Surprises

Part of the “art” in running camp is to keep the whole camp anticipating the next surprise. Last night’s EP was a good example: a “Mystery Night” that was unexpectedly introduced at lunch. I made an announcement to unveil a wonderful treat that I was going to enjoy eating… the big box that was supposed to contain the treat was empty, prompting me to announce a camp wide search for the missing treats. At dinner, the Head Staff assumed alter egos (James Frankenstein, Maleficent Margaret, Ursulaura… you get the point) as we all were “suspects” in the crime. For EP, each cabin formed a team to look for answers to the various clues. The end of the night was a production where each suspect was eliminated one by one and the culprit finally confessed (it was Kelly de Ville). The 17 cabins that correctly answered the clues were rewarded with the promise of sharing in the treat (Ben and Jerry’s ice cream) on Sunday. Fun for all.

It is overcast today, 70% chance of rain… likely to make the day a bit wet at times. Rain seldom impacts our program (it rained literally every day of Main Camp last year and we did not cancel a single event). If it is thundering we seek shelter but otherwise it is business as usual. Tonight’s EP is Carnival, which is always a camper favorite.

We bring in a bunch of inflatable slides and games, set up some old fashioned favorites (toss the ring, dunk tank, face painting, etc) and serve a bunch of carnival food (funnel cakes, cotton candy, pop corn, grilled cheese, and hawaii shaved ice) after enjoying a traditional NC BBQ picnic. The campers go crazy over all this glorious gluttony… the non stop dance party takes place in the middle of everything, so there is always something to watch. Good fun… we LOVE it.

The overnight last night was cancelled due to a badly timed thunderstorm. As we were dismissing from the EP a big cell moved over camp and the rain fell hard for about 20 minutes. Not a big deal, but the timing was bad for the overnight (we walk up to the campout site after EP… couldn’t make it in time). Such adjustments are normal and we learn to roll with them as a part of camp life.

I am going to head over to Putt Cove today in hopes of getting a few sailing shots. The Putt Cove Marina is amazing. We can launch 11 sailboats and 20 kayaks in about 5 minutes due to the great design. The decking material is a wonderful wood that does not splinter or rot (called Ipe). The landscaping is wonderful (three big waterfalls, a spacious bermuda grass lawn, lovely rockwork and flowers) and Lake Summit is a delight. I always love going over there.

Thank you for reading and for supporting camp. Hard to believe that a week from tomorrow is Banquet day… time is going by very quickly!