For as long as I have been here, we have had pancakes on Saturday. Throughout High Rocks history, there was a time that the director himself would cook pancakes on Saturday since our head cook was off that morning. I tried that for a while, but the program has become much larger and more complex than in those days. Nonetheless, we still have pancakes on Saturday. The best part is that these are scratch-made with fresh buttermilk (none of that fat-free buttermilk), the real stuff!
Now that we have that sorted, we might as well go into the menu.
Breakfast: Scratch-made buttermilk pancakes, sausage, hard-boiled eggs, home fries, fresh berries, oranges, and assorted cereals.
Lunch: Cold cuts of turkey, ham, and/or salami, with toppings of onion, lettuce, tomato, and provolone. Add some, watermelon slices, tossed salad with homemade ranch or balsamic dressing and you have a pretty good lunch. Of course, there is always sun butter and jelly. Some of the older guys just take one to have for the additional calories, or for dessert.
Dinner: Pack out pan pizza, chips, scratch-made chocolate chip cookies, and a soda of choice. Each cabin could have dinner anywhere they wished tonight. Most sat on the lawn and just enjoyed hanging out while eating a ton of pizza.
My first glimpse of the day was watching the cabin overnight boys roll in this morning. I enjoyed my time as the Hillside boys were just finishing up their gear turn-in and getting ready for breakfast. I chatted with the guys for a bit as the counselors were wrapping up a couple of items. I enjoyed the stories that they shared. They were SO excited to tell me about their adventure. Even if they told the exact same story their buddy just told me. They wanted to share it all over again. I love it when the fun gets to that level. Some of the guys still had some ash, a little dried marshmallow, and some oily love dripped down their shirt, face and hands. I felt like the Pied Piper marching them off to the handwashing sink before breakfast. Special moments happen through a little adventure. They will be tired tonight.
I know many of the parents are wondering how everyone is doing, and I hope the nightly blog and pictures give you a good sense of the daily routine of camp. In the next day or so the first letters from High Rocks will be arriving in your mailbox. There is the possibility of a letter coming home that may worry you. So, let’s talk about homesickness. It’s not a scary word. It’s all about growing up one step at a time. After over 30 years here at High Rocks, I have some pretty good experience with kids and camp. That being said, a little homesickness is normal. More often than not, what you are reading in those letters today has passed. They are on to bigger heights. Remember, we are professionals. If you feel worried at all just drop us a line. Don’t forget to do the same for your son. Give him some encouraging words; tell him how proud you are and how he will be just fine. Try not to go on about how the dog misses him, or all the cool things you are doing at home. When you are learning to take some steps on your own, sometimes you fall down and get back up. It’s definitely not a reason to stop walking. Camp is a super place to step out on your own. If you do feel like you need to give us a call, we are here to help. Don’t forget, the boys love mail. So keep sending it.
We work on all sorts of skills here while mountain biking. Most of our boys start out as “pavement flatlanders.” We take some time to work on a little braking, ready position, uphill and downhill technique, and some braking even before hitting the trail. One of my favorite days is working on some more advanced skills like the teeter totter. We focus on balance, control and speed to overcome this obstacle. These skills will continue to help them as we hit amazing trails in and out of camp. What an opportunity!
Shipping a Trunk Back Home?
I do have some housekeeping notes from Darby. If you are planning on shipping a trunk/duffle home there are two steps. First, please fill out the UPS Store’s form here. If you have questions, you are welcome to call UPS at (828) 883-4701. Second, please email Townsend Birdsong in our office to let us know that you wish to have your trunk/duffle shipped and we will deliver your item(s) to the UPS store on Closing Day.
It sure has been a great week! I can’t believe our Mini boys go home in a week! Have a great night!
Don
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