The Daffodils Are Here!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The daffodils are here! And with them, comes the excitement and anticipation of another amazing summer at Illahee! It is wet and cold today, but there are signs of spring everywhere. The Canada Goose pair who return every year, are carefully guarding their nest. This is always great fun for (Fig) Newton, our full-figured Labrador, who thinks it is his job to cause as much stress for the couple as he can conjure up. There is a consistent flow of prospective staff visitors, coming to camp to interview, hopeful that they will be a part of the Best Summer Ever too.
In addition to prospects coming to camp, we also travel to lots of colleges and universities to meet friends of current and former Illahee counselors. Gretchen and Kris recently went to Furman and enjoyed seeing Roland Mitchener, McKenzie Butler, Katherine Dyer, Kathleen Stark and Megan Mullinax. They are as excited about the summer as the hundreds of campers who have gone online to register for activities, order Ship Store items, and complete summer forms. Our newest activity, Campcraft seems to be a popular choice! Laurie and Gordon enjoyed last Saturday in the Hickory, NC area interviewing horses for camp! As many of you know, Illahee's equestrian program is unmatched by most summer programs, and when we have an opening in our "herd," we want to make sure he (or she) is the BEST! New staffer, Anna Miller, rides competitively, and raises goats with her parents. We had a blast watching her ride, chasing goats, and visiting with her and her parents on a beautiful Saturday in Hickory.
Brian, James, Ryan, and Bill have been busy (with an occasional hand from Gordon) sprucing up camp. It is going to look great (as usual) when things start to bloom. We can't wait.
We recently heard from Toya West, who has been teaching in Ecuador, and who had a surprise visit from Graham Manning (there on a mission trip). 
They enjoyed a great visit, including time in Toya's classroom. Toya writes that she will be pursuing a job in the fall with Carpe Diem Education, taking college students on semester service projects in Central America. Graham is currently pursuing an internship with Vanderbilt's highly-ranked baseball team!
Spring Break is here for many of you. Gordon and Laurie are taking our family to Costa Rica for an epic adventure that hits all points. We are looking forward to staying in eco-lodges, zip-lining, surfing, spending time in the mountains and on the beach....doing lots of hiking. It should be fun. We hope whatever adventure comes your way this spring, it brings lots of great time with family and friends. We can't wait to greet you on opening day in front of the dining hall for the start of the summer of a lifetime!
