my foray into wilderness living

My first time camping.

I made a number of discoveries; I now know that--regardless of what you may have observed on Bugs Bunny--a campfire cannot be started by rubbing two sticks together. And just forget about using a magnifying glass, especially in the dark. In fact, a campfire cannot be started even by means of dry wood, matches, and a starter log. A successful campfire requires approximately 14 pounds of newspaper, at least 8 or 9 people simultaneously attempting to ignite combustible materials, and about 3 hours of your time. I also discovered that a bony 6’3” frame is not made to sit on an uneven 4” tall soot-covered stone for 2 hours.

The fire did finally start, and we were rewarded with a glorious confection known as s'mores, a delicacy entirely devour-able in all its marshmallowy goodness. We sang, we testified, we shrieked as flying sparks landed in our hair, we retired upon the wet and unforgivingly hard ground.

We awoke to the sound of a burbling stream, sore and happy, and spent the morning burning various consumer items, including marshmallows, styrofoam plates, and plastic forks, as well as the occasional member of the invertebrate kingdom.

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