New Riding Facility!

New Riding Facility!

Sunday, March 11, 2007

We had a great week of spring-like weather and our grading contractor was able to finish shaping the three new riding rings in new pastures near the barn. New footing was brought in for the rings, and Brian and James did a masterful job of finishing the pastures with rakes, seed, fertilizer and lime, and lots of straw on the hills. Now, it's time for mother nature to do her thing and germinate all of those seeds. We put over 500 pounds of fescue, several hundred of rye, and tons of lime and fertilizer so things should be green in a few short weeks. We will let the grass germinate, and then move in over the next month to erect a new 4 board white oak fence that will be painted in traditional Kentucky horse farm black. It's going to look spiffy! Our good old camp horses are going to feel like thoroughbreds!

It certainly feels like spring is in the air, especially because there is a lot of stuffing going on in the office! Parent handbooks, activity descriptions, and all sorts of other information will go out this week for the summer of 2007, the BEST ever! In the next few weeks, you will be able to sign up for your activities online, do all of your Ship's Store ordering, and get organized for camp! We have a new member of the camp family...La Fondah, the lop-eared bunny. She (we think) is the friendliest bunny you'll ever meet and will be a big hit this summer. Ezra, Gretchen's five-month old, got a chance to meet her this weekend! We have had lots of activity around camp as the cutest group of college-aged staff you can imagine have been touring camp, completing interviews, and learning about the BEST place in the world to work...CAMP ILLAHEE!

I'm Getting Excited!

I'm Getting Excited!

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Daffodils always bring mixed emotions for me. The first sight of them peaking up from beneath the crusty leaf mattress always brings a moment of panic. It's too early for flowers! Flowers mean SPRING! And, spring can only mean one thing...camp is only a few short months away!

This will be my eighteenth summer as a camp director. Whew! That's hard to even put down on paper. I remember during a few of the first, I used to take great pains to don jacket and tie when I was out on the recruiting trail...anything to look old enough for parents to leave their children with us for a camp session. I can't help but notice lately that I don't look so young any more. Many parents who are dropping their girls off now are our contemporaries...many more are a few years younger. How did that happen? (and so QUICKLY?!)

This many years later, I still get excited this time of year the closer we get to opening day. There is a magic about it that transcends our chronological age. I love what I do. We spend months in the fall getting excited about celebrating the summer that has been. Applications come pouring in, and we take time to look at each smiling face in the upper right hand corner that accompanies each one. Many we know...campers, their moms and dads, brothers and younger sisters. We know that they love peanut butter, or will be a wee bit homesick the first day and a half of camp, even 8 years later! (We also know that it will be harder to leave than it is to come...girls who struggle with homesickness are just like that!) But, we get MORE excited about the summer to come, and this summer is going to be the BEST YET!

I noticed that it has been a while since I checked in on the website. In the past month, our year round crew has been to Austin for a week for the American Camp Association national conference. A great learning opportunity, there are sessions led by psychologists, other camp professionals, teachers, coaches, accountants, and authors. Topics include risk management and safety, new programming trends, adolescent studies, technology and activities. We always come back with heads full, eager to incorporate new ideas into an already great program.

Brian and James have been doing a great job in the kitchen. Those of you who have peaked in during past summers are not going to recognize every camper's favorite workshop! New ceilings and coolers, new tile and bathrooms...it is state of the art!

On th eother side of camp, we have a big dirt pile! Almost finished, the new pastures are ready for fencing! We have some additional exciting news that we will be ready to announce in a few weeks regarding the riding program...a hint...it is going to be better than ever over at the barn!

Counselors are signing up in droves for the best summer ever. We are glad that you will be a part of it! Keep checking back! Gordon.