Well, this is a bit off the subject, but, when i was a kid of ten or so, my Dad and Grand-father would take me and my brother on a camping trip, up to Pymatuning Reservoir, in North-western Pennsylvania, for a week of fishing and row-boating, and seeing the sights. (This was around 1933 to 1940.) We had two old WW I Army tents, and cots, blankets, a gasoline stove, cooking utensils, plates, etc. We didn't have an ice chest. My Dad would dig a hole in the creek bank, and we'd keep the perishables there, in the cool water, in a bucket, with a lid. We'd rent a row-boat, and Daddy and me and my younger Brother would go out on the lake and fish. We'd spend a week there, and had lots of fun. We'd turn in at dusk, since we didn't have a big lantern. One night, there was a great commotion outside our tent, and the head-lights of our car were shining into our tent and the horn was blowing loudly! (Around 3 a.m!) I awoke, and asked what was happening. Daddy shouted:"There are skunks in your tent"! Uh-Oh!? "Be very still"! I didn't move, and could hear rustling under my brother's cot, so i managed a peek. And there were two skunks worrying an old half empty can of fish-bait! WOO-HOO! Well, they finally "licked the platter clean", so to say, and ran off. Daddy finally quit blowing the horn, and it all cooled down then. Also, when my wife and i went up to Hammonasset State park, in connecticut, we set up the camper, then went in to town to buy some groceries. As we drove back into the park, we saw 3 skunks walking into a tent that was set up nearby. We watched to see if anybody came running out, but no one did. Then, a car pulled in and four girls got out and started for the tent!! I hollered and told them about the skunks---woo-hoo, they hollered, ran out, got into their car and drove madly away! Don't know if they ever came back! Hammonasset was a nice park to visit. We went there several times. It was close to where our son lived. We went there one 4th. of July when the holiday fell on a Saturday. This was on Wednesday. the park management said we could camp there, if we left on Thursday, as the weekenders would need the space. We agreed, and we left.

Whoa, if you get a degree in industrial arts you get to acquire carpentry textbooks along the way?!? Sweet! Kim, I've always enjoyed/appreciated your contributions; given the wisdom of trial and error that was behind them, I see why they stood out. My mom got us a couple of the Reader's Digest fixit books (have to run downstairs, one of them might be the very one you have); I like the way they are encyclopedic and detailed. I know Jane Powell but not the Small Houses books (do you mean The Not So Big stuff by Susanka, or the Small House anthologies from Fine Homebuilding?) Thanks for mentioning books; I think I might start a reference book thread for this forum. Hey Casey, THANKS for taking the bait. And you are NOT a bloody genius, you are an old house DEITY for crying out loud! Would you please start your own show on youtube? Or maybe just a house tour? Even Petch house has youtube videos. Or, do you already have a project blog and everyone knows about it but me? Actually for someone with a degree in historic preservation, I am impressed with how low-key your posts come across; they read more like an old friend who's "been there" and wants to pass along lessons learned along the way, it's really very nice and encouraging. But if you ever want to browbeat me feel free; I would take it as a compliment. To be honest if I post about something I'm thinking of doing to my house, and you don't opine, I figure one of two things is going on: 1) you're not on the forum; or 2) you're politely disapproving. Most of the time I assume it's 2 because you seem to be pretty consistent around here. But I just want to say, and I hope I speak for many, that I love love love your posts, especially when I'm searching on a problem I'm trying to solve and something from you pops up! (PS I finally got around to using that general finishes gel varnish you recommended and it was fantastic, thank you; I will post photos to the woodworking forum sometime before the next census.) Oh, and I love the way you "aged" the color tones in the new pine beadboard in your kitchen; reminds me of the pine in my grandmother's kitchen. When I was really little I used to look at the gleaming pores and think it was the closest wood could get to 24K gold.

So far I have not found one that you can truely ask questions and get real answers. Part of the problem is that there is no such thing as "normal ageing". Each persons body breaks down and repairs it's self at different rates. I use WebMD and just search for any conditions I am interested in then review the information based on what I already know. The only thing that anyone is certain of is that we all die. Much of the information available is basically don't do any thing that will allow you to enjoy life. I do agree that we should all get excercise and maintain a stable weight but beyond that many of the recommendations make no sense.

It should be ok for temperatures no lower than 40 F. It may be rated for 2 people, but will be tight when personal gear is added. I did not see the size; My take is that its a comfy one person tent and tight for 2. It does have a rain fly that extends over the doorway - thats a plus. Someone above mentioned tarps - yes indeedy. A water proof ground cover is a must. The ground cover under the tent should not extend beyond the tent floor. The tent floor should extend a bit beyond the ground cover. The reason is rain. If the ground cover extends beyond the tent, rain rolling down the tent side will be on top of the cover and run right under the tent resulting in water between the tent floor and the ground cover. Another feature to keep the tent floor dry is site preparation before the cover is laid. If you can manage to make the center part of the cover a bit higher than its eges, then it will tend to shed water toward the perimeter. If there is no rain in sight during your stay, the edge detail is not critical. A tip: We take along an old throw rug; a bathroom rug works fine. This rug is placed at the doorway INSIDE the tent to catch mud and dirt as one enters the tent and protects the floor.. Each morning, fold over or roll up the rug to capture the dirt load and take outside the tent to shake. When you are ready to leave and strike the tent, before taking the tent down, remove the contents, fold the rug to a convenient shape (a rectangle will do) to use it as a broom to sweep the dirt out of the tent. Hold down the center of the front lip of the tent floor and the rug-broom can handily sweep the dirt right out the door. The secret to any good tenting experience is to stay dry and warm. Wishing you a great stay.