A Beautiful Late Fall Saturday in Camp

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This morning dawned clear and cold along the Neuse River across from New Bern. It is a beautiful day to be camping.

Feeling good about the cold weather while camping is easy when one spent the night on a queen sized bed in a gas furnace heated fifth-wheel camper and is currently enjoying a hot cup of coffee brewed in a Keurig while sitting in a padded recliner and enjoying the LED fireplace with its electric heater. At my age and with my arthritis, I might not be in such good spirits after a night on the ground in a tent and drinking instant coffee while huddled around a campfire trying to avoid the smoke.

Mind you, I did my time in tents when my sons were growing up and going through Scouts on the trail from Tiger Cub to Eagle.  I spent those sixteen years tent camping one, two, and sometimes three weekends a month in all seasons and in all kinds of weather. From July's insane heat and humidity, to February's brutal cold and snow, and through all the windy and rainy times in between, we camped through it all.

Before marriage and children, when I served in the infantry, we didn't call it camping, and we rarely slept in a tent or sleeping bag. Usually, wed wrap up in our ponchos and fall asleep on the ground.

For the younger me, sleeping on the ground in a tent was fine. The older me desires a few more comforts.

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