Derby Reach, Langley, B.C.

Trying to get one more camping trip in before the cold weather hit us, we packed up and left our home on the banks of the Fraser River where huge ships, barges and tugs are our daily entertainment.

"Where did you go?" my brother asked.

"To Derby Reach in Fort Langley," I told him.

"Why would you want to camp half an hour away from where you live when you can be more comfortable at home?"

"Well, we can sit beside the river and watch the lights dance on the water."

"You LIVE beside the river and you see lights dancing on it all the time."

"And," I logically continued, "we were able to sit beside a fire pit in the evening and roast marshmallows."

"But you have a fire pit in your own back yard that you can sit beside."

"Well this way, we can enjoy all that fresh air."

"No fresh air at home, eh?"

"But there is a huge difference! The fog surrounded us in the morning, wrapping itself around us so we felt like we were in a sheltered cocoon. All the outside sounds were muffled as if we had cotton batting in our ears. And we were able to snuggle inside the van with moisture streaming down the inside of the windows."

"That's fun?"

Ignoring his cranky reply, I continued, "And then when we got up, we were able to make our breakfast in the fog with the sounds of the foghorns beside us. Have you ever done that?"

"Can't imagine why I would want to," he replied.

"where is your sense of adventure?"

"Cooking breakfast in a wet, damp fog is not my idea of adventure," he retorted.

"What about the challenge?" I asked.

"My golf games are challenge enough. What did you get out of your experience?"

"That was the most wonderful part of it all," I told him. "As the fog began to lift, we could see all the beautiful colours of autumn across the river. And behind us, as the fog dissipated and the sun began to shine through the trees, we were reminded that camping is more than just camping. It is about being out in nature and enjoying what we would otherwise never see had we stayed home. It is about appreciating those things that cost so little but are worth so much."

My brother nodded his head thoughtfully. "Maybe next time you go camping, I'll come along with you."