I remember as a kid way back in the late 50's, when dad and mom and us 4 kids were camping in an old canvas army tent my dad got for $50 at a surplus store.
We went to the State Park late on Friday, after dad got home from work for a long weekend.
The forcast was for rain most of the weekend but we all were so happy to get out of town and into the woods where my brothers and sister could act like a bunch of madmen and dad and mom could relax a bit.
From the time we got there it rained and after digging trenches and a few drip-drip-drips in the night getting sleaping bags wet we all would huddle under the plastic sheet they hung over the pick-nick table and played simple games.
Dad made a friend with the fellow next site over and he would come over and sit under the home made tarp, watching the fire, my mom had going all day long, and they would drink beer but what I remember was every night when, we were all getting set for bed, this guy would reach into his pocket and bring out this small brown paper bag and from that take a handfull of white powder and throw it into the fire then leave...
I would ask mom or dad what that was all about but they said they didn't know.
Back then kids didn't ask strangers too many questions so every night we would see him do it and wonder.....
Well Monday afternoon came and low and behold the sun finally came out for the first time all weekend.
When we were almost finished packing the fellow came over and gave me this brown paper bag with the white powder in it and explained....
This powder is special powder given to me by the forest rangers....
ohhh I said....
Yes and you see it's my duty to make sure there are no forest fires and with this special powder I put on a fire make it RAIN like the devil and put the fire out.....
To this day I still remember thinking that that fellow,important as his job was, spoiled our weekend by making it rain the whole time...
Eggy-Sue (the pull-it surprize)
Lil scamper
Little Joe
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