I have enjoyed camping with my son in the Canadian Rockies – back-packing, hiking mountain trails, cooking on a micro-stove, setting up tent and sleeping in the quiet of a mountain campsite.
Last night was different, I spent the night with my grandson (age 4) and granddaughter (she is 8) in a tent in our back yard. My grandson would only agree to a night in the tent if his mother would stay as well. He was afraid raccoons might get us. So the four of us spent the night in the tent. The experience was quite different than the mountain camping trips.
Mountain sounds: water rolling over rocks in a nearby stream and leaves blowing in the wind and an occaisonal snore.
Backyard sounds: katydids and other insects, a neighbor bouncing a basketball in his driveway at mid-night, a low-flying airplane, sirens at 2:00 AM, a jet, a train in the distance and cars, trucks and motorcycles through the night. The motion detector light on the nearby deck came on before dawn. Was it the dreaded raccoon, a possum, or a stray cat?
It is obvious I didn’t sleep as soundly as I might have in my own bed – in addition to the noises of the night there were knees and elbows in the back; a grandchild’s head on my stomach.
I got up while the others were still sleeping and went for my usual 5 mile run – weary and slower than usual but thankful for the special time with grandchildren and for another memory.
