Coming down from the high of one of our weekend camps always settles into a deep reflective hangover. But as far as camps go, it is always our annual Manitoba camp that leaves me in the deepest states of withdrawal. Besides having to say goodbye to my homeland province with terrain like a pool table, it is our Western allies that I miss the most.
70% of last year's Manitoba veterans had returned for another chomp at the bit, making our special veteran's night mission the largest and most complex black op to date. The level of zombie-killing teamwork demonstrated that night was unparralled. Even more unparalled, was 2IC Keegan's flagrant abuse of the smoke grenade. I'm still not sure if he was trying to distract the zombies, or decimate the mosquitos.
A special mention is well-deserved to 3-time veteran Ashley, who organized this dirty dozen into a crack team of night ninjas. Her ability to trust her troops and her instincts resulted in a flawless victory. The only thing that gets me more in the heart, was veteran Nelson's front kick to my zombie chest. If you have any doubts about zomjitsu - Nelson will make you a believer.
But my most memorable experience - one that I will take to the grave and rise up again with - was Saturday night's Northern lights. After getting the adrenaline cranked to 110%, the world's biggest light show opened up its dancing blue panorama for us to enjoy. We all stood in silence, sipping our beers as the sky opened up and our world shrank around us. At that moment we all existed solely as conquerers of this land we call home.
When the zombie apocalypse happens, I am confident that the West will have it the best.
