My family had what some might call a tradition of sleeping out in the yard. I know you are probably all laughing, but it is true!
We lived on a 20 acre farm in Southern Ohio and took advantage of every opportunity to have some fun! Some member of our family would say, "Hey, why don't we sleep out in the yard tonight!" and everyone would scurry about looking for their sleeping bags, pillows, and whatever was needed depending on the weather.
The whole family didn't always go, sometimes it was just my older sister and I. We made quite the pair, especially when the coyotes would start to howl! I was terrified of the sound of their high pitched calls, but my sister loved to hear them! I would squeal and try to crawl under her and she would say, "Be quiet and listen! Don't they sound neat?" as she tried to extract my arms from around her. After all these years I still cringe when I hear the coyotes begin to howl to one another. There were a few times that she actually left me outside in the middle of the night because she was uncomfortable and ready to head back inside! So much for protecting me!!!
Sometimes when friends came to stay the night we would sleep out in the yard. I wonder what they thought of that?
It was always so exciting at first. we would giggle and talk while watching shooting stars, until we dropped off to sleep, one by one. If you didn't 'set up camp' in a perfectly level spot you would slide downhill all throughout the night and occasionally have to crawl back up to the tarp that helped protect from the dewy grass. In the morning it was not quite so fun. Your body ached from the hard ground and everything was nearly always soaked with dew. We would hang our sleeping bags and pillows on the front porch railing of the cabin to dry and the day would begin.
What memories we made 'sleeping out in the yard'!
~Clair
