Camping

The family (and few groups of friends) all went camping for the last five days.  It was a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable time.  Of course there were the requisite bug bites, rain, etc.  But, the reality was that those things were inconsequential.  It was wonderful and enjoyable to be with family in friends in the great outdoors and really have virtually no agenda or schedule except to relax, have fun, eat food, sit by the fire and relax.  A great time was had by all. Great company, great food, a great location, and a whole helluva lot of fun.

I also played it smart as well, regarding my pipe.  One concern I had would be that I would really want (and really miss my pipes) while we sat around the campfire late at night.  My pipes had always been a part of my "sitting around the campfire" experience.  I do admit that I thought about them several times, but the feelings were manageable.  I also had a strategy I adhered to as well.  As is normal with campfires and camping, there is often a reasonable about of consumption of "adult" beverages that occurs, and I do admit enjoying partaking in this ritual.  However, I also know that if I were to become a bit "tipsy" my desire for a pipe would increase dramatically and I would either become quite unhappy that I did not bring by pipes or I might even want to "bum" some form of tobacco from someone else around the campfire.   So, I decided to engage in relatively modest drinking and also restricted myself to light beer only. 

Our current tent is rather scruffy and old (as I guess I am too).  The one we have currently is already 16 years old.... but it held up damn well, even with the rain we had.  I have been fastidious with this one, however.  Unlike a lot of the previous tents we have had over the years, I have taken really good care about cleaning, drying, and gently folding this one after every use.

PipeTobacco