Well, I did it. After 42 years of being campless, I had my first camp out Friday night. It was a Girl Scout event with Miss Neenee. She got some patches for camping out, making s’mores, a hiking adventure, singing camp songs, cooking, & learning some things about this great outdoors of ours. She did get some mosquito bites, as well. You know what I got? Tired achy feet.

Our sleeping arrangements were in a tent on the ground. With no air mattress, no nothing. Just us & the hard ground. Which did not help the fact that my back had already been out the beginning of the week. I had never slept outside before. It was a little different. At 3:30am I was awaken by a whippoorwill’s call & a dog barking. Giggling girls & young’uns on the back porch patio singing, to the top of their lungs, Frozen songs until after midnight, made for an early morning, anyway. The tent was hot. Mainly, because I do not know the proper tent/camping protocol. I, however, was not going to sleep with the tent unzipped, as I did not want to look like an open invitation to any sort of bug, lizard, or snake. So, we were just hot for awhile. I had 2 snickering, wiggly girls in the tent with me. After they properly yelled good night, to the little girls in the tent beside us, they whispered only for a few minutes. Then, they were asleep. I only woke up 3 or maybe 30 times from in the wee hours of Saturday morning until 5:30am. I finally had all I could take. I got up & freshened up. I had a cup of coffee & things did not look as bleak after that.

All I could think about, while I was trying to go to sleep is the verse in Luke that Jesus talks about not having a place to sleep.
Luke 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
If Jesus slept on the ground, I’m sure He had some aches & pains. After all, He was human. I know He deserved a luxurious pillow topped, sleeping on a cloud, kind of mattress. It makes me have a deeper appreciation for all He did & went through just for me & you.

Now, we always like to learn from our experiences, don’t we? So here is my list of what I learned about my camp out:
1. I don’t understand the term “happy camper”.
2. When camping, make sure you pay attention to what you are doing. My feet are still hurting for reasons unknown.
3. Bug spray is my friend.
4. I am not meant to be at “one” with nature & that’s o.k.
5. I really think camping, besides in our troop leader’s back yard, could be worse. I don’t think we roughed it too much.
6. Probably the last time I camp.
7. In life, sometimes you do things, you really don’t want to do, just because someone else wants you to.
8. If I had to sleep outside, on a regular basis, it would perhaps take the friendly right out of me.
9. Little girls have a big time camping. That’s all it’s about anyway.

I hope you have had a wonderful week. It has been just delightful here. Meaning getting to sleep in my cozy, comfy bed has been a delight. I hope you are getting to sleep in your bed, without the threat of critters of the outdoors kind, disrupting you. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.