No matter when I go off to camp somewhere, someone gets on my case. 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. I never see camping like that. Well, once 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.

But camping is not about only 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.

I sleep well when I camp, most of the time. I love it. It is surely an affordable alternative to the prices of hotels and motels these days. You just have to be prepared with the right equipment, outdoor clothing and attitude.

I feel out of sorts and cheated if I do not lie on the ground and watch the stars at least 4 times a year. 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.

Yes, my friends and colleages think I am crazy. Perhaps I am. I love being outdoors with nature. So call me crazy if you want. Now that is starting to sound a bit flakey but it is true.

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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