My cousin asked me to set up the private campsite for some of his friends who were coming up for the weekend. I was mildly annoyed as I had many other things to do. I changed my tune when he told me it was a group of women campers. I spent several hours hauling the wood and setting up the tiki torches so they could find their way down the crushed gravel, one-way road to the camp site. My cousin and I were camping in one site with a few of our friends. The eleven women were camping in the only other site; about a football field length away.
The Johnny on the Spot was delivered and we backed the water tank up, between the two campsites, closer to the one where I would be camping. The shower tent was a small three foot by three foot tent, about six feet high. It had warm running water when it was running right. The water tank was hooked up to a propane powered heater to warm the water and the water pressure was produced by hooking up the pump's power cables to a truck battery.
All the women had arrived at the campsite by about ten o'clock and the air was filled with their voices – the voices catching up on each other's lives and moments. The chatting would continue for the better part of the weekend. They worked while they talked: erecting their tents; building the fire pit; hauling water and wood to the campsite; inflating air mattresses; setting up tables and organizing the food table; and lining up the coolers for easy access from the fire pit. We watched this flurry of activity in awe. Women campers are a rare breed and watching them in action was like watching a lion den in action.
As the sun set over their camp, the campfire was started and soon there was dip and chips and pretzels being passed around amongst the group. The clink of empty beer and wine bottles as they were thrown into a pile by the table could be heard over the laughter of the women and the crackle of the fire. The Jack and Tequila was passed next – no shot glasses needed.
We could hear words and phrases floating on the night air followed by loud, laughter. My cousin and I walked over to their site, introduced ourselves and asked if they needed anything. This was a silly question as they had it all under control. They invited us to have a beer with them so we gladly accepted the offer and sat and observed. There were numerous conversations going on at the same time. You could tell the women were all very relaxed with each other.
They all introduced themselves, their name, if they had husbands and children, where they were from. We wanted to know their story and how they all got together. They explained that they had camped together, every year, for the last twelve years. It was a ritual for them, and they had it down to a science.
We told them a little about us. They thanked us for setting up the site. Everyone was having a great time. The music was playing and they were singing and dancing. There was movement everywhere. We didn't know which story to listen to or where to be looking.
Not wanting to interfere with their good time, nor did we want to have all the people from our site invade our moment with the women, we finished our beer and vowed we would be back again later. Walking back to our campsite, we were laughing at how much fun they were having. Our site paled in comparison. The girls we were with were jealous and making snappy comments about the conversations drifting from their site to ours. We tried to concentrate on the conversations in our own campsite, but the sounds coming from the other site distracted us. We were secretly wishing we were at the other site.
The girls wandered to bed in groups of twos and threes. The remaining woman fed the fire, laughing, drinking and sharing. Only three of them stayed up until the sun began to rise in the East. The light breaking though the yellow, red and orange leaves, making them appear to be on fire on the top of the mountain surrounding us. We didn't want to go to bed before the women did so we tried to keep up with their drinking.
We finally gave in and wandered to our tents as the last trio of girls went to theirs. We caught a few hours sleep until the sounds of girls around the fire, the smell of coffee and a hot breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs and toast made us follow our nose out of the tents. We sat bleary eyed slugging down some coffee with our soggy cereal. How could they be so functional already.
We watched the woman in their morning routine. Cooking, washing up, brushing their teeth. Then they were dozing in the sun by the fire; some of them walking down to the creek and lying on rocks in the sun, cat napping. It was like having a webcam 24/7 and we were thoroughly enjoying it.
By lunchtime they were drinking wine and rum and cokes. Laughing and relaxing around the fire, in the sun. The women were reading gossip magazines and novels, looking through pictures and brushing their hair. Sometimes, they were brushing each other's hair.
Our campsite decided to go on a hike so we walked over to the girls and told them we were headed out if anyone wanted to go on a hike with us. Several women were just getting ready to take showers. The girls decided they had to shower during the day, while it is still warm enough out. Only four of them decided to stay behind and take a shower. The rest of their troupe (also) decided to take a walk. They were going to hike along the creek.
Part way into our hike, I told my cousin I would catch up with them on the hike. I circled back to camp and came up behind our campsite, hiding out behind a tent. I was only about 12 feet from the shower tent, and about 12 feet from the women whom were about to shower.
The portable shower tent was only big enough to shower in – not to get changed in. I was curious as to how the women would go about this outdoor shower business.
