We had a funny moment in the dining hall tonight. Meals are usually a pretty tight (but comfortable) ship. We eat family-style with a counselor or director (or both) at their table. Plates are served from one of our ancient yellow carts, one at a time. Propriety rules…otherwise chaos would. It’s like family dinners on a good night. After enjoying another really tasty dinner…this time of baked enchilada casserole, salad, chips and dirt cake, I turned around and there were only a smattering of campers at each table. Everyone was up or gone…turns out, I had missed the dismissal for the girls to get ready for their final performances. Almost three quarters of the camp were involved in tumbling, dance, vaulting or drama productions. No announcements…just excitement for the shows!
It was another banner day in the Heavenly…gorgeous, almost chilly this morning without a cloud for miles. The morning dew burned off, and revealed our warmest day to date…I think the high was in the low 80’s. I spent choice period on the waterfront, and enjoyed watching girls work on dives and flips from the Tarzan rope. The lake was the place to cool off midday. Our eighth graders didn’t have to worry about cooling off at all. They had a ball on the Nantahala…loved their raft guides supplied by the N.O.C., and everything else about their day. It was a great success. Our Trips Hikers got back from their overnight in the Shining Rock Wilderness before dinner and also had rave reviews about the experience, especially spending the night out in high Pisgah. The food was extra tasty at the end of their journey and again this morning. Back in camp, our campcraft girls ended their session’s activity by cooking dinner out, making pocket pizzas over the campfire. A small, but excited group launched our brand new Mad River canoes on the French Broad with Gallagher and Alice. I ran the shuttle for them, and enjoyed watching them launch. They had some time to swim after their paddle and then headed back to camp before lunch.
Our Trips Kayaking crew have checked in after their runs on the Chatooga and Nantahala. They will head to section 9 of the French Broad tomorrow and then return to camp at the end of the day. They have had great days on the river so far, and are looking forward to tomorrow. It was a big day. The kitchen crew continues to “wow,” and the salad offerings are especially welcome. Dee made Quinoa with tomatoes that was a delicious supplement to dinner in addition to the regular veggies and greens. Lunch was Chik Fil A (not really, but tasted just like it). I’m sure it is no surprise to you all that there are a myriad of different vendors, sizes, shapes and quality of chicken to make chicken sandwiches…everything from pressed parts on one end to really terrific breast meat that tastes just like everybody’s favorite…which is what we serve. Salad and smiley fries (the fryer’s already hot, so why not?), salad and brown mules for dessert.
The final performances were really great. Lots of talented (and very flexible) girls you have! The gymnastics routines were run from all angles on intersecting mats. Dance routines followed, and then vaulting (really gymnastics on horseback, but tonight it was gymnastics on our vaulting practice barrel). The play was The Best Little Theater in Town, and the girls did a terrific job. It was funny, there were lots of solo parts and the soloists actually projected! Kudos to our great counselors for pulling that off in 2 1/2 weeks. Tomorrow, we’ll have our final full day of activities, and then Sing Around the Lake . One of the highlights of those festivities is the slide show that precedes it. Your girls will see all the pictures we have been taking for the very first time. It’s always a pretty sentimental time for all of us. Canoe Formation ends the evening. I won’t tell you too much about that to save something for tomorrow night.
Hey, check out this video of the Illahee farm that Caroline put together. Be sure and Like it (if you like it). Also, a great article in Washington Post on benefits of camp.