Category Archives: outdoors

More Memorable Memories

Hello Campers!

It’s that time of year when we all get ready for special gatherings with family and friends. Looking back it’s easy to see why a lifetime of memories are built around the holidays. These and other red letter days are the catalyst for what was, is and will be the story of our lives. Every special holiday gathering, birthday party and vacation experience has its own significance. So I got to thinking, what if we get intentional about creating more? Many of my most vivid memories, besides the holiday variety, took place exploring and enjoying the great outdoors. Hiking, canoeing, fishing and camping were always at the top of my “love to do list”. That’s when I’d leave behind the ordinary and discover the extraordinary. Decades after, I still carry crystal-clear pictures in my mind. That giant Northern Pike in Pickerel Cove I lost on multiple occasions. On the final attempt it snapped a heavy sea hook like it was a twig. My dad still calls it a fish story. A similar tale of a huge purple Bull Frog also comes to mind. My diligence paid off in that hunt. There were lessons to be learned as well. Like that time my mom made me keep a promise to a campground neighbor to go fishing with her and her dad. She had a crush on me and Mom knew I was playing with her emotions. Turns out her dad was a champion fly fisherman who had been written up in several magazines. We ended up having a great time. He even complimented me on how well I handled my fishing rod. You can’t make memories like that hanging around the house playing video games and watching cartoons. It all comes back to the gathering. Whether it was on the water, around the campfire or under a starlit night watching a meteor shower with friends; those are the memories that keep. So let’s make a revolution of a new year’s resolution to create more memorable memories.

Remember, time is our most precious commodity. Spend it wisely.

Happy camping!

Ron Ash aka My RV Guy

A Break From The Microcosm.

Hello Campers,

This week I was taken back to “Camp Ash” on Johnson’s Pond in Coventry, Rhode Island. It was the beginning of the nineteen seventies. My dad worked in the city and my mom was a full-time stay at home mom. We lived in a three-bedroom one-bathroom home on a quarter acre corner lot in the suburbs. Dad drove a nineteen seventy and a half Corvette Stingray back then. We referred to Mom’s nineteen seventy three Impala Station Wagon as “The Beach Wagon”. Money went a lot further back then, so they decided to look for a modest summertime residence for our family of five to enjoy. They eventually purchased their own slice of nature on Shady Valley Road. It wasn’t just the wonderful experiences we shared there that I appreciated. I don’t know if my parents realized it or not, but they gave me a break from the microcosm which often traps a child in sameness. My elementary school went from kindergarten to eighth grade. That’s a lot of years with the same group of kids. It wasn’t always easy. Whether my parents knew it or not, our family’s little campsite was my refuge. My summertime family of friends never put me in a box or trapped me in the illusion preserved by those grade school classmates and neighborhood peers. My first summer on the pond was a fantastic experience full of different activities and new friends. I guess Dad’s Birthday coming up caused me to take a deeper look. It doesn’t really matter if my parents knew what I was going through or not. The important thing was their decision helped make my childhood happier and healthier while fostering my appreciation for the brilliance of the great outdoors. With that said, thanks Dad! Happy Birthday and best to you in your next greatest year.

Remember, time is our most precious commodity. Spend it wisely.

Happy camping!

Ron Ash aka My RV Guy