First Friday!
June 15, 2018 by Don Gentle
I am so impressed by the quiet of the morning. There are typically a few staff out exercising or taking in some quiet time, but for the most part, it is still. I like to take a few minutes on the porch to view the lake and appreciate the moment. The cool morning air maybe a splash of a paddle or a couple staff swimming. We all need to do this every day! I don’t do it every day, but when I do, I wished I had done it the day before. It is amazing!
I enjoy a cup of coffee in the office and do a few things at my desk before my usual stroll up to the dining hall for our daily (mostly) executive team meeting around 7:15. greet the fine kitchen folk and maybe sneak an early treat with my morning coffee. On my way up this morning, I was greeted by a few of the last cabin overnights slowly rolling back into camp. I always enjoy the look on their faces as they stroll back to their cabins half awake, usually covered in some sort of pita pizza-marshmallow-fire pit ash remnants.
The day continued early with a climbing and paddling group waiting to meet their staff for early breakfast so they could get out on the rock and water. In camp, the boys enjoyed a wonderful breeze and sunny skies as they worked and played hard in their activities.
All of us were pretty excited about lunch today. Our kitchen staff worked hard and tenderly to smoke up some pork butts for about 12 hours. Complete with hush puppies, slaw, beans, and of course, vinegar sauce. What a great treat to have in the dining hall! I couldn’t stop myself!
We wrapped up the evening with our Friday night Skit and Airband Night. All of the cabins come up with either a skit or air band presentation for the group. Many were quite funny! It was a perfect way to roll into the weekend!
I can’t believe it has almost been a week of camp already! The boys are just starting to get into “camp shape” again. The community is coming together nicely as the boys learn to live and play together in a tightly coupled system. What a great experience. I look forward to more details as we fade out of the honeymoon period and get into the grit of camp over the next two weeks.
Tomorrow looks to be another fantastic day! I look forward to sharing it with you. Don’t forget to write often. If you have not seen enough of your boy in pictures, be sure to tell him to get in front of the camera.
Have a great night.
Don