© irene waters 2014
I”ve camped all my life, not regularly, just throughout. We camped in our cowboy tent in the back yard and before long my Dad, who loved camping, had us on a road trip with a big tent and a hessian strung stretcher each.
© irene waters 2014
My Mum hated that trip so the only camping in my youth was with girl guides in huge bell tents copied from Boer war days. Lots of fun and midnight feasts were had on these occasions. Then, as I rode my motor bike around Australia my orange tent was home.
© irene waters 2014
In 2006 camping in a tent from Australia we went round Europe. Our old bones insisting we buy a luxury each day; airbeds, chairs and barbecue.
© irene waters 2014
http://sharingthestoryblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/bite-size-memoir-no-5-camping/#more-926
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
There is something wonderful about waking on a sunny morning in a tent.
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Sunny being the operative word, but yes I love that feeling also.
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Ah, the memories that brings back. We camped all the times as children. Now I prefer the luxury of solid walls and comfortable beds. 😀
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We have bought another tent similar to our European tent but as we can’t put Zack into kennels it may be some time before we get to use it. I’ll probably find the same as you that I still enjoy camping under the stars……..only now 5 stars.
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Love the several stages of Waters … [grin]
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Thanks M-R.
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Wonderful memoire, Irene. The pictures told it all! Loved that you camped in dresses when you were little… my family never camped when I was growing up, but we usually took a two week boat trip up the New England Coast, which given the size of the boat and the kerosene stove for cooking, was pretty close to camping in my opinion!
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I think a trip by boat up the New England coast certainly qualifies as camping. I don’t remember ever wearing pants as a little girl. I was probably in high school before I did. There were the occasional shorts for the seaside but they just didn’t exist in those days (or if they did my mother didn’t go along with the trend.)
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Your posts are a joy Irene and your photos such a brilliant transition through the years. Add damp to your bones in Europe and you’ll understand why I pack my duvets – one to go under me, one to go on top!
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Thanks Lisa. I am really enjoying your prompts to memory. I doubt I would have ever revisited some of these places without them and I’m glad I did. I can understand the duvets having done our European camping in the spring.
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Like M-R, I loved the progression of photos. I’ve never been bitten by the camping bug .. I just don’t understand the attraction
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Thanks Joanne. I think I’m so lucky to have such a definite progression through my life timeline in this camping series. You can say that you love sleeping under the stars — five stars.
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Nice one! I like that 🙂
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Love this and your photos of your camping trips through the years. We had an orange tent just like that when I was a kid and I love this photo of you! Your post certainly brought back many memories of those camping days, great post Irene 🙂
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Thanks Sherri. I love the way these bite size memory prompts bring back so many full size stories. I don’t know that they’ll ever be told but its been great fun remembering. Look forward to yours Sherri. 🙂
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Yes, me too…really enjoying it!
Thanks Irene…you know I always squeeze in at the last minute… 😀
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Deadlines are good prompts. 🙂
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I love the photos! SD
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Thanks Sandra. I’m lucky that a photo record from so far back exists.
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