Summer is coming. I am excited by this thought, as I sit in my office looking at the possibility of another six inches of snow.

One of my favorite activities is reading. Last summer I read 3,572 pages—the third-highest number of pages in a summer that I have read. My highest number of pages ever read in a year came was when I was 9 years old. I always participated in the library’s summer reading program, and the year I turned 9, I won third place for the most pages read.

This memory is part of why we chose librarian Julie Humphrey for our Exemplary Educator this round. She coordinates the Omaha Public Library Summer Reading Program, and her story can be found on page 14.

When I was not devouring books during summers, I spent time exploring the woods around my parents’ house. My sister and I once found a great playhouse—a rotted-out tree stump with loose bark and twigs that we made into plates and flatware. Unfortunately, a family of snakes also decided this rotted-out stump was a great home, so we gave it to them.

That is one of my (thankfully) few snake stories, but the Senser kids, who also spent their summers roaming acres of woods, have several more snake stories. Their adventures can be read on page 16.

Camping is a big part of many kids’ summers, especially those who are Boy Scouts. My grandfather became an Eagle Scout at age 14, and my nephew Caleb is determined to also reach the rank of Eagle. He is 14 now, and on track to achieve that goal late this year. Only 4 percent of Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts, and most of them have fond memories of scouting. Eagle Scout and former Omaha mayor Hal Daub shares his story on page 10.

Do you have a fun camp story? Let me know at [email protected].

This article was printed in the 2019 Summer Camp Edition of Family Guide. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.