us – and try out one of our new games while you’re here!

Come on out to enjoy a fun evening and show support to a group of local girls who will be competing for the titles of Miss Prairie Village and Miss Prairie Princess on Sunday, June 2 at 7:00 pm in our Opera House. Cost is just $6.00 for adults or a punch on your season pass. We’d love to see you there!