Hard to Rein Them In!
July 10, 2018 by Dan Noland
Our second Tuesday of the session began in that same cool, happy fashion that the last few days have been greeted with. To my mind, the perfect mountain day begins with that morning wake up in which you have a conversation with yourself about the merits of meeting the bell’s call. It is just a tad chilly outside the covers and perhaps a few more minutes wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world… but then you remember that you are on that early morning climbing trip to Pilot Rock where you will be dangling over 200 feet up and checking out the vista. Perhaps you recall the mountain biking trip you have agreed to, or the long day on the Tuckasegee if you have your boating hat (helmet) on today. Mayhaps you are a hiker and need to get moving to the John’s Rock day hike or the three day trip to Pisgah.
Or quite possibly you are in camp for the day and the smell of homemade biscuits, sinful grits, sausage gravy, and fresh fruits galore lures you from your daze. After breakfast you saunter down to the gym to rock out to some camp tunes, with Dunderbeck featuring prominently as it does on every day including sausage. Then the camp day begins anew and things get busy, just as they always do.
The horseback riders had big days today, all day long. The cool, dry morning was a perfect opportunity to hit some trails along with some ring instruction. The midday hours saw a lunch in appreciation of the barn apprentices who are Upper Senior campers who have voluntarily signed up one of their activity hours to learn more about teaching riding, taking care of horses, and running a barn. An invaluable addition to the activity and they got to ride to a pasture out of camp and enjoy a special meal in fun outdoor venue, while their steeds enjoyed the same. After an afternoon of lessons, a large group of riders returned to the barn this evening for a twilight ride on the trails before eating a “Cowboy Dinner” over the open fire. A huge day at the barn and one that made a lot of our guys happy to be an equestrian!
Tennis, always a hub of activity, is looking even more popular on the courts now that the Camper/Counselor Tournament is in full swing. The teams are made with a camper asking a counselor partner to play, with some requests occurring during drop off on Opening Day! Then the tournament slowly unfolds over the course of the session, with a neat blend of competition and friendliness combining to make it an approachable but much-talked about undercurrent in the session. There is a steady stream of campers checking out the posted bracket board in the dining hall and much speculation over future match-ups. Every year I am impressed with our community’s ability to participate hard in the competitive side of the event while still maintaining the greater perspective of camp, meaning that the competitive fun does not spill over into unpleasantness amongst camp members.
The rest of camp was enjoying a fantastic day as well. Crafts was working on sun prints outdoors, Pottery was doing a round of firing for some, while other classes were working on some impressively tall bowls/vases. Archery/Riflery was the place of quiet intensity mixed with friendly camaraderie it always is, and Soccer was working through drills while talking about possible World Cup outcomes with the matches today and tomorrow. With a French camper and several representatives from England, it is not hard to get a friendly rivalry whipped up on the pitch!
The day is winding to a close as I type this up, and things are remarkably quiet out in camp at the moment. With the camp schedule taking full effect, a 9:30 bedtime turns from an imposition to a optimistic goal for most. The bell ring and a few chapters of the cabin book seal the deal nicely. May you all have as peaceful and restful a night as we are about to have here and we will see you tomorrow evening.
Dan