Scout Camp

Why does it seem that when my kids endeavor to earn something, I feel that I’ve worked hard enough helping them to have earned it, too?

We went down the checklist: flashlight, sleeping bag, a couple gallon jugs of water, a roll of heavy duty foil, a large clean coffee can, a small clean tuna can, plus clothes for the weekend, and swimming gear (this added another bag.) Other food items had been assigned to us: 3 gallons of milk and 3 cans of corn.

We stuffed what we could alongside a best friend’s things in her dad’s limited trunk and held the rest on our laps as we rode.

The campsite was beautiful. It looked down over the city park. Now if more rain would hold off so the ground could dry out, they could begin this weekend of fun and learning by pitching tents. We left them to it.

The weekend weather turned out perfect. We brought home a can of corn and 2 gallons of the milk unopened. We are usually pressed to find room in our refrigerator for one gallon of milk let alone two extras.

The girls had hiked to seek and identify certain things on their way. They learned to start a fire and to cook with their mess kits using their empty cans as burners.

Each girl brought home a baby food jar containing some of the campfire ashes. These were to be thrown in the next campfire and new ones brought home from it to continue a tradition with the ashes. Its label read, “When opened, memories are revealed; when closed, memories are sealed.”

The songs they learned were the first thing I heard when I met them at pick-up time.They had earned several patches for their vests and also absorbed a strong, smoky smell. Time to hit the showers.

I’ll be waiting for my patch for packing light and using a checklist.