Carpe Diem

The sun rose in a cold blue sky, but the mist on the lake quickly dissipated in the low humidity of this perfect summer day. Temperatures will rise to a balmy 85 degrees, and we will have the misting stations cooling the girls by this afternoon. Camp is clicking along, and we are savoring this wonderful week.

The Waffle House EP was a lot of fun… basically, it is a game show that puts representatives of the 4 teams (waffle, bacon, egg, hashbrown) on the stage competing in silly games and answering trivia questions. The formula works in a thousand ways, depending on the theme chosen for the night. Preparation of the stage backdrop and costumes makes it a big deal and a lot more fun. The winning team gets waffles prepared to order by Waffle House cooks who will come to camp, and the winning cabin (chosen by raffle) will be driven to our local Waffle House for a feast to remember!

I was invited to visit ceramics yesterday so that I could meet a visiting ceramics artist all the way from Australia. The advanced class learned new skills and showed off what they had been working on. The quality of the workmanship, artistry, creativity, and whimsy were striking and really impressive. These girls are already skilled, showing a natural ability that is remarkable. The art show next week will be amazing (we are doing a new format that is more like an art fair than a formal show). Our fine arts program is excellent, you will love seeing what your girls made!

After ceramics, I dropped in on riflery, drawn to the area by the “target Christmas tree” that had been decorated by one of the campers after a particularly successful class earlier in the day. All of her targets were over 40, quite a feat. She stuck them on branches of a pine tree at the entrance (very close to the Fine Arts Center), irresistible to my fun-seeking mind. Particularly since I have not dropped in on this important program area since Mid-June. We did a major renovation of the rifle range this year (expanded the range, added five shooting positions, and constructed a new six-foot solid fence around the perimeter. It was a difficult project (requiring bulldozers, excavators, tree people, utility upgrades, and a lot of carpentry) but was worth it! We expanded our capacity by 50%, allowing the girls many opportunities to shoot targets every class period. It has taken a very popular activity (already in our top ten offered) to a new level. The girls love the Anschutz Olympic-grade pellet rifles (far superior to the .22s we used to shoot), and they love the social aspect of this laid-back class. When not shooting, they quietly talk and joke while the counselors (always some of our best) score the targets, chat with the waiting campers, and maintain range discipline. The cards that the counselors score for the campers are kept from year to year, and never disgarded. They are one of the subtle treasures of camp and fun for the girls (some of whom have 10 years of improved shooting proven on those cards).

Big News: Some of our most loved Alumnae will return to camp just in time for Corn Roast tonight! Our “Skip-Year” girls (who are entering college this fall after graduating from their camper years last summer) will arrive this afternoon and move into the Apple Hill Guest House (a 4-bedroom house and boathouse next to the camp, we brought in a bunch of cot mattresses so they would fit). Thirty-three girls driving/flying in from all over the country for one night and one morning at camp… crazy, right? We host this group at this point of the summer every year and always look forward to the reunion. The campers are SO EXCITED to see their friends again and anticipate the time when they will FINALLY have this status.

There is something wonderful about growing up, leaving the nest, and assuming the responsibilities of adulthood. When we are young, we grasp the significance of this transition and can not wait for our chance at the wheel. As we age, this appreciation wanes, and we are tempted to look back with longing. Whenever I regret the weight of the world that adult responsibilities bring and am tempted to look back wistfully, I remember the reality of the skip-year joy and expectant anticipation for adulthood shared by all the campers. Adulthood is perhaps not everything we anticipated it to be, but it is pretty amazing when you think about it. Embrace the day in all of the seasons of life… it’s the Greystone Way!

• Breakfast pancakes and sausage
• Breakfast Club Physical Growth (why we ’limit” sugar and eat healthy at camp)
• Joke Hare Spray
• Weather Getting hot again, high of 85 today with just a slight chance of rain
• Lunch BLT’s
• Dinner Corn Roast! Similar to carnival, but with a “country fair” theme