Wednesday Update
Spirits are high as we enter another GREAT DAY at Greystone. On such a day my father would tell the campers to celebrate!
Everything to look forward to and nothing to dread!
The Sun to tan us and the breeze to fan us!
This perfect weather almost makes us feel guilty, for we know that it is seldom this good elsewhere… we know that it is very hot in other parts of the country (I saw that Phoenix hit 116 degrees yesterday) and very cold and rainy elsewhere. Some places might be very ‘buggy’ and others don’t have clean air and sparkling water. North Carolina really is a great place to live (especially in ‘Ole Tuxedo’)!
The EP last night was tons of fun… and went late! The sunset was particularly memorable for those girls who were enjoying the pool or waterpark. There is something special about swimming in such a setting. In fact, now that I think about it, there is something special about swimming in general. Swimming during a summer shower is a sensation unlike anything I have experienced elsewhere. The sound of the drops hitting the surface of the water, the smell of the water becomes more intense, there is a sense of invincibility as you float with your face toward the sky. It is very cool… try it out the next chance you get and see if the memories don’t just flood back from your childhood. Swimming at dusk is equally memorable… the fireflies rising into the trees accompanied by the sounds of frogs and crickets. Wonderful.
One of the big hits in our program this year is Mountain Biking. The Biking Barn (near Farm & Garden) is fully stocked with Cannondale bikes and a wonderful area to practice and play on the bikes. We have set up some basic features for what will eventually become a very impressive bike park which will be a huge draw to the program. Imagine a lake-side bike park that is visible from every point on the main campus. We also spent a lot of time building a wonderful trail that is suitable for running, walking, and biking. We will continue to develop this “river walk” in future years (benches, gazebos, bird/wildlife observation decks). We also have miles of existing trails at Apple Hill, Thunderhead, and Bear Mountain for longer excursions. It is a program that benefits the camp experience in many ways and we could not be more pleased with the way the girls are enjoying it!
Tonight is Carnival and the girls could not be more excited. We will hand out custom T-shirts, eat every imaginable carnival food, ride an insane number of carnival rides, and dance like banshees. Carnival is perhaps our favorite EP and has been for years. We continually push “Carnival Al’s” to add new elements that we can rent. We continually add food items that will entice the girls in new ways. It is a blowout night and the excitement throughout camp is palpable. I will be manning the Funnel Cake fryer with Gervais, a decades-long tradition that we both enjoy. Gervais doesn’t eat the product, I do.
Menu:
- Breakfast Pancakes and big sausage links. Meme walked up to the salad bar and stole a link during Breakfast Club. The campers loved seeing her help herself.
- Lunch Pasta A La Norcina (Sandi Taylor award winning recipe)
- Dinner NC BBQ, fried mac & cheese, grilled cheese, chicken and waffles, fried pickles, funnel cakes, ice cream sandwiches, cookies, etc. (this is an exageration… but only slightly).
