Sunshine on my Shoulders

I used to love that John Denver song “Sunshine on my shoulders”. I was (and am) a sucker for pretty folk melodies and sappy lyrics… this song provided both to my 10 year old self in 1973. I could imagine playing my great big guitar on the playground, suddenly popular with my classmates and admired by my teachers. It was a song that mirrored those feelings of goodwill, satisfaction, and yearning that sometimes fill our hearts. As I begin the blog today, that song (which I have not thought of in years) immediately came to mind.

Today we once again enjoy a beautiful blue sky, a bright warm sun, and light breeze whispering in the pines. We are having fun in classes, grabbing some great DMC’s, and anticipating a blow out EP. We enjoyed a really great Movie last night and slept late this morning (with donuts delivered to our cabins). About 150 girls are gone from camp (either rafting, hiking, or at Thunderhead) and the impact of those girls missing from camp is noticed. Everyone is having fun and looking forward to once again being together later this afternoon. How can you not think of a little John Denver!

If I had a day that I could give you

I’d give to you the day just like today

If I had a song that I could sing for you

I’d sing a song to make you feel this way

Everyone is talking about the EP tonight. The Dance Battle was announced over a week ago with a funny video and the promise of wonderful prizes. The next day we showed the girls the prizes that EACH member of the winning dance team will be given (Kavu backpack, Hydroflask waterbottle, Lulu headband, winners tshirt, pass to skip class, dinner out with Jimboy) and the put up the sign up sheet. We started with 31 teams and after tryouts are now down to 16. We will be crown the winning team and present the trophy and prizes at end of event. The anticipation is delicious!

Breakfast featured Krispy Kreme donuts, Greek Yogurt, and granola. Chicken Tenders and waffle fries will be a big hit at lunch. We will enjoy a Southern Celebration of pan fried pork chops, baked apples, and stone ground grits for dinner.

About the food… it is hard to completely convey the quality, quantity, and selection of food that is available all day long. We used to only serve 3 meals a day and did not have a salad bar, but over time discerned (through camper surveys and input from the Health Hut) that we needed to provide more options. We added the salad bar, then trippled the size of the salad bar with a dining hall renovation. We added vegeterian and gluten free options to every meal. We have three staff members whose job is to keep the salad and fruit bar fully stocked while the girls come through. But even with all this work, we thought we should do more. So we deliver a cold apple at 11:00 every day in classes and offer a watermelon table after rest hour. And we didn’t stop there!

The Ice Huts not only have a never ending supply of pellet ice and cold water, but also string cheese, granola bars, and bean chips. The high protein snacks are perfect for taking the edge off of hunger… and they are open all day long.

Something that we are currently thinking about is the whole candy shoppe thing. We agree that processed sugar isn’t great for every day use. We also know that in this very active environment (everyone walks about 5 miles a day, some are easily putting in 10-20 miles) and we are eating very balanced home cooked food (no processed or frozen meals). Finally, we know that the girls really enjoy this time (even the oldest girls). It comes at a wonderful time of the day (just after dinner and before EP) that leads to some really wonderful conversations. There is something magical about sharing some skittles on the “sincerity” bench while enjoying the early evening sunshine on our shoulders…

But I am a child of the 70’s that still listens to John Denver. If you have strong opinions, let us know!