As a kid, I liked camping. It was fun to live outdoors for a few days, enjoy the beauties of nature, and not worry about homework and other domestic tasks.  As an adult, and especially as an aging adult, my enthusiasm for camping has greatly diminished.  It’s usually too hot or too cold. There is too much noise from neighboring campers. There are unclean bathrooms. I get too dirty and not enough sleep. The list goes on. So when my son invited me to a weekend camping-fishing trip at Alum Creek State, I hesitated.  However, since this outing gave me a chance to enjoy the companionship of both my children and grandchildren, I agreed to an overnight stay from Saturday to Sunday. It turned out to be the right choice.

There were several things that made this camping trip more enjoyable than others. First, the weather was rain free and not unbearably hot (high around 84 degrees). Better still, my son had reserved a camping site that had shady trees surrounding it, so there was refuge when the sun did start to make me uncomfortable. Second, the fishing was great especially for the grandchildren. The pond where we cast our lines was well stocked with bluegills that didn’t hesitate to go after our bait. No sooner did a line fall into the water than its bobber began to dip and weave. Sometimes the fish ate the bait without getting hooked, but the disappointment from that was usually short lived.  Eventually every one of the 5 grandchildren present caught at least one fish; grandson Christopher led the pack with six catches. Once a captured fish was photographed with its captor, it was returned to the pond. Unhooking the fish, however, was sometimes difficult and not without risk. I found that out when a flip-flopping bluegill caused a hook to jab into my thumb.  Grimacing and blood followed, but only for a half minute or so. After I applied some disinfectant to the wound, the bleeding stopped and I returned to action.

There were other smaller pleasures that made this camping adventure better than most. The food, including pizza sandwiches, was good. Better still, I didn’t have to prepare it. There was the fun of watching my grandchildren romp around and play. For some reason, they preferred being barefoot whether they were dancing, dashing through a playground, or twirling sparklers. That seemed risky to me, but then again, almost everything seems risky to me these days.  As for sleep, I got more of it than I did on earlier camp outs, thanks to a soft sleeping bag and a firm air mattress provided by my children.

And finally, there were the 17-year cicadas. Dozens of them decided to make their above-ground arrival around our campsite. They could be found on everything from tents to tree bark, and had no reservations about climbing onto a hand or arm. Granddaughter Evie was excited to find a cicada’s discarded exoskeleton and wondered if it would be okay to take it home with her. I think she’s safe, although the thing might crumble before it makes it back to her home in Indonesia.

The next opportunity for camping will probably come in the fall when my son and his family once again take their tents to Alum Creek or some similar child-friendly outdoor location.  While I may be tempted to stay two nights, the better choice is one.  That is plenty of time to do all the things that made this latest camping adventure a happy experience.