Greetings from Hilltop. It’s a beautiful Sunday on Orcas Island. The wind changed on Friday, finally coming out of the south. That cleared out the haze that we’ve had as a result of forest fires in BC for a while now, and also brought a rare bit of overnight rain. We’re thankful for all of the above.
This is an interesting moment in Camp. In a few short days, it will be obvious to everyone that we’re nearing the end of the session. This is a bit of an interstitial moment. Now, we’re doing our thing. The Sunday schedule isn’t new to anyone anymore, but it hasn’t quite hit everyone that this is our last real Sunday together (departure day doesn’t count). The Seniors are still off on their trips. The word from the trip staff is that the trips have been great. Back in Camp, the change in energy has been great for everyone. The Seniors are back tomorrow, and then we only have two regular evening activities before we enter our series of four evening activities that end every session.
I’ve written many times that camp tends to warp your sense of time. On the one hand, it feels like we’ve always been here together. On the other, time has absolutely flown by. At this moment in Camp, I’m tempted to remind people that Camp is almost over, if only to jump start the feeling that we all get in the last few days of Camp, when we all seem to value Camp just a bit more, and that collective energy makes our community feel sublime. Today’s Sunday Assembly was on the topic of living in the moment, and it reminded me that some of the happiest times in my own life have been times when I’ve been fully present, focused on the here and now, and not worrying about the past or future. That’s also true of moments that make not make any top ten list, but are still filled with deep satisfaction and happiness. So, maybe I won’t push so hard this year to remind everyone that the end of the session is near, but instead will just allow them to have these precious moments in the here and now.
It’s been a great week in Camp. We played Capture the Chicken on Monday night. On Tuesday, we had Craftapalooza. On Wednesday, we handed the Evening Activity reins over to the CTs, who invented an elaborate hide and seek game which was all kinds of fun. On Thursday, we had silly songs and skits on Moonraker Point.
One of the funny things about Camp is the inside jokes that occur. For some reason, one of the jokes this session has been the playing of Careless Whisper by George Michael on an instrument called a melodica. I apologize in advance if any of you get requests to purchase melodicas when your kids come home. In any case, there was a very elaborate performance of Careless Whisper at Moonraker, and it was great. I only bring it up to attempt, as weakly as it may be, to give you a window into one of those had-to-be-there moments that makes Camp so great.
Last night, we had Burger Bar, a well-loved Evening Activity that we always do during Senior Trips, making it a special thing for just the Juniors and Intermediates. The Heads give the kitchen staff the night off, dress themselves and the Lodge in a theme, and cook burgers, fries, and shakes for the whole camp. Each cabin dresses itself up in theme and presents their theme at flags. And, we have our one bit of technology for the month, a movie for Evening Activity in the Boat Barn, projected onto a sail. The Heads theme and movie last night were both Harry Potter, and the kids ate it up.
This has been an amazing session so far. I look forward to spending these next few days with these campers and staff, and closing out this session well. Thank you for sharing your children with us. Be sure to follow our daily updates on Twitter, and I’ll post here again after the campers are on their way on the 20th.