Unlike families who took summer vacations and headed for the beaches and lake cottages, my family always seemed to head out in the fall. We'd load up the Trail 90's and the camping gear and head for the Ghoul Haunted Woodlands of Weir. Up along the Maumee or the Elkhart rivers, we'd camp where Dad had tromped when he was a lad. He'd take us to the Nazbee Dam, the Mongo General Store (where we'd buy interesting dried things like mushrooms in jars and penny candy) and to the depths of the woods where there were natural springs coming out of the ground for us to drink the cold, clear water.
We'd camp in the rain and the mist, get soaking wet, have damp feet and freeze to death in the wee hours of the morning, waiting for the fire to take hold and warm us.
I'd probably perish of ague and misery if I did that now, but I still can smell the air and the campfire and the woods and the damp earth, when it turns autumn and I remember Indiana.
1 comment:
I have always loved autumn and coming from Illinois I could visualize your camping trips. One of my favorite trips was to visit New Salem State Park in the autumn and walk through the crunching leaves, smell the wood smoke and enjoy a crisp cool day.
Post a Comment