We went camping this weekend and from the tail end it seems like an awful lot of work. 
Washing piles of smoky clothes.
Washing piles of gritty dishes.
Washing dirty dogs and kids and coolers and the whole lot.
Oi.

But the thing is, I’ve already emailed with my husband about our next go-round.
Because when you’re in the midst of it, there is just too much goodness to ignore.

Here’s what I came home knowing and remembering this time:

Fresh air is good for sleep. And even when it isn’t, it’s nice to lie awake in.
White egrets nearly glow in the dark.
Fire building takes architectural finesse and oxygen and dry twigs and time.
Raccoons can open even the most well-designed coolers.
Conversations that are longer and slower are both more interesting and funnier than the rushed kind.
Trees were made for climbing.
Swimming in really cold water makes you laugh.
Coffee outdoors is more of a luxury than coffee from a drive-through.
There are butterflies bigger than my hand.
Kids are even cuter with mud in their toes and leaves in their hair.
Tweezers beat burs.
S’mores can be made with Special Darks.
Walking sticks look as much like jewelry as they do like sticks.
Skinned knees and snagged clothes add character.
There are a lot more stars than just those few we see in the city lights.

Tonight I’m going to picture them as I close my eyes….