Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Labs have to be the best dogs in the world. What other breed would suffer the indignity of dressing up for Halloween? October 31st is one of those milestones in our family's life. Last summer is a distant memory. We are full steam ahead planning for Illahee's 90th Birthday Bash, and getting ready to wrap up the fall travel season. Laurie and I have had a couple of weeks at home, and we are getting ready to head back out for the final blitz next week. I can't wait to see all of our friends in Tampa, Jacksonville and Ormand Beach, FL! Laurie will be in New Orleans and Mobile, and Gretchen will be in Columbia, SC this week. Check out our travel schedule and come see us!

One of the things that is fun during the summer is answering curious camper questions about our family. Many are very envious that our own children get to have sleepovers in the cabins (once that I can remember), use the Tarzan and Streak off-season (happens a lot!), and have cool birthday parties at camp. Well, our youngest turned fifteen this week, and we decorated the small camp bus with balloons and streamers, and I donned my Hawaiian shirt (I thought about Sugar Daddy), and we picked up almost all of his entire class at school and brought them back to camp for a cookout, bonfire with s'mores, and a movie on the big screen (at our house, not McLeod). It was really fun, and I was so pleasantly surprised to see how much fun they all had and how nice they were to each other. That part also made me think of camp. There are no nicer girls than Illahee girls!

O.K. in other camp news, Tennis Dave Hartsock is engaged! It took him forever, but he finally proposed to Nicole on his birthday! No date yet, but we think it may be around Easter. We are already working on getting Dave back with an extended role at camp. We are renovating a house we bought adjacent to camp for adult staff to live in who may have needs that extend beyond a camp cabin.

In other camp news, we are clearing a site next to the Paw Paw Patch for a brand new Heigh Ho bath house, with individual showers, no pull chains! and lots of room! That should start in a few weeks, and be ready well before camp!

Finally, we are in the final round of interviews for a website team to redo the camp website! We have had some great meetings and are super-excited! A fresh new design, lots more pictures and video, and more functionality for campers, staff and alumnae alike! It's going to be a BIG year...and of course the BEST Summer Ever at Camp Illahee summer camp for girls! Woo Hoo!

On the Road Again!

On the Road Again!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sometimes technology is wonderful. I'm sitting writing this from a hotel room in Houston, TX on a beautiful fall day. Tonight, I will get to see all of our great Houston girls at the Maclay's home. Yesterday afternoon, I was in Dallas at the Mongers and had a great treat in getting to spend some time with star counselors Kwynn Kirkhuff and Virginia Ann Ivey, and former camper/counselor Julia Taylor as well as a great group of returning and new Illahee girls! I was competing with Miley Cyrus, and was impressed that anyone showed up, especially the twenty or so girls and their families, some of whom had both events on the agenda.

One of the things I love about being a camp director besides camp itself and all the obvious stuff with campers is being around college-aged staff members. Kwynn came straight from dropping off Callie Hill who was visiting from Atlanta and taking a look at SMU, where Kwynn is in school. So many connections are made at camp, and life-decisions often have roots in your experience there. I know lots of college decisions are made based on where counselors go to school and their experiences there. It's pretty neat to have Illahee connections wherever you go.

BIG BREAKING NEWS! Dave Hartsock, wunder tennis pro extraordinaire, is finally engaged to his soon to be bride Nicole. We had a chance to meet Nicole last spring, and fully endorse this union! No word yet on the wedding date or time, but we'll keep you posted!

Life is busy at camp. Fall is in full glory, and it is cold this week. When I left Asheville yesterday, there was snow on Tennent Mountain, where the seventh grade girls have spent some time hiking. The guys are renovating a little house we bought adjacent to camp for adult staff housing, so that we can insure that we can continue to attract the very best staff to camp (even if they are newly married (hint hint))! After we finish that, we are moving next to Paw Paw Patch, where the girls on Heigh Ho will get a brand new, state of the camp art...bath house! Plenty of hot showers, lots of room. It is going to be the pride of Camp Illahee...

We are busy doing a top/down look at each and every thing we do at camp to see how we can improve, from food to activities, so that 2010, Illahee's ninetieth can truly be the BEST SUMMER EVER!