And Then There Were Four
July 25, 2017 by Dan Noland
That’s four days left! What a jolt to think about, and all of the guys I have been talking to recently agree: It is hard to believe. I notice that when the subject comes up, which isn’t very often, there is usually some excitement at getting back with family mixed with some wistfulness. Camp is so much fun and has such a profound effect that leaving is not exactly easy.
But we are still in full swing, as the host of trips both going out and coming back attests. If you have been reading the blog, you know the kinds of trips that we take, and they all let campers use and hone the skills they have been building, some for almost ten years! They have good reason to be proud of the work they have put in, and it’s apparent in the way they carry themselves and talk to each other, in and out of activities.
Campers aren’t the only ones who feel proud. I bumped into Sumner just after the canoeing two-day got back from the Chattooga River, a beautiful, wild place with some quite challenging whitewater. I asked how things had gone, and Sumner’s answer was immediate and revealing: “It was GREAT! Those guys really know how to paddle!”
One of my favorite times in camp is watching how a group of young guys who can horse around with the best of ‘em treat each other, their equipment and their counselors as they reenter camp. They are always tired, always looking forward to doing their in-camp activities, but, while they yak nonstop about their experiences, there’s no grousing as they cooperate in putting the gear away, cleaning up the van and making sure that nothing is left behind. I trust that you are proud of your boys as well.
The time left this session will be stuffed with laughing, running, yelling, climbing, riding, playing and, of course, lots of eating. It will pass in a flash. When you get here Saturday, pay attention to how, maybe just around the edges, your son shows how much he has grown this month.
Tonight, we’ll sleep with katydids, some crickets, lots of natural darkness, and a blessedly cool breeze. May you sleep as well as we do.
Dan