Backpacking Trip in Which Nature Won

 Because they enjoy it so much, Amy and Paul are eager to share the joys of backpacking with the children. This particular backpacking trip definitely created some strong memories, but mostly because it was a misadventure. The first night, the mosquitos were so bad that rather than enjoying relaxed conversation amid the redwood forest, we spent the entire evening avoiding the bugs by crowding 6 people into a 3-person tent, trying to play card games amidst the crush of sweaty, dirty legs. The next morning, we set off on a beautiful hike. During a snack break, we discovered a tick on Sadie that required an immediate removal procedure without proper tools. About a mile later, Amos was climbing a tree and stepped on a nest of yellow jackets. While being repeatedly stung, he screamed and leapt from the tree into a river and then ran up the trail, shedding clothes that were crawling with mean insects. The rest of us ran around crazily, unsuccessfully trying to escape the angry mob of wasps. Once the insect blitz died down, we had to hike several miles back to camp, counting our many stings along the way. We had planned to spend one more night, but instead we ended our trip early to nurse our wounds back at home.