Camp Life: Carnival

First of all, let me opine on the subject of beautiful moments… for last night provided one of the most spectacular camp moments of the summer.

The “Around the World” EP began with blue sky, golden sunlight from the western sky, and towering cumulus clouds that reflected the light show God puts on every evening. The girls gathered in cabin groups at the Pavilion to hear their instructions and each cabin group was given a “Passport” that needed to be “stamped” by the various “countries” around the camp. One country would require the cabin to do a relay race in order to be given a stamp- you get the idea. Basically a combination of scavenger hunt and great race… tons of fun. But the best part was the light show that such a setting provided. It quite literally was breath taking to see the girls having so much fun in such a stunning setting. Photos do not do justice. Such moments become the golden memories of tomorrow. This really IS a magical place.

But that was last night, today we are focused on living large with a LOT OF BIG THINGS to look forward to. First of all is Rafting. About one hundred girls are rafting on the Pigeon river today, they left camp in two groups of fifty on brand new luxury coaches for the ninety minute drive to Tennessee. The Pigeon river is a lot of fun and the rafting company we use is excellent. Jeff Greiner (the owner of the company) was a Greystone counselor in the 80’s and he takes great care of our girls. They have fun guides, great equipment, and excellent food (the girls eat lunch on the river). It is the only trip out of camp that we offer and we only go out today and tomorrow. Such moments do add excitement to the whole camp (every class feels different with a few girls “missing” and we will close about 10 tables at lunch).

Second is Carnival! We celebrate the 10 day mark of camp (a magical time when the camp really gels as a tight knit community) with a huge carnival. We serve a traditional NC BBQ picnic, bring in a bunch of inflatable rides, set up a bunch of silly carnival games, and serve every carnival food treat that we can think of. It is accentuated by the huge sound system which transforms the entire carnival site into a dance floor. The joy and excitement of such an event is hard to convey, most of the fun comes from the comfort and security of close friends that we now celebrate as a group. Good times.

The temperatures are gradually rising, we will get into the 80’s today under a clear and hazy sky. It is the very definition of a Great Day!

Helpful Reminder… WRITE A HAND WRITTEN LETTER! Emails are great, but they are not treasured like the hand written letter. If you send one today, it will likely be delivered to camp on Monday (they don’t call it “snail mail” for nothing). Time is running out for you to send a series of hand written letters, don’t miss the opportunity. Nothing complicated, just a note. They are wonderful!

Thanks again for reading.

Thanks for all the comments yesterday on the photos… very helpful.

You are the best!