camping stool. “This is the life.”
The day was sunny. High white clouds drifted across a bright blue sky, leaving no hint that the night before had been split by rumbling thunder and crackles of lightning. Carole smiled as she took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh aroma of the pine trees that surrounded them.
“How about I cook us some breakfast?” she said, suddenly aware of her growling stomach.
“Honey, I’ll eat whatever you can come up with,” her father replied.
She went over and looked in the refrigerator. The chicken was all gone. Other than some fancy freeze-drieddishes that she would have to cook on the solar stove, mostly what they had left was hot dogs. “Do hot dogs sound good?” she called over her shoulder.
“Great!” said her dad.
She cleared out the soggy ashes from the old fire and found enough dry wood in the forest to start another small blaze. She cut several more branches from another forsythia bush, and soon four hot dogs were sizzling over the crackling flames. When they were ready, she fixed two on a paper plate for her dad.
“Mmmmm, this is perfect.” Colonel Hanson took a bite of hot dog. “I think you may be right, Carole. Hot dogs over an open fire might just be the best camp meal ever.”
“I’m glad you like them, Dad.” Carole laughed. “I think we may be having quite a few more.”
After breakfast Carole threw another log on the fire and got the tree identification book she’d packed.
“Let’s see how many different trees we can find from this one spot,” she said, carrying the book over to her dad. “I’ll write them down. Who knows, maybe they’ll come in handy in school this year.” She gave a little shudder at the thought of school. Stevie was right—it did seem incredible that in just three short days she would again be sitting at a desk, working on book reports and science projects.
“Okay.” Colonel Hanson flipped to the section on conifers and pointed to a huge pine tree directly infront of them. “I bet that big tree there is a loblolly pine.”
“Look it up and see if you’re right.” Carole leaned over his shoulder.
What Colonel Hanson thought was a loblolly pine turned out to be an eastern hemlock, but soon they had correctly identified all the trees that surrounded their campsite.
“That’s amazing, isn’t it?” Colonel Hanson said. “I would have said there were two or three different species, and we’ve named almost twenty.”
“It is pretty amazing,” replied Carole. “I wonder how many birds we could see from this one spot?”
Colonel Hanson smiled. “Get your bird book out and we’ll give it a try.”
Carole exchanged her tree book for her bird book. In just a little while, she and her father had found chickadees, grosbeaks, and a beautiful bright-colored bird called a scarlet tanager.
“Gosh,” said Carole, looking through the telescope. “This is really neat. There are almost as many birds as there are trees.”
“It’s too bad we don’t take more time to really look at them at home,” Colonel Hanson said.
They found a pileated woodpecker and an ovenbird. Then Carole cooked more hot dogs. After they ate they relaxed by the fire with other books they’d brought from home. Carole had the new horse bookshe’d wanted to read, but it was hard to pay attention to it and not think of Stevie and Lisa and Starlight. She couldn’t help wondering if their Pine Hollow sleepover had been as exciting as her campout in the forest. She smiled. She didn’t imagine they’d almost been struck by lightning, but anything Stevie was involved with was likely to have a lot of fireworks!
Slowly the sun slipped downward in the sky. When the clouds behind the eastern hemlocks grew pink, Carole put her book aside.
“Are you ready for some supper?” she asked her dad.
“Anytime you are, honey,” Colonel Hanson replied. “What’s for dinner?”
She grinned, embarrassed. “Since we had hot dogs
en brochette
for
The day was sunny. High white clouds drifted across a bright blue sky, leaving no hint that the night before had been split by rumbling thunder and crackles of lightning. Carole smiled as she took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh aroma of the pine trees that surrounded them.
“How about I cook us some breakfast?” she said, suddenly aware of her growling stomach.
“Honey, I’ll eat whatever you can come up with,” her father replied.
She went over and looked in the refrigerator. The chicken was all gone. Other than some fancy freeze-drieddishes that she would have to cook on the solar stove, mostly what they had left was hot dogs. “Do hot dogs sound good?” she called over her shoulder.
“Great!” said her dad.
She cleared out the soggy ashes from the old fire and found enough dry wood in the forest to start another small blaze. She cut several more branches from another forsythia bush, and soon four hot dogs were sizzling over the crackling flames. When they were ready, she fixed two on a paper plate for her dad.
“Mmmmm, this is perfect.” Colonel Hanson took a bite of hot dog. “I think you may be right, Carole. Hot dogs over an open fire might just be the best camp meal ever.”
“I’m glad you like them, Dad.” Carole laughed. “I think we may be having quite a few more.”
After breakfast Carole threw another log on the fire and got the tree identification book she’d packed.
“Let’s see how many different trees we can find from this one spot,” she said, carrying the book over to her dad. “I’ll write them down. Who knows, maybe they’ll come in handy in school this year.” She gave a little shudder at the thought of school. Stevie was right—it did seem incredible that in just three short days she would again be sitting at a desk, working on book reports and science projects.
“Okay.” Colonel Hanson flipped to the section on conifers and pointed to a huge pine tree directly infront of them. “I bet that big tree there is a loblolly pine.”
“Look it up and see if you’re right.” Carole leaned over his shoulder.
What Colonel Hanson thought was a loblolly pine turned out to be an eastern hemlock, but soon they had correctly identified all the trees that surrounded their campsite.
“That’s amazing, isn’t it?” Colonel Hanson said. “I would have said there were two or three different species, and we’ve named almost twenty.”
“It is pretty amazing,” replied Carole. “I wonder how many birds we could see from this one spot?”
Colonel Hanson smiled. “Get your bird book out and we’ll give it a try.”
Carole exchanged her tree book for her bird book. In just a little while, she and her father had found chickadees, grosbeaks, and a beautiful bright-colored bird called a scarlet tanager.
“Gosh,” said Carole, looking through the telescope. “This is really neat. There are almost as many birds as there are trees.”
“It’s too bad we don’t take more time to really look at them at home,” Colonel Hanson said.
They found a pileated woodpecker and an ovenbird. Then Carole cooked more hot dogs. After they ate they relaxed by the fire with other books they’d brought from home. Carole had the new horse bookshe’d wanted to read, but it was hard to pay attention to it and not think of Stevie and Lisa and Starlight. She couldn’t help wondering if their Pine Hollow sleepover had been as exciting as her campout in the forest. She smiled. She didn’t imagine they’d almost been struck by lightning, but anything Stevie was involved with was likely to have a lot of fireworks!
Slowly the sun slipped downward in the sky. When the clouds behind the eastern hemlocks grew pink, Carole put her book aside.
“Are you ready for some supper?” she asked her dad.
“Anytime you are, honey,” Colonel Hanson replied. “What’s for dinner?”
She grinned, embarrassed. “Since we had hot dogs
en brochette
for
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