Camping Trip Redux

When I was a kid we used to go camping in a 1972 Prowler trailer. The first thing my older sister and I did when we arrived was go exploring on our bikes. If it was too hilly we would find a walking stick and hike off into the woods. And we always found some other adventurous kids to play or fight with. After dark we read our comic books by flashlight or played board games for entertainment.

My clean-freak mom had lots of rules. We were NEVER allowed in the trailer with our shoes on and could only use the toilet for emergency number ones. Showers (and number 2's) meant walking to the campsite's public restrooms. The trailer had an oven and stove, but it was mostly used to heat water for washing dishes. I think we ate a lot of sandwiches.


Wednesday my husband, the kids and I returned from a short camping trip in that old trailer. The inside has been updated with new curtains and seat cushions (think Brady Bunch decor) but nothing else has changed. In fact, I was teasing my husband that the kitchen was nicer than mine at home.


I have a little of my mother in me and insist that the boys "respect" the trailer.
They don't always have to remove their shoes, but they do have to clean up after themselves. The stove gets used and the oven would too, but we can't get it to work. Maybe it never did.


Happily, some things never change. The boys passed the time riding their bikes, throwing knives (okay, it's a boy thing), and playing board games. Just like we did in the old days.


-Lela