Wintertime, I hear
I thought I had met wintertime. Once. At a camp reunion we had between Christmas and New Years. It snowed in the mountains, and those of us reuinioning spent most of our time chopping wood, huddled under sleeping bags and blankets on thin mattresses in the staff room, or drawing straws to see whose turn it was to go fix something really hot to eat or drink. How quickly we forget (well, it was some 25 years ago. Egad.).
I was assigned an Order of the Arrow ordeal with my eldest at the beginning of December at a Boy Scout camp in Texas. I was relieved it wasn’t going to be in August, as trail clearing and trash hauling tend to be the order of the day in the Order of the Arrow. And even though I had packed my positive attitude and (incognito, not knowing how welcome they would be) a few pocket warmers, I was amazed at the temperature in the teens we experienced both Friday and Saturday nights.
Some hardy and eager scouts slept in the open Friday night, and the moonlight was beautiful, but I must admit I was grateful for my little tent to keep as much warmth with me as it could. I enjoyed the weekend after all, even more Saturday night, thanks to a handwarmer tossed in the foot of the sleeping bag and a dose of Advil PM (I’m not much into medicines, but it sure did make the ground softer and let me actually sleep).
I returned Sunday in time to do laundry and collect most of my accoutrements for an enthralling trip to Delightful Detroit. I only thought I had seen winter before. The 4-block walk to another meeting place and travel to and from the airport was the only time I spent outside, however. Those northerners have got it figured out, with the tunnel walkway thingies. I am newly impressed.
And I’m planning for another week there in January. And we’re staying in a hotel about 6 miles away from our meeting building, so I have a feeling I’m due for a good bit more travel outside than before. But hopefully I won’t need a pocket warmer at the foot of the hotel bed.
