May Introduction to Camping

         The Brownlees, a family of six, arrived at their Lake Bernard Park campsite at long last. It had been a four hour trip squished together in the car. Now, they gratefully stretched their legs. Before long, the four siblings and their two German Shepherds began fidgeting. They expressed a desire to wander and explore.

          Mom waved them off with, " Keep an eye on your baby sister, and don't let the dogs get into trouble."

         As they ran off, Dad wrestled the big carton with the new tent in it out of the sedan's trunk.

         Soon, dusk began to settle, and the noisy kids returned to discover a yellow and green striped canvas tent billowing in the breeze.With Mom hollering, " Mind the zipper, and take of your shoes," they tumbled inside their home away from home.

          " Stop shaking the tent pole," Dad yelled.

         Mom poked her head through the door flap , and handed out bundles of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. "Here, make up your beds." Dad demonstrated how to close the flap.

         " Zip slowly, so you don't catch the screen."

         Yes, it was just like at home; close the door.

         An impromptu pillow fight was interrupted by Mother asking, " Hey, where's Dukey?" All four shrugged their shoulders. Daddy whistled. The wayward dog galloped up and wriggled into the tent.

         Gagging and crying, the kids pushed their pet outside. "Eww, go away. Dad, Dukey stinks!" One pungent whiff, and he knew where the reeking animal had been. He had met and annoyed a skunk.

         Grumbling, Dad drove into the nearest town, returning with several large cans of tomato juice. With mutters and gasps, he doused the trembling puppy. Mom sprayed Dukey with cold water from a hose. Both rubbed him with most of the towels that had been packed for the weekend.

         With his camp christening a fading memory, a still damp Dukey crept into the tent to cuddle. All of the children were hunkered down for the night. Sleepily, the youngest whispered, " He smells like ketchup."

         With six people and two dogs, the interior of the tent became quite cozy. Nobody complained about feeling cold. When morning dawned, it was quite the shock to push open the tent flap, and see sparkling snow blanketing the ground. How could this be? It was the long May weekend! It was camping season, not winter time.

         Giggling, four kids rushed outside. " Be careful," Mom warned, " it'll be slippery." Slipping and sliding, clad only in pyjamas, the kids whooped as their dogs joined them barking. They could learn to like this thing known as camping.

(431 words)