Out in the Woods

I got a call from a brother Sunday Morning, announcing a weenie roast in the woods later in the day. It was the first of the year in our woods, as the weather has been awful for outdoor activities. We took advantage of the mild, dry day. When I arrived, dinner was on the fire. Veggie soup. YUM!
We don't mess around out there. We have a table, wood platforms to stand on, in case it's muddy, and we don't hold back with the food.
Everything is ready for people to arrive.
There were just a few of us. Aunt B and Imogene came walking up the path, arm in arm. Imogene trudging out with a cast on her foot. Aunt B is 86, and Imogene is 80. They won't miss a nice evening in the woods. A few more friends arrived soon after, and a couple cousins, and another brother, and nephew.

The moon was hidden in the clouds for a while, and then as everyone arrived, the clouds parted and the moon shined through. It was almost full, and so bright, it was like having a flourecent light to see by. Before the moon came out, we had joked about how many people it took to put a hot dog on a stick. We had "steralized" the sticks so they were hot, so it took one person to hold the flashlight, one to pass the dogs, and one to put them on the stick. Who knew it took three people for such an operation!

When I was younger, I would have never dreamed that spending time cooking hot dogs over the fire with friends and relatives would turn out to be a highlight of my life. There was a time I would have turned up my nose at the very idea of just hanging out with family. It wasn't exciting enough for me. Now, I enjoy being out in the woods, with the people I love, roasting marshmallows, and hot dogs, and just enjoying one another's company. Time makes a person know what really is important.