Don't Fence Me In

Something that few outside my family and a few friends know about me is that I like love to sleep outdoors. Not just outdoors in a tent, although I'm OK with that. And not outdoors like under I-35W at Rosedale - not yet, thankfully.

Lest any of you get the wrong idea, I do this with the normal complement of clothes that I wear to bed, not nekkid.

I enjoy sleeping on the back deck, under the moon and stars, a canopy of branches framing the night sky, leaves rustling in the breeze, falling asleep to the music of windchimes. Over the past two years, I've probably spent 75+ nights sans roof, including the entire month of October '08. My daughter also enjoys sleeping out-of-doors, as does my oldest son. I think my middle son is indifferent as to the practice. My dog loves it. But, as Spring fades and Summer looms, the opportunities dwindle as I don't like to sleep uncovered, and am not willing to risk more than my face and arms to the mosquitoes.

In the late fall or early winter, as in October, I left a queen sized Coleman mattress inflated, with two rectangular sleeping bags zipped together, for the whole month. My consecutive days outdoors ended when we started getting occasional overnight rain. Actually, the threat of rain is not always a deal breaker. Within the past 10 days, I awoke at 3:45 or so to a slight mist or sprinkling on my face. As it only lasted a few minutes, I stayed outdoors, and rather enjoyed the experience. A downpour would've sent me indoors.

More recently, it's catch-as-catch-can, as last night. I noted that it was very pleasant when I let the dog out before bedtime, so I used my impromptu plan, really no plan at all, unfolding my zero-gravity outdoor lounger and tossing a single rectangular army surplus bag on top (a mummy bag's just too confining). I put the doggie bed under the lounger and attached pupster's leash so she wouldn't go on walkabout. Everything was going swimmingly until about 2:15, when some kind of birds started making a heckuva racket. After about ten minutes though, I fell back asleep. If any intruder were to wander into the yard, pup would alert me with a low growl. Anyway, I woke up around 5:45, pretty well-rested.

Tonight's forecast low is about 62°. Maybe I can get one more night out before it's too hot to sleep outdoors.

Update: I don't think it made the forecast low, but by midnight it was fairly pleasant, even comfortable - just wish there'd been a bit of a breeze.