Square Dance Night
July 7, 2018 by Don Gentle
Our weekly Saturday breakfast has always been pancakes and bacon…forever! The kitchen whips up these made-from-scratch buttermilk pancakes that are out of this world! I don’t know what it is, but I am hooked! Add hash-brown potatoes grilled to perfection on the flattop, a little bacon, and you have a great start to your day! We even had real maple syrup today!
The weather sure felt different today! I’m not sure it actually made it much above 70 degrees on the rocks… It was fun to see the guys enjoy what I call athletic weather. A great time to go hard and not feel overdone because of the heat. Even the afternoon shower didn’t slow us down. We played right through the rain! You can see one of the mountain bike groups a little mud covered. Even the sailors continued through the showers. The grit of camp is already forming! I love it!
The anticipated camper-counselor tennis tournament started today. For us, this event feels like March Madness. Not that we put a lot into the competition of the event, rather it’s more about who we play and when. Even watching the groups play is always a big time. The tennis staff always does a great job of putting the closest friends or counselors together first. I enjoy when folks dress up as well. It is always a blast. Anyhow, I will keep you posted on the progress as it continues through the session.
Our choice period was filled with what we call “beautification hour.” The boys head back to their cabins to shower early and clean up before dinner so they will be ready for the square dance. Our youngest half of camp went over to Illahee, while the older boys stayed here. Zoob and I split forces (and a sneaky visit). She went over to Illahee with the younger guys and was able to see our daughter, Izzie. I stayed here and was able to sneak in a visit with our oldest, Grace. She introduced me to some of here cabinmates and friends while we enjoyed some popsicles on the lawn. It was a fine mountain evening and a lot of fun! The Camp Illahee girls are always delightful. Our girls have attended camp there for years and truly love it. Laurie and Gordon Strayhorn do a fantastic job over there.
I enjoy the fact that we still do a square dance. I know it may not be THE highlight for many of the boys, but it still has a purpose. It is just different enough that it changes the whole feel of the event. The cool factor is already subdued by the fact that most everyone needs to learn the moves, but everyone is also dancing. There are no awkward sidelines. The music is traditional mountain bluegrass, which also removes a lot of the “in town” feel. More than anything, it is something new that they probably only do at camp and it still has nothing to do with their social placement at home. I like to think we are also adding one more quill in their hat of skills. Our event here went very well. I’ll have to check in on the Illahee crowd later to see how it went. They had a DJ and some fun line dances “lined up” for the younger guys.
It looks like the boys will be under their covers tonight! Tomorrow is our day of rest, and it looks like the weather is going to be fantastic! It should be a fun-filled day with a lot of action in the afternoon. There are a few more pictures uploading from the Illahee event tonight… Keep refresshing until you see the young guys at Illahee :)…
Until then, we are having a blast here at camp. Have a great night!
Don