Pine, Smoke and Wildlife

by Lindy
(Gulf Coast)

I love camping with my family. I love the smell of pine and cypress trees. I love the heat from the campfire. I love taking photos of wildlife and knowing that I don't have to eat the animals for dinner.

When I was a child, my dad would come home from his trucking adventures without much money. His paychecks were mostly spent before he got home. That was ok. I could eat at school. . .except for dinner. At dinnertime, we would start a fire in the fire pit. I enjoyed the smell of the pine tree forest and the warmth from the fire and even the smell of smoke as it swirled around the backyard making patterns and animal shapes.
Earlier in the day, my dad would kill something from the woods for us to roast. Sometimes we had deer or roasted rabbit. Other times we had squirrel and one time we even had roasted snapping turtle. It was the way I grew up.
Now, I am thankful. As an adult, every time I smell a pine tree or a campfire, I think of Michigan and of dinner with my dad and I'm glad I can shop at the grocery store. And, I'm glad to just take my kids camping when we need time away from school and work. And, I'm glad to cook organic, store bought meat and I'm glad to take photos of wildlife and roast marshmallows.