Father, son make pair of happy campers

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It has been a number of years since I’ve been camping.

Now, with a 6-year old boy in our lives, dreaming outdoor dreams, we’ve succumbed to the notion of packing the SUV and heading out.

Our destination? Why, the backyard, of course. That, my friends, is a good place to start learning camping basics.

Off to Dick’s Sporting Goods we went, and with the able-body assistance of former Brewer High athlete Paul Aucoin, we were able to fit our needs and then some.

I asked Nathan to put together a list of what he considered to be – remember, this is a first-grader we’re talking about here – vital material for our excursion.

At the top of the list were Superman comic books. More powerful than a locomotive; able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Superman would have to accompany us on our “trip.”

Next up, Nate listed flashlights so his puppy Jax could see in the dark when he had to relieve himself.

That’s a good thought, I guess.

Next up, a cell phone.

Nate, why a cell phone?

“Dad,” he said seriously. “We have to call Mommy if we need anything to eat.”

“And, Dad?”

“Yes, son.”

“Where do I pee out there?”

“Behind the tree, son,” I said.

All this preparation talk took me back to my days on Washington Street in Brewer when I erected our little tent each and every summer night under our huge maple tree that sat in the middle of Brown Stadium, the neighborhood ballpark.

How I loved those days.

There I would lie, gazing at the stars, and listening to the ballgames, or whatever else I could find playing on my tiny transistor radio.

There were often heavyweight prize fights – I was a big Floyd Patterson fan – or Red Sox baseball.

There’s nothing quite like being under the stars and imagining yourself down on the field at Fenway Park or at Yankee Stadium, standing alongside Ted Williams or Mickey Mantle. Oh, my.

And, of course, there were the comic books.

Back then – if only I had held on to those things – Archie and Jughead were a personal favorite, but Superman found his way into my pile of printed paraphernalia, too.

My mother always packed me a lunch and a bottle of pop. I kept my bike nearby in case I had to make a quick getaway from a would-be thief of my evening fare.

I will make the same suggestion to my little boy. I’m guessing, however, that he’ll be fast asleep, dreaming of the Man of Steel.

But before he dozes off, he’ll be resting on two elbows, pointing to the sky, and dreaming big dreams.

“Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s Superman!”

Then, he’ll snuggle with his dog – the real one – and give equal time to Snuggles – the stuffed one – and find that dream world only small kids can find.

It’s been many years since I’ve been to that place, but somehow with Nate beside me, I know I’ll find it again.

BDN columnist Ron Brown, a retired high school basketball coach, can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net