When Katy Sheehan Morris and Susan Macdonald Bray went camping together for the first time 25 years ago, little did they know that they were beginning a ritual.</p><p>At the time, they were both naturalists at Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City who shared a passion for the outdoors.</p><p> They loved to camp the old-fashioned way &mdash; in a tent, not in an RV. And they relished being out during the fall, when the air is crisp, the woods are alive with color and migrating birds fill the sky.</p><p>&ldquo;We both just love being out in nature,&rdquo; said Morris, who lives in Kansas City. &ldquo;We have this call of the wild.</p><p>&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s why we hit it off so well.&rdquo;</p><p>Much has changed since that first trip. Both women are now married, and Morris has moved on from the conservation-education field to become involved in her family business, Sheehan&rsquo;s Irish Imports. Bray is currently interim director of the Lakeside Nature Center and has a full schedule.</p><p>But one thing has stayed the same: Once October rolls around, the friends reunite for their annual camping trip.</p><p>They travel to Pershing State Park in north-central Missouri for a weekend of bird-watching and hiking at nearby Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge.</p><p>&ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t a lot that will keep us from going,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;I was pregnant some of those years, but I still went.</p><p>&ldquo;Other times, one of us was recovering from some type of illness, but we still got together.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we could go into winter without taking this trip.&rdquo;</p><p>Indeed, it would take a lot to keep these two friends from following tradition.</p><p> &ldquo;About the only year we&rsquo;ve missed is when I got married in October,&rdquo; Bray said. &ldquo;Katy was my matron of honor, so we got together that way. But we couldn&rsquo;t go camping that year.&rdquo;</p><p> Morris and Bray celebrated the 25th anniversary of their tradition last weekend when they returned to Swan Lake.</p><p> By night, they listened to the sounds of coyotes yipping in the distance and barred owls hooting. In fact, Morris was able to call one of the owls in to a branch just above the campsite.</p><p>By day, they enjoyed hiking in the fall color and exploring the marshes at Swan Lake. They used binoculars to focus in on ducks, geese, pelicans, shorebirds, great blue herons and even a bald eagle.</p><p> &ldquo;For me, this trip is a renewal,&rdquo; Bray said. &ldquo;I teach children about the value of the outdoors.</p><p>&ldquo;This is my chance to get out and experience what I am teaching.&rdquo;</p><p>Both women are now 53, and Morris joked, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s getting harder to go out and sleep on the ground.&rdquo; But neither sees their tradition coming to an end soon.</p><p>&ldquo;Neither one of us is a fan of summer,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t stand hot weather.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why we go in the fall. It&rsquo;s something we both look forward to for months.&rdquo;