July 12, 2007

Raindrops on nylon

Raindrops on nylon

My tent isn't very big. When I sit up, my head brushes against the slanted walls, and there's just room for two people to sleep comfortably. The small size of the tent is the best thing about it, actually, because it keeps everyone but my husband out. If the kids want to play cards on a rainy day at camp, they will go to their own big tent, which holds any number of teenage bodies, or the small wooden cabin where there is a table and chairs.

Although I am extrovert and love being part of a big, noisy, talkative family, I also need quiet time. Having a little tent nestled out beneath the pine trees means I can slip away from the crowd to retreat into my own space – to read a book, write in my journal, take a nap, or cuddle with my husband. On a rainy day, I love to snuggle under an old quilt and listen to the rain hitting the nylon wall of the tent. Often after a dramatic thunderstorm, the sun will come out, and I can watch the play of shadows and sun against the raindrops on the wall of the tent inches from my face.

9 comments:

Yankee T said...

I love to listen to the rain from my tent. This is a great photo.

Xtin said...

Just hearing about this is enough to make me feel as if I have my own tiny tent in my mind, with the rain falling on it.

Linda said...

That's one of my favorite sounds in the world!

Inside the Philosophy Factory said...

I love the sound of rain on the tent as well... and it is even better if you can leave the tent up to dry :).

RageyOne said...

Sounds divine!

KLee said...

A must-have, though, is a waterproof tent. We discovered on one reenacting trip that our tent *hadn't* been waterproofed (and why in blue blazes would you make a tent that *isn't* waterproof?!?!) and we spent one very wet, cold night. It was miserable. We were miserable.

Now, had we been able to enjoy the pattering sounds of the rain, and not feel the pinking of it upon our bodies, we might have had an entirely different experience.

jo(e) said...

Klee: Oh, I know that experience. I grew up with the old canvas tents and they always, always leaked. All night, people in the tent would be shifting around to get away from puddles and drips, and by morning, the only creature still dry would be the family dog, who somehow always chose the highest spot in the tent.

A good tent is one thing I am willing to spend money on, and it seems like such luxury now to have a tent that does not leak.

Anonymous said...

rain on tents--divine.

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

We were up at a lake today when a thunderstorm rolled in and dropped hail on us. I tried to imagine camping in a storm like that. It was thrilling -- but I liked that we had the steel of a car available. Then again, the sound in the truck was deafening.