Hey all,
Well, the end is finally here. Yesterday, we had our final evening meeting for the summer. We had our last wheel prize, where one counselor got pelted by water balloons, courtesy of Paquatahnee. When the meeting was over, we all headed into the dining hall for the lobster banquet. The tables were covered with tablecloths, and we sat down to an array of fantastic appetizers. As we waited for our main courses, we munched on buttered rolls, crunchy potatoes, beautiful salad, and particularly delicious mussels. Our fabulous waitrons (some lovely counselors) kept us hydrated and fed until they served up our special feast. We were given three amazing options: lobster, chicken, or spanakopita. The lobster was so fresh it was incredible. Each bite melted in our mouths. The chicken was perfectly prepared, and the spanakopita was a vegetarian’s dream.
No lobster banquet would be complete without Meg running through in her cow costume handing out fabulous Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, to the tune of the whole camp chanting “Ice Cream” and banging on the tables. We had a wide assortment of tasty flavors – Phish Food, Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch, Salted Caramel Core, Coffee, Milk and Cookies, Peanut Butter Cup, Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and more! We were all so content at the end of the meal.
As we ate, the clouds outside turned a spectacular shade of dark and we had an absolutely incredible downpour. It was beautiful. And, not to worry, we had a great rain plan in place for Closing Pine Grove. We had Pine Grove in a box in the dining hall! We all gathered close together in the middle of the room, clustered around candles that represented our fire. We took a moment of silence to represent our walk up Tipi Hill, and then our AWACs and two oldest campers came in singing their traditional candle tune. Then, we began the night.
Our Tipi Village counselors started us off right with a beautiful poem and interpretive dance. Numerous acts followed, with upbeat, crazy songs and heartwarming tunes. Entire cabins got up to perform zany call and response songs like the Princess Pat and Bazooka Bubble Gum, while others gathered to lead full camp rounds of harmonious songs.
After the acts were over, we began our candlelight ceremony. The first few cabins led the way outside, lit candles and all. The rain got heavier, though, and soon we blew out the flames and began snaking our way through the dining hall in an intricate fashion. Each person in the camp got to say goodbye to everyone here. We could touch candle tips, or give big, enveloping hugs. After working our way through the entire line, we headed back for one last night of peaceful sleep in our cozy cabins.
This fine morning, Taj Mahal and Forbidden Planet woke us all up with the lovely sounds of their singing voices. We heard classics like Build Me Up Buttercup and newer pop songs like Wake Me Up as the campers headed around camp. What a great way to start our last day together, and to make us feel awake even if wake-up was a little earlier than usual!
Soon after that grand alarm clock, we headed for a continental breakfast, the first of the day. Buses began arriving, and we said our final goodbyes as we loaded up luggage. As the buses left, those of us still on camp lined up to dance the Funky Chicken and to wave goodbye. What would you expect other than a wacky ending to a totally goofy session?
And that brings us to now! There will, of course, be more pictures coming. And remember, there will be a brief hiatus tomorrow, but we’ll be back in action come Saturday. For transportation updates, stay posted on Facebook in the meantime.
It’s been great this past session.
Peace out for now,
Lady of the Lake