A night in the tent at Camp Nisqually sounded something like this:
POP POP POP POP....BOOM....POP POP POP.....BOOM BOOM BOOM.....SWOOSH SWOOSH (HELICOPTER DIRECTLY OVERHEAD) WHOO WHOO WHOO (OWL DIRECTLY OVERHEAD)....RRRRRR..SCREECH (CAT FIGHT)....POP POP POP....BOOM!!! Then there are the critters outside the tent rustling the grass...oh and did I mention the artillery shells and bombs and helicopters doing night maneuvers at Fort Lewis Army Base at 1:00am??? POP POP BOOM!!!
Raccoons were an everyday occurrence. I did NOT see any of the rats we were told were running rampant at the camp (thank goodness), though I did get a picture of a raccoon.
We were VERY careful not to leave any food out anywhere...but on our last night we had some chocolates in a heart shaped box that we forgot to put away during campfire. When I remembered it Ericka and I ran back to our camp and this is what we found. Our raccoon friend had so very carefully opened up the kisses we had in the box (footprints found in box) and we are sure he had one BAD tummy ache that night!!
We were very busy each day, but we did get a chance to walk down to archery...I wanted to earn my bullseye bead, but after 10 shots, I didn't make it and we had to get back. I did however have a nice huge bruise on my arm that is just now about gone 2 weeks later.
Everyone asks me what my job is at camp...well....since I'm there as part of the Stake YW Presidency I begged for something to do a few years ago so I could tell people I really do work at camp. I am Ericka's assistant (she's over the unit leaders and also my tent mate and one of my closest friends) and we have tons of fun doing all the stuff for our unit (the stakies). This year I also set up the camp store each day that the 4th year girls run. Here Ericka and I are cutting up snacks and bagging them for the girls to "buy" with the points they get each day. Don't you LOVE the hats...after all we were the "Queens of Heart" 
Each night the stake leaders would have fun sitting by the fire talking and getting crafts ready for the next day.... and I must say we would get a bit giggly....(more like hysterical).....One day I got to our tent and there was this huge rock on my air mattress. To weed out who did it I mentioned to everyone I saw that someone had put a HUGE rock on my bed and it had popped my air mattress (it didn't really) Sis. Van Epps.... our fearless leader said "we put it on so carefully"!! HA!! I caught her. She had actually assigned Bro. Nuffer the job of finding a good rock for me....and it took 2 of us to carry it. It was all in fun! Richard sprayed it for me so I now have it outside in my rose bed out front. Camp was fun and spiritual and just a great time....in spite of all the critters and noise.
