Camping

Camping has been an important part of my life. I love everything about it. I have been told that the first time I really camped out I was about 18 months old. We have taken some grandkids younger than that. I have so many fond memories of all the camping experiences since then. From camping with my family as a child, to Girl Scout camp, to camping with my own family, with friends, and with extended family. After I joined the Church and became a camp cook and a camp counselor, my camping experiences only multiplied, many times over. The camp fires, sleeping outside under the stars or in a tent it is all good. I can smell the campfire as I type this. Climbing rocks, climbing trees (in my younger days), playing games, having “treasure hunts”, renting wave runners. Camping in the mountains and on the beach. Camping by a river or by a stream. Swimming in the lake or floating around in a rubber boat. Water skiing for years. Making S’mores, foil dinners, hot chocolate, Jiffy Pop that always burned, baked potatoes and roasted corn in the coals. And oh those breakfasts, what could be better than eggs and bacon on an open campfire. Baking biscuits in a Dutch oven. Orange crates hanging on the trees for kitchen “cabinets”, an orange crate hung on a tree with a mirror above it for our “medicine” cabinet, and another crate sitting on the ground with a wash basin on top of it for our sink, a roll of paper towels with a stick through the hole and some twine tied to it to hang from the tree or one of the crates. A first aid kit nailed to a tree hanging close by. A hammock strung between two trees. A ground cloth for the door of the tent, sewn out of old Levi’s. A huge bandana quilt the backing made with fabric I got at an auction was what they made ponchos out of during the Viet Nam war and the quilt top was made from many brightly colored bandanas. Another very big ground cloth made from fabric sample books that I got from a store that was getting rid of them. Heavy drapery material samples, carpet samples, etc. It was heavy, but we used it for years to cover the dusty area of the camp site. No wonder I have won some of the ward campouts “Best Camp Site” awards. No trailers or RV’s for us. It was us and nature. Wood gathering hikes, and pine cone gathering were part of the very fun experience. No refrigerators, just ice chests under the trees or in the dome tent “kitchen”. Long restful evenings spent talking by the camp fire. Playing Pit one night so loud that the neighboring camp came over to quiet down the kids that were keeping the rest of the campers within hearing range awake, only to find out it was the “grown ups” more than the kids. The table always had to have an “oil cloth” table cloth and fresh wild flowers. A fast food restaurant type napkin holder (so they wouldn’t blow away). Early in the morning listening to the squirrels getting into our “stuff” that we had neglected to put away the night before. And I could never forget to mention the camouflage parachute that I pulled out of the neighbor’s trash can one time (with permission). We used it for years after that to build “walls” around our camp site. Surprising how big a parachute is and how cozy and private your camp becomes. With the other side being a clothes line, with swim suits and towels hanging, always at the ready. I don’t think this blog has enough space to tell of all our wonderful special memories of camping. Except there might be a couple of our kids that didn’t think the bugs were such a wonderful experience, but so many other things made up for that. Would I like to go and sleep on the ground now? I think I just might.

Cooking - important--------------- More cooking

Yes, bikes sometimes---- Family Camp cooks- Me & Mom

Nap time

More food - Girl's Camp

Manti

The California Coast

Girl's Camp cooks

Girl's Camp - hand in candy jar

Now, this is the way to camp

Where there's smoke there's fire, right?