Launch Day!!!

This particular Saturday had all sorts of good stuff going on.  Each activity pulled out some of the most awesome Saturday events today.  It was really incredible to see all the learning, laughing, and even some launching!!! (See what I did there :)). The day started out at a chilly 47 degrees! You will see a lot of sweatshirts in the morning out there, but the sun soon warmed us up plenty and we were all ready for the water.

The morning started out delightfully with hundreds of scratch-made pancakes with compliments of bacon, fresh-cut fruit, hash browns off the griddle (just like Waffle House), greek yogurt, assorted cereals, and of course syrup and honey!  You can’t beat that to start your day.  I stuck with a big bowl of sliced grapefruit, and two hard-boiled eggs, topped with three slices of bacon.  I am probably the worst when it comes to dining hall etiquette.  I usually find myself walking around with my bowl in the morning, touching base with staff, and having important interactions with campers. It’s a great way for me to stay up on what these boys are doing.

I had to spend the majority of my day out and around camp. Our typical photographer has Saturday off, so I had the opportunity to grab a bunch of images, hang with the boys, and see a lot of what everyone was up to in their activities.

Launch day in arts and crafts was probably my favorite.  I enjoy seeing the results of a week’s worth of model rocket building come to fruition. The weather was great and we were “go for launch” all morning long.  ZIP after ZIP the rockets flew into the air.  A few misfires, here and there, a few stuck in the trees, but you could see the joy on these boys’ faces and how excited they were to do this today.  What an accomplishment.

Crate stacking at the climbing tower is another super-fun event.  The boys (while on belay) try to stack as many milk crates as they can (one at a time) under themself without tipping over.  Eventually, the walls come tumbling down, and the next guy gets to have a crack at it.  Lots of cheering and excitement as the boys would get to ten, twelve, or even sixteen crates before they toppled. It was a ton of fun!

The waterfront was a constant site of amazement for me.  Boys splashing around in boats as others caught fish. Meanwhile, the majestic sailboats would fill the background with their colorful sails as the laughter and fun continued around them.

Mountain biking hit some trails and did some obstacles biking did some obstacles in the morning and hit the trails in the afternoon.  My favorite here was the teeter-totter.  It is an impressive sight to see these guys rush up the front side while balancing just long enough for it to tip and allow for the slide down the other.  It’s a really fun event.

I can’t believe how incredible it was out there today. The boys are having a blast! Keep those letters coming.  The ticket into dinner tonight was a letter home, so I know you have at least one coming :).

All the best,

Don

Today’s Pictures 

Pictures had a glitch last night.  Only half of the images were loaded. They should be up this morning just before 8:00am.