Random Review- Installment 9, When This Family Goes Camping

When this family goes camping, 

there will be a cabin and not a tent,

electricity but no running water,

and much gratitude for clean wash houses with hot showers.

When this family goes camping,

there will be mountain pies for breakfast and supper one day, 

cinnamon buns on a stick, campfire cones, 

s'mores and pigs-in-a-blanket,

oatmeal in a jar and bagels toasted over the burner,

little boys raiding the strawberries,

coffee made in a percolator,

and the general agreement that food has never tasted so good!

When this family goes camping,

there will be general thankfulness over comfortable beds in safe places.

The two older children will camp out together on one single bed

 and the toddler will stay up 'til at least one in the morning on the first night

and climb out of his pack 'n' play to steal flashlights from his sleeping siblings 

with unaccustomed freedom.

When this family goes camping,

there will be two hikes by the lake 

in weather as close to perfect as you can get.

When this family goes camping,

there will be one bike ride that lasts all of  15 minutes, 

thanks to steep hills and too much gravel.

They will realize that the work of building a bike rack,

pulling a trailer over the mountains

and pumping up all the bike tires 

 was not worthwhile,

and decide to wait until they have teenagers before trying

mountain biking again. 

When this family goes camping, 

there will be a program offered on beavers by the park service

which involves a pontoon boat ride around the lake.

The two-year-old will not be old enough to go, 

so the dad and the two oldest children

 will get the privilege

 of seeing a beaver lodge

and holding a beaver pelt

while trolling over the water.

When this family goes camping,

there will be opportunity for 

lounging, reading,

 fun with marshmallow shooters,

and some great camp fires.

When this family goes camping,

there will be the pleasure of Camping Bingo,

glow sticks in neon colors,

construction vehicles working the nightshift

 and stories around the campfire

 by the light of the moon.

When this family goes camping

there will be an impromptu

foot washing service

and other opportunities to carry water

from the pump to the cabin

in ice cream pails.

When this family goes camping

at Black Moshannon State Park

they will marvel at how beautiful bogs and sphagnum moss

and man-made dams can be.

They will wonder why they waited until the end of summer

to go camping

and will hope to stay longer 

next year.