Ernie's Great Outdoors

ERNIE COWAN   Union-Tribune Outdoors SMELLS OF NATURE BRING BACK THE DAYS OF SUMMERS PAST As spring teeters on the fulcrum of summer, it’s the smells of nature that ignite the most vivid memories. A recent drive through the Cuyamaca Mountains was filled with the fragrances that brought back memories of my summer of emancipation. Pine trees, damp summer meadows, the delicate scent of wildflowers, campfires and even fresh air were the accelerants that ignited the fires of  vivid memories.  My 16th summer was spent working as a senior Boy Scout at Camp Hual-Cu-Cuish near Julian. Tucked into the oaks and pines at the edge of a broad meadow, it was home for several glorious weeks. I was there as free labor to greet arriving young Scouts, watch over them in the swimming pool, lead hikes, or supervise games of Capture the Flag in the golden meadow below the camp. This was my first time away from home for an extended period and my last summer before becoming fully emancipated by ...