Happy Campers

I know all the dark places
Where the sun hasn't reached yet,
Where the last cricket
Has just hushed; anthills
Where it sounds like it's raining;
Slumbering spiders spinning wedding dresses...

The good tree with its voice
Of a mountain stream
Knows my steps.
It, too, hushes. 

I stop and listen:
Somewhere close by
A stone cracks a knuckle,
Another rolls over in its sleep.

I hear a butterfly stirring
Inside a caterpillar,
I hear the dust talking
Of last night's storm...


And all of a sudden!
In the midst of that quiet,
It seems possible
To live simply on this earth. 

- Charles Simic (Summer Morning)



The tent is up and we're ready for the Great American Backyard Campout.

The pals took it for a test spin and deemed it "awesome".  I placed a large quilt on the floor of the tent upon which the campers set up their gear and watched fireflies from the tent window.

"It looks like lightning!", they squealed. 

We read, "Whoo's There", a short, but sweet bedtime shadow casting book about nocturnal animals and used a flash light cast the projections on the tent wall.  We awoke to the dawn chorus.

You can join our camping team or sponsor our team by clicking HERE.  Your support helps the National Wildlife Federation to connect more children with nature!


Are you looking for swell ideas to make your backyard camping even more fun?   Click HERE!