As always in camp life, each day seems an epic adventure while a week goes by in the blink of an eye. Here we are wrapping up the first “work” week of the session and it seemed to catch everyone a bit by surprise!
Our morning was a warm one, perhaps the first warm morning we have had up on the mountain top. Breakfast was composed of advanced (veggies/sausage) scrambled eggs, bagels and cream cheese, oatmeal, a potpourri of fruits and berries, and the ever-present assortment of cereals. Morning assembly went enthusiastically as always with our 4 Weeker guys. Something about this session brings out the serious lung power and the camp band was rocking.
Trips went out in several directions this morning. A mixture of canoers and kayakers made for the Lower Green in what was sure to be a popular day on the rio a day after the 4th and a day before the official weekend. A group of climbers headed out of camp bound for a day of climbing and bouldering at Melrose. Mountain biking sent a morning mission out into Dupont for a series of trails ending in a descent of Ridgeline. A favorite amongst our riders for the long and flowing downhill. With the heat of the day, those riders were ready for a breather and some of the cold lemonade at lunch!
Our midday meal was the happy surprise of Greek Day! One of my favorites that our kitchen staff serve up and perfect on a hot day. As lunch concluded, we got a second pleasant surprise of a light rainstorm that cooled camp off for rest hour.
Around camp, things were cranking at full speed. In fishing, campers were practicing their casting skills. Without hooks, they were using weighted lines to cast into kiddie pools, into tubes out on the lake, and other targets tucked around obstacles or intentionally placed under low hanging branches. The ability to work successfully around our lake trees means a vast increase in time spent fishing compared to time spent freeing a snagged line!
Speaking of fish, pottery was putting the finished touches on their frogs and fish before setting those aside in preparation for the next project. Mountain bikers in camp were working on their hill climbing technique. Lookout had their turn at the high ropes course and soccer was hyping the guys on the pitch with the ongoing Copa and Euro teams and exploits.
Tennis was working on serves today, with Brad and the other instructors offering those crucial, small adjustments that have guys experiencing success in a relatively short amount of time. This improved serving skill is also well-timed for the soon-to-begin Camper-Counselor tennis tournament, the bracket for which was just posted officially. Lunch was abuzz with prognostications and ESPN level breakdowns of the many first round matches.
This evening, our youngest two cabins Connestee and Hillside packed up and headed out for their overnights! In camp, Age Group 2 was busy kickball on the activity field amongst the many, many fireflies. Age Group 3 was enjoying some aquatic mayhem during a round of canoe fillups. Age group 4 met down on the soccer field for a big game of world cup, and Age Group 5 destroyed each other in a number of different dodgeball games. After spending last night out of their cabins, Age Group 6 was feeling rather mellow and met at their Summit fire circle for a talk about camp history and various stories from the many years of camp. Once the conversation got going, it was great to hear various guys sound off on things they remember from their (many) previous camp years. I think they may be asleep before the lights out bell rings tonight!
As this cooler night is settling camp down peacefully, I hope you at home are also relaxing into your Friday evening. Please enjoy the pictures from the day and join us again tomorrow night for some shots of the first weekend of the session!
Woody Noland
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