The Beat Goes On

The routines of camp continue, the surprises of camp continue, but time is running out. I try to keep an eye toward the next thing and how events affect the “feel” of camp. The past two weeks have had lots of surprises, lots of “big” events with lots of unexpected flash and delight. In contrast, the last 10 days of camp will become more and more predictable. It will gradually hit them, the days are passing quickly and we have to be intentional with the hours. With each passing day comes another of our beloved traditional events, big camper productions are just around the corner; tick-tock.

I can not tell you how amazing the weather is. Since we live in a community with no air-conditioning, we notice the effect of a high pressure system (high humidity, lots of heat, lots of afternoon showers). We delight when a low pressure system moves in (low humidity, cooler temperatures, less rain). The feel of sunlight on our face, filtered by the leaves of the trees or full on while on the pagent court. The simple delight of wind. The wonder of light (sun, moon, stars). This is part of the background of our setting, it is being noticed by all even if few mention it. You should know that the current weather pattern is perfect for camp; it is making us very happy.

We awakened to the sound of a soft rain on the tin roofs of camp. If there is a more glorious sound, I have yet to hear it. The feeling that comes from snuggling under warm blankets as a cool rain falls inches from your bunk… delightful. We only have a 30% chance of rain today and to look at the radar, there is no reason rain continues to fall… but it continues at 9:30! I expect it to stop by the end of Assembly and for us to enjoy a nice comfortable day of scattered sunshine.

The Group night was a huge success… I had a blast with the rising 10th graders at my house. The caterer was Starr Teel, a Greystone Alum who started a restaurant in Flat Rock a couple years ago (Hubba Hubba, behind the Wrinkled Egg). Starr is a Cordon Bleu trained chef who used to run our kitchen (he is also Uncle to the lovely Robinson girls of Birmingham). His talents are remarkable… we ate Mac and Cheese (made with fresh pasta, Gouda, Parmesan, and Swiss cheese), Fruit, roasted/smoked veggies, a lovely fresh salad with smoked onions on top, smoked sausage “sliders”, and ice cream… YUM. The dinner was the highlight of the evening, we took our time, we gave them rein to draw it out as they like… we ate, we talked, we played. It was wonderful to see how well trained these girls are. I was PROUD to have them in our house and to see them interacting with each other. For many of these girls, this is their last year (there are 84 girls in this group, the Castle holds the next two grades and can handle a max of about 76 girls… statistically about half of these girls will not return). I did not want the moment to pass without thanking them for the years. It was a celebration.

I saw the buses return at 9:00, just before our group went back to their cabins. The chatter around camp this morning indicates that every group had a blast… I think that we have never been so successful with a Group night, and the credit has to go to Sarah (the pregnant one) who thought these things through in the winter. Many details are associated with any camp event, it takes a lot of time for each and every one… especially true if we leave the campus. Hats off to Sarah for a perfect execution. For many girls, their favorite night of the summer happened last night.

Council Fire tonight… our second one. We will have many awards from many departments; the campers will feel the satisfaction of goals met and feel the weight of work to be done in order to meet goals. They will celebrate the girls who are tapped onto the temporary Honor Council, the highest award of camp. They will relax to the words of my mother as she tells the stories and inspires them to “think of important things”. Our eyes will watch the flames of the fire, follow the sparks as they race heavenward. We will quietly sing, sit, and relax in the fellowship of friends. Nice change of pace. Nice way to end a nice day.

Breakfast in bed was amazing… hot cinnamon buns, cereal, milk and juice eaten in our cabins prior to Morning Assembly. Lunch is Sloppy Joes… which means the kitchen must be working on something very hard. DINNER is going to be amazing: Spanish Night! Gervais and Laura visited their daughter Leland in Spain this year, bringing back a passion for Southern Spanish food. Tonight will be a showcase of the genre: Chicken and Chorizo Paella, Croquetas, Tomato with Basil and Feta, and Churros for dessert. They will put the considerable talent of the kitchen crew to the test with preparations that will take the entire day… I can’t wait!

Enjoy your day, don’t worry about us.

OK… a change…. It has not stopped raining all morning long. In fact, it is raining pretty hard! The lake is rising and will likely cover the canoe dock by rest hour. Humm. Can’t predict these things! Classes go on as scheduled (just saw about 10 horses go by with girls in rain gear… every one was smiling!). Kayaking is swimming in the lake, tennis is playing ultimate frisbee on the courts. Good times.

Jimboy