One Labor Day weekend, TDW-Mk I decided we ought to go camping. I was off, the kids were off, and we could all get out for one more weekend before the grind of school and autumn activities sucked us in.
She had reserved a site in the unimproved area of one of the northern state parks, a “rustic’ site. That meant that we got to carry water from one of several faucets serving the campgrounds, as well as go to the bathroom in one of several pit toilets.
The wimmin folk were not favorably impressed.
We were the only ones in our section of the campground as we pulled in, which was of no concern to us. We set up our pop up camper, cooked dinner, cleaned up, and took a walk.
Once we were back at out site, we were inside the camper, organizing for bed time when another party arrived at a site, 2 or 3 away from our own. They were young-ish, and seemed high spirited. Whatever, live and let live.
So, several hours later, TDW and I were chatting quietly, when the noise from the neighbor site picked up considerably. I peeked from our window, and noted what appeared to be bottles of some sort of alcohol in hand, and our “neighbors” sounded to be involved in some sort of loud, animated, an not altogether amicable discussion.
When we heard the sounds of yelling, and breaking glass, I awakened the kids and had them lay on the floor of the camper. TDW called county dispatch on her cell phone, and I settled in next to the door of the camper, curtain ajar and Colt in hand.
One of the party, it appeared, felt the need to do some sort of work on the mirror of one of the trucks, and this seemed to involve attempting to wrench the mirror off of the door without using any tools. That maneuver elicited yet MORE heated words, and things were escalating, which made it convenient that that was the moment that the park ranger, a couple of sheriff’s vehicles, and a city cop arrived.
One of the officers approached out camper, and I took that opportunity to secure the pistol beneath one of the mattresses, seating TDW thereon.
I told the officer what I had heard, and seen, and he assured me that for this party, their camping weekend was over. “We’ll simply sit here, and watch them pack up and depart. We’ll circulate through several times over the rest of the night, and, if they return, they’ll sleep in the sheriff’s office. In the back.”
Then he added, “If you need us, call us back. Have a nice weekend!”
Musings of A Stretcher Ape 
That right there was why I liked to work weekends and holidays and take my time off during the week. Whole campsites alone and fishing streams to myself and no spooked fish. Vast fields and woods to hunt and only a small smattering of right minded hunters. Deer and antelopes more cooperative, truly animals can tell time and days. I know it is harder with a wife unit that works a set job and hours and children in tow. But, we use to take the kids out of school, cause I feel they got a better education with me teaching them wood-craft, hunting, fishing and land navigation. Wife was a nurse and she had it easier to take that kind of time off because the clinic she worked was open on Saturdays and always found it hard to staff so they readily allowed her to take days off in the week and a promise to work a few Saturdays
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