July 14 2025

Breakfast conversations today were centered on the interesting question of “why am I at this table?”. It was easy to figure out… Hometowns. I discovered this fact in the middle of the Breakfast Club joke about the Buckhead Bunnies (a bunny is run over crossing the road, a Greystone mom brings back to life with a can of Hair Spray… guaranteed to revive dead hair, also adds permanent wave). Nailed the joke after finding a section of the dining hall had nothing but Atlanta campers and counselors. Fun setting for the story (I stayed in the Atlanta section with a very engaged audience).

The campers were led in their morning assembly by the Senior campers (as they are every Monday). The campers love being led by their peers in camp activities. It is distinctive of a camp with many older, wiser campers. This year we have 42 seventeen-year-olds and 67 sixteen-year-olds. It is a privilege to have these older girls choose to return to camp!

Thankfully, the heat wave is over! We noticed this fact over the weekend as the cloud cover lowered our high temperatures by five degrees. The temperatures are expected to remain in the pleasant mid-80s, accompanied by the ever-present afternoon showers, for the next week. Higher chances of rain translate into cooler temperatures. This pattern is perfect for camp, and we could not be more pleased.

Tonight we will do a big-deal, camp-wide, super fun, but not super active competition between cabin groups. Sarah has worked a long time on this one (a sure sign that it is going to be a homerun success). The girls will be surprised with T-Shirts at the lunch announcement (mic drop, thunderous applause moment). Tomorrow’s EP is Counselor Talent. From Wednesday on, every EP will be a significant “camper-led” event, each one special in its wonderful way. The girls pour their heart and soul into these performances and savor the spotlight with satisfaction and pride. The audience is just as invested in the outcome as the performers, for they sympathize with their cabinmates and friends as if they were on stage themselves. With each successful conclusion, the cheers are heartfelt and genuinely moving. This is authentic entertainment. Where, other than camp, can you find this?

As the end of our golden summer approaches, we appreciate and hold onto the present. Each moment accrues to the overflowing bounty of life lived to the fullest. The concert last night was exactly such a moment. From the first song to the last, every girl was on her feet singing and dancing in a mass bunched close to the stage. Hands in the air, jumping up and down to the beat of the music, singing the words of the well-known songs. It felt like the best wedding reception ever. One of those receptions where the dancing consumes all other activities and every face shines with sweaty delight. I mentioned the moment in Breakfast Club and encouraged the girls to dance at wedding receptions… dance with joy as they did last night! It is a way of being physically present that is good.

We should mention the “white-glove inspection” that we do once a week (credit to Alpine for this). On Sunday mornings, the Group Leaders inspect every cabin. We pull out drawers to see if things are neat and tidy (making sure there are no dust bunnies or old socks behind the drawer), check that beds are properly made, inspect the bathroom in detail (even checking behind and under shower caddies), check wet laundry on the porch (neatly hung, anything dry that should be inside), and the surrounding ground (trash!). The winner gets to be dismissed first for the Sunday Buffet dinner. Now you know.

One last thing… The Koi Pond Update! I have heard this request from several parents and you will be glad to know that the work for this summer is completed. The pond is pristine, the water clear, the fish happy to be in their renovated space as they get to know their new friends (we added two little ones with obviously interesting personalities). We even added landscaping (two pond plants), This fall, we will add water, fix the water fountain, add lighting, and renovate the rock patio. We thank Audrey and Izzy for thinking of this excellent club and working so hard to make it a beautiful place.

Thank you for checking in.

Breakfast Waffles and Sausage
Joke “Hare Spray”
Weather 86 degrees, sunny, UV 10, chance of rain
Lunch Chicken Filet Sandwiches
Dinner Noodle Pie
Moonphase Mostly full moon, visible high in the sky till 11:00 AM
EP Super Fun Campwide Cabin Competition