Well, I do try to keep up with the grandchildren as best I can. When one of them mentioned Smores, I knew exactly what they were talking about.
This column takes me back many years ago to Camp Wahi, the Girl Scout Camp out from Brandon.
Carolyn Wallace, Pat Loper and Mother decided that Linda, Patsy and I needed to go to a Girl Scout Camp — Camp Wahi for two whole weeks. To be sure, Linda, nor Patsy, nor I supported this new excitement, and thrilling experience. We weren't exactly elite Girl Scouts — never stayed away from home — in a stupid tent for two weeks (yep, you know what kind of airconditioning we had — none)
We would be dropped off on one Sunday and picked up 14 days later. (We were already counting the days and hours that we would be subjected to these primitive conditions)
Rule number one was that no food or snacks could be left in our tents. Okay, we ate supper at 4:30 each afternoon, so by 7:00 the three of us, plus Sara Claire Hederman, we subjected to starvation. We were hungry!! So what do hungry girls do? They sneaked goodies from the store each day, and hid them under our pillows when we went to learn how to row a canoe.
Back to the canoe in a minute. We were hungry, and breakfast wasn't served until 7:30 each morning.
So we managed to put a few things in our beds under the pillow. Then, when we returned to our tent, the place was a mess. And who was standing in front of our tent? Director Audrey Terry, who was a scouting leader along with Mother. Not a good idea. For we later learned that there were wild dogs running in the area, and never, ever, even think about sneaking food. Lesson learned!
The camp session seemed to go down from that day on. No matter what, we wound up in trouble...well, not trouble, but subject to “Review the rules of the tent area.”
Each day, one tent had the priviledge of standing by the flag pole, Pledging to the flag, hands crossed as one camper said a prayer for all of us....but it was never enough prayer to keep us in line. One could not drop the flag...it did find its way to the ground a couple of times, Do not giggle through the assembly...which, of course, some campers did...but it was hard to keep a straight face.
Mail call was everyday after lunch, and that gave us a minute of peace and quiet.
After supper....before five oclock...we could write cards and letters home, to let our parents know what a wonderful time we were having, only wishing (haha) for another week in the tent.
There were a good things going on at Camp Wahi. We learned to make Smores and they were so delicious I couldn't believe something that tasted so good, was learned at Girl Scout Camp.
And they were soooo good.
Now, my kids and grandkids want to make Smores...and I know just what to do. Checking out the grocery store, I noticed that the graham crackers were easy to find, and the candy bars were easy to find....but the marshmallows were another story. There was a package of small marshmallows, like you put in hot chocolate....but the Samore marshmallows looked like they weighed a pound and proved to be even messier than I had remembered. But, we must proceed. So we built a campfire by the cottage to follow instructions to a tee. However, when walking up to the house, we discovered that the tasty treats could be made in a microwave oven at 15 seconds. Well, they didn't look gooey at all, so I cooked them for another ten seconds. That did it! The marshmallows looked like white dumplings, oozing around the graham cracker and getting stuck within the paper plates.
Yes, Smores were fun, and were everything they should have been. But we are still getting them out of their hair....to be ready for Sunday School the next morning.
Will let you know when my daughter-in-laws will allow us to make them again on a Saturday night!
Carol Johnston Lindley is Miss Hattie. You can write to her at 395 Peps Point Road, Hattiesburg, MS 39401 or you can email her at hattie1014@bellsouth.net
