Saturday... why we are excited

You may think it is Saturday, but that is not really noticed at camp. At camp, the only day that is “different” is Sunday… but that is not to say that we are not VERY EXCITED about this day. For today is Challenge Day, a very nice change of pace for the campers. On Challenge Day at August Camp we enjoy good natured competition between the “Odds and Evens” during our regular classes. At Main Camp, this day is a major all day event… but we found this “abreviated” form works well at the shorter sessions. The Odd Team (Green) will face “challenges” from the Even Team (Gold) during classes this morning. Counselors make up little games within their classes and keep track of what team wins each little game. We add up the scores and announce a “winner” to massive cheers and screams. The girls are all dressed in their team colors and have really entered into the spirit of the day. Little changes to routines are so much fun!

The fun continues this evening with our famous Carnival. We break out our Carnival food machines (Cotton Candy, Hawaii Ice, Funnel Cake), bring in a bunch of inflatable carnival rides, pipe in dance music… VOILA! The girls LOVE carnival, look forward to it all week long, see it as a touch point to their summer (after this, camp goes into fast gear as we prepare for banquet on Thursday night). The girls love carnival, I mean: REALLY LOVE IT!!! The event is fun… but more than that, it is a change from the other EP’s that we have done so far.

Every night we have enjoyed “Variety Shows” of one sort or another at the Pavilion (the talent show last night was the best of the format… it was amazing), but tonight will be wild running around chaotic dancing fun. You might think we would want to do wild running around fun every night; you would be wrong! The girls like seeing each other on stage, like being on stage, like the security of the pavilion (surrounded by your friends), the security of the routine (knowing exactly what you are supposed to do). The “controlled” EP’s are vital to a successful adjustment to camp. But after a week, we are ready for a wild night… so we give it to them! Most will rate this evening as their second favorite evening of camp (first is Banquet). It will be a good night.

The day, weather wise, will be pretty great too. The cloud cover is should remain all day, providing cooler temperatures. Humidity is high, providing a good chance of afternoon showers. This is the kind of day that provides great photographs (a soft light), great outside classes, great camp life. It is perfect camp weather, and we are going to enjoy every minute.

Some of the Counselors are getting nostalgic. These counselors are doing their “work” very well. They are not “checking out” emotionally… they are fully into every minute of the program. It is seen in the classes (engaged teaching, talking, laughing the entire time), in the cabins (picked up and clean, dance parties, games on the floor), in the Dining Room (as they lead the table conversations with animated gestures and laughter), in the EP’s (sitting with their girls in the pit, laughing with them between acts, congratulating them with eyes shining after their moment in the spotlight). The emotion is real, a fact that I appreciate deeply as a director. They are “Professionals” at this point… they could do their jobs very well without the emotional engagement, but most are putting their whole person into the work. This is what makes camp good. Our counselors know that they only have a few more days of camp, possibly for the rest of their lives… nostalgia is a very powerful motivator and makes for a very sweet camp. I feel very good about how things are going.

Let me spend just a moment telling you about our Bar-B-Que.

Behind the kitchen is a 12 foot high, 7 foot wide smoker… the GRAND DADDY of all backyard smokers. We designed this thing to provide perfect smoked meats every time… in huge quantities. We can cook about 1,000 pounds of pork butts at a time, and this is not just any BBQ, it is “the best Jerry, the Best!” (a little Seinfeld shout out). North Carolina is famous for it’s BBQ, as is South Carolina (OK, and Texas too)… but ours is exceptional. Anyone who likes smoked meats will appreciate how we do it at Greystone, NC style. Our Turkey is amazing, we put a very spicy rub on it prior to smoking… the perfect balance of heat, smoke, and texture… none better anywhere. Our pork butts are divine, with a very nice bark (the outside “black crusty” part), pronounced “smoke ring”, very moist, very tender. It quite literally makes you pause upon the first bite. And don’t get me started on the ribs, the brisket, the chicken, the sausage… this smoker provides joy to the meat lover. Astounding to many a visitor, you might find your little girls have become BBQ fanatics after dinner tonight!

Well… I will be going now.

My plan is to take some pictures at Putt Cove, my personal favorite place in camp. 6000 square feet of deck on a 500 foot shoreline of Lake Summit… we used Ipe wood for the deck material because it lasts 50 years AND does not splinter. Individual slips for each of our sailboats, so the girls can rig them simultaniously and launch them quickly. Three “waterfalls” provide the back wall of the large patio, providing a calming “white noise” that enhances the relaxed feeling. Nice “Real” bathrooms, a trick that was very expensive to pull off due to the 5 regluatory agencies interest in “how” we do such things. Bermuda Grass (like a golf course) lawn, sand beach… the list goes on. We went crazy on this project (just completed last Fall, it took a year to build). I love the details of this place, your girls won’t really notice it but you guys might!

Thank you for checking in and have a wonderful weekend.

Jimboy