Spring Campout: Full Report

The Spring 2009 Edition was most enjoyable. Oh, there was a little cloud to go with the silver lining: my venerable tent suffered shock-cord failures in two of its three poles which rendered it very difficult to set up and take down, and also betrayed me with some leaking in Thursday night's torrential rains. I've been thinking about a new one for several years now, so I expect my current model has seen its last campout.

On the whole, however, it was all good. I was forced to interrupt the Friday night business meeting when some Camping Association members seemed to be going rules-mad and legislation-crazy; when things began to look dangerous, I tossed my nearly-empty spray-cheese can into the fire, resulting in a harmless but loud explosion a few seconds later, after which I was able to regain the floor and explain to one and all that camping is naturally a near-anarchic activity and should must stay that way. All three falls on the Three Falls Trail were in full operation, no doubt due to the snowy winter and wet spring that we've had. The Wabash County conservation officer stopped by and quizzed us, probably suspecting that we might be cooking crank; but he quickly recognized us for what we were: a gaggle of engineers who had slipped the leash for a day or two. Every night, I went to sleep to the sound of distant freight trains, and woke in the small hours of the morning to the sound of distant coyotes, and also the need to use my detergent-bottle tent urinal ("don't leave home without it!"). Sunday morning, I awoke to the sound of nearby birdsong of a sort that I don't remember ever hearing before, and that was excellent.

And that's the way it was.