Going camping

When Sean and I were growing up, we got sort of a treat after the school year was over. During the summer, our families plus another would head out to the river for a weekend of camping. This weekend was a time we both looked forward to. The first reason was simple... we were out of school ...but more importantly we had plenty of time to do the things we enjoyed the most. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you need to go back a read the other stories about our crazy adventures... Anyhoo, when we went camping, we done it right. None of this drive the camper out and unfold it like what you see being pulled behind vehicles. Oh no... we picked our spot on the river, loaded up our tents and other necessities and rode in our boats out to the site. We set the tent up and put the chairs out... that's it... rest and relaxation. Ah man, we had so much fun every time we went camping. We went skiing, swimming, fishing, took boat rides all over the river, built fires and then sat around listening to the wood snap crackle and pop while we talked and laughed the night away. I remember one evening we ( we- meaning us kids, no parents) were talking around the fire and a piece of wood popped out and Sean stepped on it. Ouch!!! There were no restrooms except the woods. We brought our groceries out with us so when it was time to eat, we either grilled out or had some type of cold food stored in coolers. That's good camping right there now...but what stands out the most to me was this thing Sean and I made every year. Here's the deal, I brought my shovel and Sean his .... we started digging up the sand from all over the site and throwing it into the water from the edge to as far out as we could go- with the sand above or just under the water. What we were trying to create was something like a runway.... so we could get back, take off running onto the runway and then leap into deep waters. You gotta think we were only 4 to 5 feet tall, so it wasn't like we had a 6 foot deep runway leading out into the water... work with me a little here now.. You know, it worked really well for us and yes- we had a name for it. This architectural formation was called Terd-ball Island.... and we were dang proud of it. Every year terd-ball island had to be created or else camping would not the the same. As time passed on we eventually stopped going to the river to camp cause we were getting old enough for junior high school. To go along with that, both Sean and I had graduated from riding bicycles. Our parents had bought us dirt bikes which was our new passion. From that moment on our camping trips were next to none. Even when camping was brought up, it was our dirt bikes that did the talking. However, the camping trips were some of the best times we've ever had- it was kinda like we had more important things to do, or at least for me... but on the other hand -I had so much fun camping that when we got back home -it felt as if something was missing. Even though the camping days were pretty much history I wouldn't change anything and although terd- ball island was never created again, it is always being created when I think back to those good times...why you ask...because that was just who we were. Long live terd-ball island.