Friday
While I write this, communications are still down. Phone and internet services are very stable at Greystone (we have awesome internet service that is connected directly to the hub in Hendersonville… it never goes down!) but if it does go down the lack really doesn’t affect things at camp. The campers and counselors couldn’t care less and will likely never even know we had a problem (as it should be!).
Camp is at it’s core a very primitive place. Ours is a simple life and can be enjoyed fully as long as we have food and water. From time to time we have had to adjust to running camp without electricity, but even that is just an inconvenience. One of the nice lessons of life is that we need very little to be happy. So don’t be worried!
As I consider life without internet, I am struck by a sense of gratitude for what a healthy and happy session this is proving to be. In a community of this size it is not unusual for there to be the occasional sore throat or upset stomach. Sometimes such bugs spread quickly in this setting (Main Camp had a bunch of girls with a cough that proved to be a nuisance)… so we are thankful when everyone is healthy! Dr. Margaret gives me the lowdown every evening and she has been so pleased that the nurses have had time on their hands this week!
A healthy camp, a happy camp (it really is a very joyful group), and perfect weather are combining to make this a real “goldilocks” summer. We are really enjoying the session, each day is getting better than the one before.
Tonight’s EP (Counselor Talent) is a super fun celebration for the counselors. Their first skits were performed two months ago, a time that now seems like years past. When they get up on stage now, it is with the seasoned confidence of professional entertainers. They know their lines, they know the moves, and they know their ability to delight the girls. The counselors will have a blast tonight and their joy will make the campers happiness even greater. I love seeing camp work so smoothly. It is a sublime experience for a camp guy!
We are looking forward to the big Carnival tomorrow. This is an EP that the girls anticipate from the first day of camp and many use it as a touchstone for the beginning of the end of the 2 week session. After Carnival, every EP is a big deal and each will be anticipated as such… it is easy to regret the fact that 2 week camp passes so quickly at such a time.
So don’t worry about your girls. Even if they were adjusting to camp in those first days, that adjustment time is drawing to a close. The finish line is around the corner and they are confident that they can make it.
Not that I see girls that are homesick… as I walk around camp and observe classes, as I scan the dining hall at mealtime or the pavilion at EP all I see is happy faces. The girls are really well adjusted and having a blast (I just know that adjustments are a part of camp life and are keenly felt in the quiet moments and I am sympathetic to that feeling which I understand so well from personal experience).
- Breakfast: Croissants, Ham, Cheese Eggs
- Lunch: Shepherds Pie
- Dinner: Pizza (we make our own and it is AMAZING)
Temperatures top off at 80 degrees, a light breeze is blowing all day long, fluffy clouds dot the blue sky, rain is possible in the afternoon. WOW!!!
