Metro to Mountain Journal

For the past five years I have kept a tent set up in the backyard throughout the winter. Inside the tent I have kept a couple of old closed cell mats, a polarguard sleeping bag, and a couple of small camping pillows. An extension cord can easily reach the tent making it possible to power a laptop computer or other conveniences for the day. It is quite the setup.

When the sun shines (which is not all that frequently during the winters of the southeast) I love to go out to the tent to read and enjoy being outside despite the cold weather. Constructed out of a nylon fabric, the tent heats as the radiant power of the sun penetrates the walls, but the fabric’s tight weave keeps the winds at bay. The temperature can be in the twenties outside but it will be comfortable, warm and toasty, inside the tent.

My dog, Jake, and I go to the tent for every possible excuse. It is just the place for reading, writing, or taking a nap. Jake especially likes the naps. Whatever the reason for venturing to the portable hut I always enjoy the retreat. Tents remind me of fun. All the adventures of my life were based around a tent, making it easy to lie there an conjure memories of my past.

My daughter, perhaps embarrassed, was overheard explaining the tent to her friends, "it’s my dad’s fort."

Hmm, so since that day the tent has been called the fort. I don’t mind that at all, because everyone needs a place to protect the memories of the past and prepare for the adventures of the future. And so it stands, the fort.