Tuesday

The title of yesterday’s update was all wrong. It did not rain all day, not a drop! Amazing. Seventy Percent chance of rain and we not only didn’t get to play in puddles, we had to put on sunscreen! The sun was out, there was a steady breeze coming off the lake (David Vining calls it “an ocean breeze”), temperatures stuck at 80 degrees… it was a glorious day! Then as soon as the EP (“Dance till you drop”) began, the skies opened up and we had a HUGE rainstorm that dumped about 1 inch of rain over a 90 minute period.

If I could have designed a perfect day, it would have been just like that! The weather enhanced EVERY SINGLE minute of the day. Classes were a delight (all the more so as the campers did not expect a pretty day) and the Dance Till You Drop EP (which depends on everyone choosing to be crammed together dancing for an hour) had 100% participation. We raised enough money to provide 342 ducks to hungry families around the world! Good at every level (fun and funny).

Rather than predict the weather today, I just say that we are going to be happy with whatever happens!

A couple comments overheard from the tentalow girls as they were getting settled into their tentalows at rest hour (we announced the EP at lunch, playing up the challenge to “Dance for Ducks”):

“I’m definitely going to get that duck”
“I’ve ALWAYS wanted a duck, this is AMAZING!”

A couple comments overheard from the tenalows after the EP were:

“When do we get the ducks?”
“This was the best EP camp has ever done!”

Needless to say, success. I will get those ducks ordered today (the largest duck order of the week, I bet).

A few other “details” from camp life yesterday…

• It was “Canada Day” yesterday. I would have missed it if we didn’t have a Canadian friend at camp this summer. Our one Canadian, a counselor named Tamarah (she is on Page 8, for some reason I can’t link directly to her profile) celebrated with her cabin by giving them stickers that read “A Canadian Loves You”. The Campers made a sticker for her: “Ten Americans Love a Canadian”. Cute!

• Our Praise and Worship leader, Caroline Gaddis (she is on Page 1) has introduced Greystone to a new song… it is my new favorite. Listen to it sometime… called Oh How He Loves Us and see if you don’t tear up.

• The temperatures are PERFECT. Not hot, not cold… perfect.

• We began SURPRISE trips to town with cabin groups! Took 4 cabin groups yesterday and are doing so again today. These trips come as a complete surprise to the girls (all of whom quite literally screamed when they heard of the treat). For breakfast we took them to different diners in town (everyone got chocolate chip pancakes and milkshakes). At lunch we took one group to “Piggies” and another to “Hot Dog World”… This is a home run surprise and will provide some wonderful moments for the girls.

Today we ate scrambled eggs, grits, and sausage for breakfast, Pork Chops and mashed potatoes for lunch, Mexican Dinner tonight. The salmon yesterday was magnificent, poached with a hint of lemon juice and dill. Most of the campers tried it and many are now willing to be named “fish fans”.

In your emails and letters to the girls, such details as these are golden. Your credibility rises as you casually mention them!

Jimboy

PS THE JOKE… I think I shared it with you before, but this was the first time for the girls.

Jesus, Moses, and an old man are playing golf. They step up to a par 3.

Jesus is up first. He drives the ball short, into the water trap in front of the green. So Jesus, being Jesus, walks on the water, chips the ball onto the green and putts for par.

Moses is next. He drives the ball into the same water trap. So Moses, being Moses, parts the water, chips the ball onto the green, and putts for par.

The old man is up. He drives the ball and it’s heading for the water trap. Before the ball lands in the water, a fish jumps out and catches the ball in its mouth. Before the fish lands back in the water, a bird swoops down, snags the fish, and begins to fly away. As it’s circling over the green, a bolt of lighting strikes the bird, causing it to drop the fish onto the green. The ball pops out of the fish’s mouth, and rolls into the hole for a hole-in-one.

Jesus turns to the old man and says, “Dad, if you don’t stop fooling around we’re not gonna bring you next time.”

PPS The “Comments” section of the blog was broken yesterday… should be working today. Sorry for any inconvenience!