Today’s pleasant highlight was a McLeod porch visit with alums Ellis Pearce and Brevard resident Kitty Coleman Neff who chose Illahee as a spot to catch up, tell camp stories, and enjoy a picnic. Friends since the 1960’s when Ellis was a camper and Kitty a counselor, their camp experience spans generations and groups of … Continued

I am writing over the loud hum of the leaf-blowers, one of the many sounds of summer. In years past I would have greeting that sound with an annoyed sigh, but lately I have found a sort of comfort in the familiarity of it. After a stormy and rain-heavy weekend, the maintenance guys are on … Continued

In April a parent from California emailed us a You Tube Video about an American family in South Korea returning to school. Her subject was “Camp with masks is better than no camp.” My reaction was “No Way…camp in masks?” On May 15th we had made the heart breaking decision to cancel our season. On … Continued

It is hard to fathom that we are nearing the end of June. Are we the only ones who feel like time is more blurry this summer? Usually in June, our days are perfectly orchestrated into a schedule dictated by the ringing of the bell signalling activities, rest hours, and evening programs. Adjusting to life … Continued

While we all continue to adjust to the “new normal”, something that has made us feel grounded and encouraged is hearing from camp families, campers, and staff. Last week we reached out to our staff members to check in and see how they were spending their time in quarantine. We asked them to share some … Continued

We had a Zoom gathering last night with some lifelong friends who we had taken a sailing trip with in January.  One of their sons and daughter-in-law had led the trip and are now quarantined on their boat in St. John.  They joined us each in our separate settings for a sunset Zoom.  After initial … Continued

Happy Easter Weekend, Illahee family.  It’s been a beautiful week at camp and at times felt strangely normal around here.  Yesterday we took a break from our activity area cleaning spree and had our own egg hunt on the soccer field.  Gardner raided the costume room to find an assortment of 1980’s era bridesmaid’s dresses … Continued

I’ve been spending more time in my living room re-reading  Jesus Calling and  Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest, my “go to” devotional guides.  Built in 1947,our big picture window overlooks the canoe lake, the red barn and the empty green pastures.  At this time of year our neighbors use the area as their … Continued