Campfires and Memories

I was looking over the fence a couple of days ago and noticed that the kids next door had put a fire pit in their cleared wooded area. It is just a grouping of rocks around the fire pit. Camp chairs surround it. The night before I heard lots of talking and laughing out there. It sounded like fun. Looking at it brought back memories of campfires that I have had. The first one was at Camp Tu-endie-wei in Elgin Illinois. We talked about this camp at the class reunion this weekend. Many of us went there for a week or two during the summer. There we were... 70 somethings talking about our summer memories at camp. Later on, when my kids were small, campfires were a big thing. I took my daughter to a day camp and we made clay pots and fired them in the campfire. I wrote about the exploding pots a while back. It is a fun memory for us. Getting back to the kids next door. Audra was over and she invited me to their campfire. I might go over some night. Ernestine at http://myjourneytomindfulness.blogspot.com/ talks about her fire pit at her new home. She is a 70 something who has taken us on a journey with her...building a home in the woods. She did this on her own...what a challenge for a woman her age. She has kept us interested, by posting words and pictures all along the way. If you want to follow this woman...check it out. My daughter and grand kids have campfires up North. They sit around and laugh and sometimes set off fireworks. This is a memory that the kids will never forget. A campfire brings to mind many wonderful things: the smell of roasting marshmallows and smores treats, the warmth and coziness of the fire, the feeling of togetherness with those others who are around the campfire. In addition to these lovely experiences, the campfire provides a stage for all of us would be singers. Many songs are associated with campfires. If you're happy and you know it clap your hands, Kumbaya, Michael rowed the boat ashore, Coral bells, and Baby bumble bee. Do you remember any campfire songs? I would imagine that the old ones are still sung. Do you remember drinking bug juice? We called anything we drank, bug juice.I just thought of ghost stories and scary things...we always tried to scare each other. Maybe some night, when the weather is warm again, I will wander over to Audra's campfire and grab a chair and listen to an old familiar song...Kumbya...

Balisha