5.06.2009

Joys of Camping

This is for Cindy, who thinks camping is for the birds, in response to my post on Camping at http://jeaniespokane.blogspot.com/2008/07/time-to-go-camping.html.

Ten reasons you can enjoy camping:

1. You can throw your dirty dishes in the campfire with no guilt. (Well, paper plates, unless you are a true camper phobic and have to bring along your good China – then have your sons wash the dishes for you – in a kettle of water they drew from the lake and heated up over the open fire).
2. You can stay up as long as you like and tell ghost stories around the campfire after the sun goes down – no need for tv, radio, or books
3. If it rains during the day – you get to do jigsaw puzzles with your kids
4. If you go camping with your mom, you get to go to bed before the sun sets because she doesn’t like sitting outside in the dark by herself
5. If you go camping with your dad, you get to get up first thing in the morning because the fish are jumping, the fire is going, the eggs are frying, the cold fresh air is invigorating, nature is calling.
6. Those little black thingies in your eggs – that’s just pepper. Really.
7. You can lay in the sun and have absolutely nothing to do but bake (bring sun screen).
8. You can prove your warrior strength by standing over your children so horseflies as big as basketballs don’t carry them away.
9. You experience the Zen of sleeping on the hard ground and waking up energized and ready for a dawn swim in the icy cold river.
10. You love building a fire with twigs you and everyone else gathered when you first set up camp, after you found a fairly flat piece of ground, raked away the rocks, tree limbs, and pinecones, set up the tent, pounded the stakes in the ground so the tent wouldn’t blow away, and if it is really windy, you built a windbreak just for the fire. The fire never goes out because you feed it and feed it and feed it and feed it.

Camping is just so much FUN!!!

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You really are trying to guarantee I NEVER go camping again, aren't you?
1) Dishes? You mean even on vacation I'm expected to cook?
2) No need for books? Blasphemy. There is ALWAYS a need for books!
3) You can also do jigsaw puzzles from the cozy shelter of a rented lake cabin, or in the lobby of a nice hotel.
4) I LIKE to sit in the dark by myself. Preferably on the patio of a nice resort with a chilled glass of Riesling in hand.
5) Jumping fish! Egad! And when nature calls I want to make sure I'm using a porcelain commode with plenty of Charmin nearby.
6) I prefer my eggs without any black thingies at all.
7) I can bake in the sun beside a sparkling, choriney-fresh swimming pool, and ask the lifeguard to help me apply my sunscreen.
8) Horseflies? Horseflies! I already proved my warrior strength by giving birth to four sons without benefit of anesthetic. I don't have to prove ANYTHING after that.
9) I prefer to experience my Zin, chilled and in my glass.
10) Ever stayed in a fireplace room at the CDA resort? That's the way fire was meant to be experienced.

Looks like we won't be vacationing together any time soon :-(
Cindy