Back in the days before children, Michele and I used to go camping. In fact, we got engaged on a camping trip up through Big Sur.

For whatever reason, laziness or busy-ness, we hadn't taken the girls camping. So last weekend I took the girls up to Millard Canyon in the local hills for their first outing. I had picked up a new huge tent and a pair of air mattresses to make things a little less spartan than my old two man tent and 15 year old foam pads.

Once we arrived in camp, the girls were excited and ready to begin. They were intrigued by the campfire ring and wanted to play with the fire. They gathered a few twigs and tossed them in. Shrieks of glee filled the campground as the tinder ignited. Soon they were tossing everything not bolted down into the fire ring.

The camp host Lonny showed them a pile of old lumber that he said they could burn and they went to town, hauling and burning. Poking and prodding at the fire, they were grinning ear to ear. Of course, they burned themselves with hot poking sticks, as all children do, much to my chagrin.

They started to clamor for the marshmellows to roast. I threw a few clean burning logs in and soon set them up to cook a traditional S'more.

Giggling like the schoolgirls they are, they roasted the marshmellows while I prepared the chocolate and graham crackers. Soon enough they were chowing down on S'mores.

On the second batch, I was able to snap this quick photo before they wolfed it down.

Throughout the trip, the girls were enthralled with the fire. "Daddy, can we feed the fire?" was the most oft heard phrase of the day. Once they realized they could burn the baby wipes I brough to keep them clean, they became the most hygenic children around constantly finding excuses to wipe up and toss it into the fire.

True pyromaniacs to the core. They are truly my daughters to have such fire loving genes in their DNA.

When I asked the girls what we should on our next camping trip, their answer was, "more wood".

Posted by michael at August 08, 2005 09:57 PM