Rainy Days and Mondays
August 7, 2017 by Dan Noland
…always make us glad! Weekends at camp are a ton of fun, as the last two blog entries show, but the second Monday of this session is special. By now, the guys are quite comfortable with our routines, and that comfort shows in how much they enjoy returning to their regular activities. Standing on the hill near the dining hall in the middle of the morning, it’s impossible not to hear gleeful squeals come from every direction. The guys move between instructional periods on the run, big grins on their (often smudgy) faces, intent on getting back on a horse, the climbing wall, a mountain bike, in the lake or a canoe.
Weekends at camp are a ton of fun, as the last two blog entries show, but the second Monday of this session is special. By now, the guys are quite comfortable with our routines, and that comfort shows in how much they enjoy returning to their regular activities. Standing on the hill near the dining hall in the middle of the morning, it’s impossible not to hear gleeful squeals come from every direction. The guys move between instructional periods on the run, big grins on their (often smudgy) faces, intent on getting back on a horse, the climbing wall, a mountain bike, in the lake or a canoe.
Today has been a rainy day, too, which we have been needing for plants, lake, and rivers. We had to change a couple of activities since neither climbing nor biking feel safe taking trips in the rain. But we have plenty for them to do around camp, and their loss was more than made up for by the excitement of the two canoeing trips that went out. Fritz says that the French Broad River had risen four inches since Friday, which made it a bona fide challenge for beginning paddlers. One of them on the morning trip said, “Going down this river is the most fun I’ve ever had, especially since it’s raining!”
Two cabin groups got to do the ropes course and zip line today: Windswept this morning and Chalet this afternoon. I sat with the Chalet boys who had completed the ropes section and were waiting for all to finish so they could get their zip line “desert.” It was neat to see them focused on how their cabin mates were progressing and to hear them yelling encouragement and chatting about the moves they themselves had made.
Our closing day tip for tonight: If you plan on having your son’s trunk shipped home, please contact the UPS store in Brevard for details and payment. You also need to let us know that you would like your trunk shipped. We will deliver your trunk and/or duffel to the UPS Store in Brevard on closing day for shipment.
The UPS Store | Brevard
102 College Station Dr. Ste 3, Brevard, NC 28712
Phone: (828) 883-4701
Fax: (828) 883-4801
Email: store3439@theupsstore. com
Again, please contact our office (office@highrocks.com) if you decide to ship a trunk and/or duffel and we will deliver the item(s) to the UPS store after Closing Day.
Tonight, all of camp is sitting down to watch a movie, “The Emperor’s New Groove,” together. I’ve never seen it, but, judging from the anticipation on younger staff member’s faces, it is going to be a big hit as well as a complete surprise to the tired, happy campers we so enjoy having here. Thank you for letting them be with us this summer.
We’ll miss tonight’s full moon because of clouds, I’m afraid, but we will still get the amazing katydid chorus to sing us to sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll be back at it all again!
Good night.
Dan