Alotta Monkey Business

Anniversary Camp!

Written for {item:198585 }, prompt: National Camp Day; Nov 19.

Yeah, I'm a day behind. I intended to write this yesterday evening, but after dinner, my wife wanted to watch a movie. No problem, I'll relax and let my food settle, then write my entry. She picked out a movie, Storm of The Century, and it was midnight by the time it ended.

This one time, at Band Camp...

I was never in band, and I was never able to attend summer camp, but a few friends and I made up for it by camping out. It started with backyard camping, and when a good friend moved to their new house on the lake, it started including a campfire. Soon, we would hike out in the woods someplace, usually on the banks of a river or lake, and camp overnight.

We didn't have much equipment, and the tent we used for backyard camping was off-limits to our hiking campouts, so we were often at the mercy of the weather. We didn't have sleeping bags so we would roll up a thick blanket or two and pack our food in an old burlap feed sack. One day, we came across a torn-up tarp that must have blown off a truck, so we patched it up the best we could (iron-on patches) and used that for shelter from the rain and or wind.

In time I collected more equipment and camping gear, kids replaced my school friends, and life was good. Since I had never been able to attend a summer camp, I offered my kids the opportunity, but they preferred our family camp-outs over summer camps. My youngest did attend summer camp when she was fifteen, but after driving for two hours to take her to her chosen camp, she got homesick, didn't like the cabin she shared with some other kids, and called the next day to come back home. My middle child was in scouts, so he did camp out with them a few times, but preferred to have his scout friends camp out with our family.

After the kids grew up, I took my new girlfriend out camping and discovered a new camp partner. After a few years, we ended up married. Everyone told me things would change after the exchange of vows and my fishing, hiking, and camping partner would want to do other things and me to join her.

Not so! We have been married for sixteen years now and she is still my fishing, hiking, kayaking, and camping partner. She started the tradition of camping for our anniversary. There have been a few exceptions, but she voiced her preference to stick to a week (if possible) campout to celebrate our anniversary.

So, even though National Camp Day is for summer camp, I think it should include any type of camping whether it's friends, family, or a group camp. But in November? Not in Minnesota, perhaps I'll recognize National Camp Day as July 21 instead; Not only is that better weather for camping it's also our anniversary!

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"Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free." T.J.