Family Camp ends the season in style

We spent a delightful weekend to close the camp season with former counselors and tutors and their children. The weather was ideal and we were able to do a myriad of outdoor activities: various community games like Signal or Sharks and Minnows, swimming in the Mad River, some great volleyball games, archery, walks along the headwaters of the White River just down the hill from camp... Diana and Jaime, with assorted other members of the 'cooking team,' put together a delicious cookout Saturday with tilapia, salmon, burgers and hotdogs, roasted vegetables and corn on the cob, followed by a campfire and the roasting of marshmallows. We also played some inside games like chess, ping-pong, and 'Saint Pete-Saint Paul'—which we learned from campers way back in 1980 and have played ever since—and sang favorite camp songs to the excellent guitar accompaniment of Eric and Dan, longtime counselors. On Sunday we managed to put tents away, pack up equipment, and pretty much put the camp to bed for the winter. It was a wonderful end to an exceptionally good camping season.

Second camp session of fun and personal growth

We have just finished the two-week camp with a great bunch of kids 12-14 years old. We had some wonderful weather which permitted mountain hikes up Mt. Hunger and Camel's Hump, the most beautiful mountain in Vermont. In-camp activities included volleyball, soccer, archery, theatre improv, chess, community games, swimming in a spring-fed pond or—on hike days—the Mad River, "serious workshops" on issues like grief, anger management, conflict resolution, sexuality and relationships, and a lot of singing and sharing in the evening. Though they normally listen to hip-hop, the kids became enthusiastic about singing "Take me Home, Country Roads," "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," and "Leaving on a Jet Plane," among many others. A terrific group of counselors, several of whom have also been tutors in our Tutoring/Mentoring Program, helped the youngsters on many levels, and we all formed a real family where the kids felt at home, comfortable with one another and with the staff, and able to share even painful events or experiences from their personal life and help one another come to terms with them. As one camper observed, "I learned how to make friends."

First camp session successful

We managed to get things into shape to welcome ten campers for the first session. Despite an oil-pan leak which obliged us to abandon our van only one-third of the way to camp, leading to an extended wait and a 9pm dinner, the kids quickly became acclimated to the intense rhythm of camp activities and had a great time. Workshops and games, swimming, singing every evening, shared chores and a mountain hike on the last day filled the week which went by like a flash.

More work on the barn

Lucas and I managed to get most of the back wall of the barn done, replacing old, worn-out tar paper with modern Tyvek and a layer of tar paper. I'll be able to finish it up during the three days of prep for the first session. We head up tomorrow in two waves: Marie- Claude and Nancy at 7am, the counselors and I at 2pm. During the weekend Marie-Claude finished up the mowing and started getting the house in shape.

More work on the barn

Marie-Claude, Lucas and I are heading back up to camp for the weekend. Lucas and I will be working on two projects: one, to remove all the vertical barn boards on the rear of the barn (in photo), apply new tar paper and/or Tyvek (the original tar paper between the boards has been completely eaten through by sunlight and weather, leaving spaces for hornets' nests and the like); and then, replace an 8"x8" beam holding up one end of the back porch of the house, the center of a lot of camp activity (or occasional inactivity). We'll have to use a car jack to raise the porch while we work on it: should be fun! We'll use pressure-treated materials this time, so it should last another 50 years at least. In the meantime, Marie-Claude will be getting things ready in the house, mowing the grass (again), making sure the tents are in good shape, and so on.

Mission accomplished

Lucas and I managed to build bunkbeds on three sides of a new room in the barn. We enjoyed working together again, and the final product was satisfying to see. I am sure the boys will appreciate it if we get hit with sustained rain during camp. We also had just enough time to mow the grass around the house and out in the field.  In places it was already about 10 inches high, all since Marie-Claude mowed it just 10 days earlier. Marie-Claude and I are heading back up to camp Tuesday and Wednesday next to do some more work. Camp is just two weeks away!

Heading up to Vermont

Lucas Ewing, an 18-year-old who has just finished high school, is heading up to camp with me Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll be building bunk beds in the barn to give the boys and the male counselors a refuge in case of several days of sustained rain, which can make the tents a bit of a trial. Lucas helped me last summer to improve the boys' changing space in the barn with individual cabinets for their affairs. We're looking forward to his being with us this summer as a counselor.