You’re a Safe Abode During Rough Times
Reciprocal Nature prompt, 2nd week of April: “Campfire tales”
My love for camping began when I was 6 years old. That’s when my family decided to homestead on a mountain. We lived in a surplus Army cabin tent while building a permanent home. It was a canvas shelter that resonated delightful music when raindrops struck. The sound lulled me to sleep.
During winter the canvas reflected heat from our kerosene stove. It kept us toasty warm. The shelter was dry when heavy rains pelted our home. It withstood hurricane force winds. Rollup window flaps allowed fresh air to flow through. We lived close to Nature since there was no insulation.
Summer was a time when I attended Girl Scout Camp. We slept on cots in canvas tents on raised wooden platforms. Our meals were cooked over campfires. I can still taste the delicious blueberry pancakes we had for breakfast. High blueberry bushes grew nearby. We washed dishes by hand which air dried in nets on a line.
The fresh air ensured hearty appetites. Muscles were toned by hiking, canoeing and swimming. It was common to see red foxes and deer stroll the grounds. Possoms hung by their tails in roadside trees. Frogs croaked near the lake shore. The air smelled fresh and clean in the country.
