Plunging into orientation day!
Good morning from Mama Iguana! I’m currently reminiscing about the wonderful bagel with garlic shmear, tomatoes, and onions I had this morning for Bagel Sunday!!! Ahhhh. What a great way to start orientation day.
After filling our tummies with bagels, everyone gathered in the backyard for our first morning meeting. Right before the meeting started, there was a very intense game of tetherball happening. There was a huge crowd surrounding Freddy and Liam as they played a great match. I’ve never seen anything like it! After the game, everyone sat with their cabins and enjoyed Tom and Meg’s dulcimer playing to start the meeting. Every Sunday, they play a beautiful song before meeting starts. Tom teaches two dulcimer making classes a session where campers can make these unique instruments. If you have never heard of a dulcimer, it is a three to four string instrument that you play on your lap. It even comes in many different shapes and sizes!
Once morning meeting ended, cabins went their separate ways to get started on orientation day. That’s my update for now- handing it off to Cara B. for the rest of the day!
Greetings from the future! Well, the evening. It’s me, Cara, and boy has it been a crazy day! All day, cabins have been busy signing up for classes, taking photos to send back to folks at home, and getting a talk from the nurses at the Health Lodge (ouch!) about drinking lots of water and doing frequent tick checks. We’ve also been doing swim evaluations at the lake and the pool, playing get-to-know-you-games, going over chore charts and cabin community expectations, and taking tours of camp. Whew! I’m getting tired just thinking about it. The weather has been a bit funky- swiftly changing from overcast and chilly to sunny and warm, but all of our amazing campers have just been rolling with it, adorned in rain shvitz boots and lots of layers.
Soon, we will gather in the backyard for evening meeting. After a delicious spaghetti dinner, we will gather at the bottom of Tipi Hill for opening Pine Grove! Pine Grove is a super special evening program at the beginning and end of each session of camp. We walk up Tipi Hill in silence guided by torch light (there’s no technology up there, not even flashlights!) to a clearing with a big fire. We share songs, stories, and poems as a whole camp to celebrate our community- I’m so excited! Mama Iguana and I will tell you all about it tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, it’s the first day of classes! Camp will be buzzing with campers coming and going from different activities- stay tuned to hear all the details. For now, enjoy some photos from orientation day.
Nighty, night!
Cara B. Ner