Spring is Back!

Spring is Back!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

I have been hanging out on our porch this evening overlooking the canoe lake after a big day with the guys working on the roof of the Wishing Well. This time of year, James, one of our maintenance guys works around the clock. After the day's duties are complete around 4:30 PM, I am convinced that James can hear the grass calling him. "Cut me!" Half joking, I mentioned to him that I wanted to cut some grass this evening, and he shook his head and said, "no." No?! You see, if James didn't love Camp Illahee, I am convinced that he could cut Wrigley Field. He cuts ont he diagonal, carefully switching directions every time he cuts. I couldn;t keep th elines he does even stretching a string. We are blessed with lots of great colleagues at camp, and he is one who keeps this place looking great.

What weird weather came our way last week! We had sustained winds for two and a half days that gusted up to 60 miles per hour! Luckily, no damage occured other than lots of limbs falling. Then, we got a cold snap that made the beautiful hostas that line our driveway wilt back down to a pitiful state. I was hopeful that they would return, and they did today.

While I was out on our deck reading the paper, I noticed our two Canada Geese who return every year with six goslings following close behind! Hopefully, they will survive the chase scene initiated by our yellow lab, Newton. He thinks it's great fun to make them swim! That's a sure sign of spring. We are getting things together to bring together the best staff and the best summer ever! June camp starts in less than 6 weeks! Yippeee!

Dolly's Opens!

Dolly's Opens!

Monday, April 02, 2007

Our fourteen-year old daughter Gardner had a soccer game at Owen Middle School east of Asheville this afternoon, and as I often do this time of year, I loaded myself into the truck and headed over for the game. Brevard won, and we celebrated with our Monday night tradition: "date night." Now before you get any ideas that I'm father of the year, it was all I could do to get Gardner to get her things off of the school's activity bus and join me to go out to dinner. It's much more fun at this stage to be with her friends than with her dad. I know this is going to be hard for many Illahee girls to believe because I'm actually pretty cool at camp, but Gardner just doesn't "get it." I mean, I'm almost a celebrity during the summer. What's wrong with her?! Oh well.

After sushi at an Ashville favorite, we fought over the satellite radio on the way home until we got to Pisgah Forest. Like a horse headed for the barn, we were both ready to get home, when out of the corner of our eye, we saw it at the same time. Dolly's big ice cream cone was lit up! I actually cut across a lane of traffic, whipped into a parking lot, and turned around! This is one of those Illahee traditions that makes us all smile. And, nothing's changed! There's still the picture of the girl that looks like Olivia Newton-John in the window with her sweatband that's never seen sweat. The ice cream is as good as I remember. The number one and first camp flavor? Illahee Swirl of course!

We have been a flurry of activity at camp. Speaking of activities, we are getting lots of online sign-ups each day! Don't forget to get all of those sign-ups completed as soon as you can because it's April and camp is right around the corner!