Time to set up the tent

By Chuck Kajer

In recent weeks I've made a couple of references in my column to a recurring theme in my life.

It is a fact - proven time and again - that when I go camping, it rains. It happened last month when I joined my wife on a camping trip. The first weekend, after she and the boys had two sunny days, I met them on Saturday and within a few hours, while we were at the park's visitor's center, we were greeted by a downpour. I returned home and watched radar showing a big storm heading toward the park, but veering off to the north, keeping Jenny and the boys dry. Then, when I went back to the park on the following Friday, I drove straight into a rain storm. And, when packing up everything on Sunday, we did so during breaks in the occasional rain.

Since returning home, back under a solid roof, New Prague has seen little rain, despite a big shower that went just to our south over the weekend and another that brought thunderstorm warnings to northern Scott county on Monday.

The lawn is getting dry, and I'm getting desperate. I'm beginning to consider getting the tent out, setting it up in the back yard and sleeping outside. It may be the only way to avoid a big watering bill or a yellow lawn this summer.