Today felt like a typical summer day at camp. Everyone is in their routine, activities are busy, the food is great, and there are lots of things going on to keep things exciting. We start every Wednesday morning a little earlier as our Heads of Hill join the leadership team to check in. We are … Continued
I’ll tell you…it was a busy day in the Heavenly! Laurie and I started a little earlier than the average Illahee day with our weekly Tuesday morning Counselor Bible study, and I actually had to duck out early from that to pack out the food for our first rising 7th Grade Adventure! In what has … Continued
When I got up this morning, I’ll have to admit that my first reaction was…still?! It was gray and drizzling. Even with a day and a half of the wet stuff, we didn’t pass a 1/4 inch total rainfall. Now that it’s out of here, I can be thankful for the nice watering that the … Continued
It’s been a long time since I can remember a summer rain like the one today. Usually in the mountains, rains come with thunder, and in dramatic fashion. They leave as quickly as they came, and we clean up the leaves and sticks, and washed gravel left in the wake. Today was just one of … Continued
Tonight had that summer feel to it. There were fireflies everywhere, neighbors were out visiting on their porches, yet it is still cool in the mountains. The sweetness and innocence of summer. There is something that feels very “fifties” about Dolly’s ice cream. It’s a low-slung building with ice cream cone shaped lights slung from … Continued
Every year Laurie gets a bee in her bonnet that is a little outside the plans for the off-season. Usually it’s presented as “it will just take a little of this…or a little of that.” This was a big year for us facility-wise. We started out in September at the farm with major earth moving, … Continued
Most parents don’t consider one of the greatest benefits of camp…that for most girls, it is a love that extends through and well past the “dreaded” teenage years. I’ve always known that Illahee girls count the days down until camp starts, but the advent of Twitter and Facebook have made the excitement pretty easy to … Continued
We are already in our groove! I’ll have to admit that though I love “unplugging” in the summertime, I do love aspects of technology. One favorite is that it allows campers to sign up for activities well before their arrival…most camps do the registration we all remember from the “old days” at college. The first … Continued
Yesterday we celebrated Memorial Day with the arrival of the 2012 camp staff ! After nine months of planning, the start of orientation is a welcome beginning to summer. I have to admit, that I always get butterflies with camp’s opening and the flurry of last minute preparations and projects, but after our first evening … Continued
Those of you who have 17 year old sons (or have been a 17 year old son) know what it’s like to walk that balance of adventure seeking while staying safe. Our son, Turner is a junior in high school, and he is passionate about kayaking. His school’s outdoor program provides opportunities for adventure and … Continued
