Did you know the Great American Backyard Campout is tonight? According to the National Wildlife Federation, the purpose of the campout  is "an opportunity for everyone to relive—or to experience for the first time—how much fun it is to spend a night sleeping under the stars and enjoying the sounds of nature."

I do have fond memories of family camping in Oregon when I was a kid. Although I don't actually remember any sounds of nature, I remember roasting marshmallows and waking up in my sleeping bag on chilly mornings smelling the bacon Mom was frying. I love sleeping with the windows open in the summer. The most common sound of nature we have around here at night is the coyote cacophony, which unfortunately sets off the sounds of suburbia—barking dogs.

I'm afraid I won't be registering as a backyard camper tonight. As appealing as it sounds, I could never get Phil to join me. And now that I'm grown up, I'm way too afraid of wildlife like spiders, garter snakes, and who knows what else.