GET IT OFF!

“MOM!” I heard this screeching voice of my five year old brother as he ran for his life down the road toward our rented pop-up camper. He was out of breath when he reached her, and somehow from his frantic, crying words she understood what had happened to him.

This occurred in Kentucky during our first camping experience. In one way, the experience was shocking to us kids. Each inch on every wall of the restroom was covered with insects; as a child, this was quite disturbing. Some insects were large, and some had interesting stripes on their bodies and long legs and antennae. We often teased my little brother for yelling, “No – NO – get away; get away!” while he was using the restroom. A day or two later, both my brothers were walking back from the restroom when my younger brother felt something on his back. He anxiously asked my older brother if it was a “bug,” and it was! It was a “big” one! My little brother took off down the road screaming for Mom to "get it off!" I can still visualize him running as fast as his little legs could take him. His head was back. His arms were pumping. His mouth was wide open, but by the time he reached Mom the “bug” was gone. It probably was more scared than my brother was. This was the start of my family's many camping memories.

Here in Kentucky we visited Mammoth Cave, Fort Boonesborough, Natural Bridges State Resort Park, and the tiny cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born. These experiences were the first in many more to come.