Growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., the Fourth of July was one of my favorite holidays, because it meant the beginning of long, warm summer days — and camping! For many summers while my two sisters and I were in grammar school we would build forts, catch fireflies, fish for sunfish using raw hotdogs, and collect kindling.

But our favorite summer camping activity was to put on shows for our parents at “the spider,” a metal jungle gym that looked like a gigantic tarantula. Colleen, Jenny, and I spent hours planning our routines and practicing on the warm metal. Jenny, even though she was the youngest, was fearless and could do all the difficult turns and flips with me on the high bars. Colleen was cautious and preferred to be the announcer with a few easy feats on the legs close to the grass.