I have been involved with the outdoors and camping for as long as I can remember.

Going back to my grade school days I can remember camping in Alaska when I was a Cub Scout and later in my junior high school days I can remember camping on the mountain top at El Paso, Texas.

I remember so clearly on that mountain top the wind was blowing strong, the tent was flapping and I kept waking up cold as half my body kept getting outside the tent because the ground was not level, my head was pointed uphill but as I rolled back and forth in my sleep I was moving downhill because of the incline and my legs would get out from under the 2 man pup tent and I would wake up cold and have to scoot back up into the tent. This went on several times throughout the night.

By morning the wind had laid and there was just an ever so gentle breeze. I remember looking out over the city of El Paso and seeing the sunrise oh so beautiful. That sunrise made the hike up the mountain worth every step it took to get to the top.

Being hooked on nature and camping and learning along the way even when Uncle Sam taught me survival skills while in the Philippines. I can remember taking a bath in a mountain stream with water so cold that if it hadn't been flowing so swiftly it would have been ice. Yes indeed, those were short and quick baths.

The outdoors and camping never cease to amaze me because it is always different. I always look forward to the next camping trip knowing there will be new challenges and opportunities with each adventure.