Camping with Friends

It began as a brainstorm earlier this summer.

In conversation after Friends’ Meeting one Sunday, we discovered that a number of us enjoy camping. We thought it might be fun to do it as a group some weekend, so this weekend we did. The group consisted of 3 families who camped for 2 nights, one family who camped for 1 night, and one family that came out for the afternoon and evening on Saturday, but did not camp. Decent turn-out for a summer weekend!

We stayed at a lesser known, but beautiful rustic campground less than an hour from our city, which was not at all crowded. Good thing, since every family who participated had kids, most ages 8 and under! It felt good to let them roam and run and be as loud as they wanted to be. The kids had a blast – getting dirty and tired and eating too many marshmallows. They enjoy one another’s company so much every Sunday, and it was nice to give them a longer time to be together. Frankly, the same was true for us adults who also got dirty, tired and ate too many marshmallows. :o) We got quite a bit of time to visit, since the kids were occupied with playing together much of the time.

Camping always rejuvenates my spirits, but camping while 8 months pregnant takes it’s toll! Sleeping comfortably wasn’t a problem, thank goodness, but I’m tiring easily these days, and many tasks that usually take little effort (like stooping down to unzip the tent flap) are now awkward and difficult. The bathroom -- which I visited, um, frequently -- was a bit of a hike. It wasn't so far distance-wise, but down a rather long, steep hill that was a bear to climb back up sometimes. (I actually drove the van to the bathroom two or three times when I just couldn’t face the climb!) When I got home today, I treated myself to a nice bath, but my feet still ache.

I’m sorry to say that I didn’t bring a camera, but here are some highlights:

*Finding a cicada that had just emerged from it’s exoskeleton one morning. The still wet wings and body were beautiful shades of blue-green, pearl and silver. As the day wore on, the cicada’s colors darkened until the wings were mostly brown and only a hint of green was visible on the body. By mid-afternoon, it had moved on, leaving the discarded exoskeleton behind.

*Pot luck dinner on Saturday. Good food, good company, good fun, no cooking! (Except for the meat, but I wasn’t in charge of that!)

*My parents popping in at the campground to help celebrate my birthday. My dad brought his remote control airplane – a good size one – and thrilled the kids with a demo.

*Seeing Alexander get SO tired that he thought the trip to the beach – which happened at the peak of his fatigue – had been a dream. (He told me about his “dream” later that day. He still remembers little of the excursion, even though he now knows it really happened.)

*Enjoying the peaceful quiet of the campground with Firmin while everyone else was at the beach. (I didn’t feel up to sitting in the sun for several hours.) We talked for a while, then dozed in our chairs. Ahhh!

*Watching the kids – all the kids, not just mine – be great kids. Yes, they ran too far ahead of the grown ups on walks, and they didn’t always respond to adult instruction the first time, but I never saw them ostracize or tease one another. (Even between siblings there was a high level of civility and tolerance.) When they gleefully chased the remote control plane as it landed, my father yelled after them not to touch it, and they responded with restraint and respect. It was almost comical to watch them crowd around as close as humanly possible without touching it! Only the youngest – a 3 year old – ventured a finger to gingerly touch the edge of the wing once the plane had stopped. We may not be raising the most compliant and obedient children around, but I feel fairly confident in speaking for all the parents when I say that’s not really our goal. The children are clearly learning to navigate the world and their relationships with moral values and good judgment. *That* is the goal, and they are well on their way.

I love being a part of this family of Friends.