29 Apr, 2009
Camping - Who else loves camping?
Posted by: admin In: Uncategorized
People get on my case about going camping, especially solo. They want to know what is so great about sleeping on the ground inside a tiny nylon shell?
I figure if they have to ask, they will never know. Camping for me is refreshing. Yes, one time I did. I was inside a gore-tex shell along a well populated bear path to water. Tent fabric rips a lot more easily than you might imagine as I did that night.
Ah, but you see, camping is more than the tent. Not just the tent or the ground, it is everything. The being outdoors breathing fresh air, hearing no machines or city traffic. Wait in silence near a bird’s nest for the parent to come and feed its young. It is birdwatching from inside the home of the bird.
No, I am not a masochist. Camping is not a lousy way to sleep. Camping in my tent costs a LOT less than a hotel and is sometimes safer. You just have to be prepared with the right equipment, outdoor clothing and attitude.
If I do not lie on the ground and watch the stars at least 4 times a year (once for every season), I feel cheated. Yes, I like to lie outside ON the Ground in almost the same place in each season. You would be surprised how the stars look from the same place at different times of the year. (Same place, give or take a few feet.)
When I learned how to call owls by mimicking their sounds my camping adventures took a new turn. Now I look and listen for the birds of the night as much as I do the birds in daylight.
Right. Friends and family worry about me. They think I am crazy. Perhaps I am. But if this is crazy I am glad to be outdoors enjoying the gifts of nature and feeling the energy of the earth. Okay, maybe that sounds odd but it is true for me.
A weekend in the wilderness with my camping gear and birding binoculars can recharge my spirit like nothing else can. I feel in touch with all of creation.
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