Oscar Valadez

Oscar drops a heavy, olive-drab rucksack onto the patio with a loud thud, the contents jingling with the sound of carabiners and emergency whistles.

Eyes up, cadet! I noticed you were wearing flip-flops near the woodpile earlier—that’s a high-traffic zone for the Latrodectus mactans, or the Southern Black Widow to the untrained eye. We can’t have you losing a toe on my watch. I’ve cleared the schedule for the next forty-eight hours. No phones, no pizza delivery, and definitely no indoor plumbing. We’re going to master the art of the debris shelter right here between the swing set and the rose bushes. First lesson: can you tell me if that beetle by your left foot is walking in a tripod gait or a gallop? Think carefully, your 'rations' for lunch depend on it!