Wayne Gray

The Farm is a wonderful stand-alone story. It's a tale of taking chances, learning to believe, and the act of allowing love to bloom. Though it's nice as it is, should more chapters appear, I'd certainly read and enjoy them. 🙂 Nice job, tim.

Thanks, mayday. I always knew these little moments happened in the background while the lives of our regulars went on as well. Yet now the focus has shifted to our visitors, with only small cameos from our camp hosts. And I like it! Longer stories will come, but yeah. For now, I am going to do a few of these, just to get this out of my system. 🙂 And who doesn't want to read a story about unconditional love?

I'm so happy you think so. And yeah! I have to say that I agree. 🙂 Thanks, Bft!

Thanks, Clancy! You're right. The campground sees so many visitors come through. Most aren't in crisis. Most are there to have a good time, and to spend it relaxing in a place where they can just be themselves. But some are like Harry. And I'll admit, those are the most interesting stories to me; those that show the power of acceptance and belonging. So that's likely what we'll see the most of here with these little stories. Gus and Harry turned out to be sweet, interesting boys. Their parents are wonderful too. It's hard not to love all of them, I think. I will do my best to keep things coming. I have at least one idea that's getting more detailed as time goes, though it may end up being a couple of chapters vs one. 🙂

Thanks, JeffreyL. They've been so worried for him, and did everything they could to help him know it would be okay. That he would still be loved, accepted, and valued. Not all of us get that, but some do. And both Gus and Harry are some of the lucky ones.

Thanks for reading and commenting, Quixo! Yes, there wasn't likely too much doubt where we were going here. This one, really, is about the journey there. There's no surprise, just us observing a young man finding peace with who he is, and realizing he doesn't have to pretend anymore. There's something sweet about that.

Thanks, Butcher. Someone earlier said they liked the familiar characters, but that they were secondary now, letting the new folks shine. And I liked that description. We know these folks, and we get to watch the place they've worked so hard to bring into being change lives of new people coming to experience it. Gus had such a powerful impact on Harry. A guy about his age who was happy, confident, proud of who he is, and supported by loving parents. Then there's the attraction the guys have for one another too. It all served to help Harry get to a better place with himself - one where denial wasn't an option any more. His sweet parents. I felt for them in this too. I'm glad Harry had enough support to finally tell them, so that they can all get to someplace better together.

Ah, thank you, Tony! I’m excited for these little stories. I’m going to allow for the possibility that some may become more, though I don’t expect that, and we’ll just have to see how that works out.

Thanks, spyke! I like the format too, and I'm glad it appeals! This is what can happen when kids are supported by both their parents and the environment around them. And well, Gus certainly helped too. 🙂 I've often thought what it'd take to make Camp Refuge real. Thanks to the nutty prices of land, that has become a lottery dream. If it remains so, the future will tell. But if I ever get the chance I'm taking it.

Thanks, CincyKris. I'm happy you enjoyed it! Man, you're so right about their parents. It would have been a game changer for me, had mine reacted this way. They're lucky boys, for sure. Your imagination is a good one. The adults and boys both text often, and they live around three hours apart (Redding, CA - Gus and Eureka, CA - Harry). The campground is something of a middle ground, with some creative mapping involved, at least. That means we just might see these folks again. Maybe. 🙂

I am not a parent, but I still felt their fear and worry for him. Their love. And yeah, it made me tear up too. I'm happy it was a powerful scene for you, molly. Gus is such a good kid, and on the way to being a good man. He feels the uncertainty in Harry, and yes, he does understand it on a visceral level. It helps him "get" what Harry is going through. So many wonder why we have trouble coming out, even with great parents. Well, it's because everything around us is set up to remind us how different and "wrong" we are. There's only so much a parent can do in the face of that societal pressure. The campground and Gus helped Harry imagine a world where he can just be, and not have to worry. Together with his loving folks, that did it. Finally. Thanks for beta-ing, reading, and commenting, molly! I appreciate your help.

Thank you, MurphyD.

I almost tagged you with a "Look, it's sunny!" in a comment. But I didn't. I'm bigger than that. Barely. 😛 And that's the idea. There's a nice aspect to already knowing the campground and the regular characters. These new folks are hopefully engaging in the short time we spend with them, helped along by familiarity with the rest. Thanks, kbois!

Thanks, Chris. Harry needed to see the campground. He didn't need to be told it'd be fine, he needed to know it'd be okay. And that's really what Camp Refuge did for him. I'm excited for the format of these. I often have ideas for short little stories, and this should fit the bill.

Thank you, tim. We are all normal, because there's no one such definition of the word. That's a hard lesson for younger people in particular, and Gus has it figured out. Harry needed a little help to get it. He's a lucky boy. Loving, careful parents, and meeting Gus helped him along. I'm glad you liked that additional scene with their folks. They're such good people, and they're trying.

Thanks. I have had so many little stories spark in my mind for the campground, but few that'd go for a full story. This is the answer to that situation. I hope folks enjoy them.

"No, we don't have a problem with gay people," Harry's dad said. Hurriedly taking out his earbuds, Harry leaned forward, suddenly interested in the conversation between the salt and pepper guy at the window and his dad behind the wheel. "All right then." The man pointed. "Your cabin is down the lane here, number five, just past the tip of the loop." "Thank you, sir." His dad shook the guy's hand. "I'm Dan, this is my wife Laura," he jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "and our son,

This series uses the Camp Refuge setting. If you want the best reading experience, then read Guarded, Camp Refuge, A Silent Song, and Broken. They are shorts, though. So if you're feeling impatient, then just dive in. I will update this sporadically, and each chapter will be stand-alone (mostly - there may be recurring characters down the line). I really wanted to create something that showed off the effect the camp has on regular folks just coming to camp. Little snapshots of lives lived and changed thanks to Greg's dream. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a wonderful reconnecting to what drives us to create. Thanks for that, tim.

I'm glad Connor got over his initial writing off of Jake. Older, hairy guys have a lot to offer, and I'm speaking from authority here. 😄 It's a nice story, tim. I like that Connor had work to do on himself before he could allow Jake in, and I like that Jake sorta forced that self-reflection on him. Sometimes it takes someone shaking us to wake us up to what is potentially there. 🙂

Thanks! I have said this before, but “Guarded” is an anomaly for my writing. It’s the only mystery/suspense I’ve ever written. Even though “Camp Refuge” follows it, that’s more of a romance/life story series with all sorts of elements. I still love it, but I wanted you to know that. Now, if you wanted another suspense, you can check out “Silverwolf.” If you can deal with the rampant eroticism and the supernatural themes, you’ll probably like it. 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting! I hope you like the rest of my work.

Thank you, molly. It’s not structured well, but it says what I wanted to say. 🙂

Man, I'm sorry you're still dealing with this pain. I hope you get the second treatment quickly, and things resolve completely soon.

Blood sugar fluctuations are no joke, particularly for diabetics. They absolutely affect our mood, and can make rational thought difficult, especially if low. Even a small snack can help. tim is probably right. I'm not diabetic, but I've noticed with my working out, if I don't eat within an hour after expending a lot of effort, I get ... weird. I feel shaky, I am cranky, I feel less capable of dealing with anything outside the norm. So I could easily see this happening to you. Take care of yourself. And, yes. You are a lucky man.

I like this sentiment. There's a lot of "stuff" swirling around in me, but most of it isn't worth much. Some though ... some I want to show to others and have them experience it. Thanks for the comment, tim. 🙂