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Show i. i . Camping is Good 1 OOSS i By Mary Gae Evans I feel that for the safety and especially the sanity of the hundreds of people heading for the lush green mountain camp sites that I should reprint some tips on camping safety and sanity. I don't know why it is but we all try to plan so carefully and everything gets packed neatly when we go, and everything comes home in such a mess. The bedding somehow gets full of sticks and grass and the food ends up in wilted unrecognizable lumps. One of the first rules to remember when you go on a three day camping trip is the fact that it is a three day trip. I have this terrible compulsion to pack enough for 40 days and 40 nights so the hamburger changes color before we get around to it. The bacon goes limp and the ham gets a little green. You see the meat has to wait until we eat all those fish and the ice in the box and coolers turns to warm water after the second day. And by the way when your cooking the fish close the camper door and bar it, if you open it one little crack you'll have to share your fish with flies and those quick little moths that either fly into your food or your mouth. Maybe you remember the movie about the insects taking over the earth. Well, camping near a pond or a lake will convince you its happening. And if you want to really enjoy eating the fish, don't have anything to do with matching them. Have you aver seen what they eat and anyone who has baited a hook winding and stabbing a giant worm on it , yeee -- it really cools your appitite. Another tip I'd like to pass on after learning the hard ay is "don't" talk about spooky things at night, like grizzly bears or ghosts Oefore everyone goes out for the last rest stop. It gets wfully dark in the mountains moun-tains and the most important tip of all. If you are the kind of person that is in the habit af getting up in the night to go to the bathroom don't sleep on the back side of the top bunk. There's no way you can get out. Remember to take several kinds of mesquito sprays and rubs, none of them will work but you'll know you tried. Take twice as much ice and canned pop as you think you could possible need and if your taking kids, fill every nook and cranny with goodies, that moun-tainair moun-tainair turns kids into garbage disposals. They never stop eating. Remember the salt and a pan big enough to cook those giant fish and don't forget your favorite pillow and dozens of pairs of socks for the kids. When they hear you say don't go too near the edge they think you mean the edge of the bank and most of their time is spent ankle deep in water. A nice camping trip is good for the soul. The fresh mountain air, the moonlight, and the humming of the mosquitos drawing blood. But the best part of all is the deep appreciation you'll have for your own bed when you get home. |