July 10, 2026
Last night I was invited to a nice party with 92 rising 10th graders. We gathered by the lake, where we enjoyed hors deurves and each other’s company for about thirty minutes (taking lots of pictures because we were dressed up). The “cocktail hour” was followed by a special catered dinner in the Pavilion. Beautifully decorated banquet tables were set with an orange-and-pink color scheme that was shockingly stylish and very nice. The catering company pulled out all the stops with a blowout feast, but before we ate, I thanked the girls for their many years at camp. For some, this is their last summer, and it was important for me to tell them how much we have loved being a part of their life. We then ate a great dinner and talked till the bugle blew. It was a wonderful night, one of many that were going on all over camp.
The various group events shared one thing in common: nonstop talk! I am an introvert, yet at Greystone I talk all the time. Even the most quiet camper talks more than she does in any other setting. It is a fact that surprised me when Margaret and I first hosted groups at our house. We thought it was important to have activities planned. Boy, were we wrong! All we needed to do was welcome the girls, then let them talk. Sometimes they would talk to us (in small groups, large groups, individually), and sometimes they would talk to each other, treating us like the obligatory parental units. Time flies when we talk; it never gets old.
My theory after 35 years in camp: hanging out is the best part of every event. It never gets old. We like to mix up the day with a variety of circumstances and provide memorable moments from time to time, but we mostly just let the campers and counselors make camp fun by talking to each other. They laugh more in a day than they will in a week at home. They cry more in a week than they do in a year. They smile all the time. What a place!
Today we slept late, had Chick-fil-A biscuits for breakfast, and are enjoying a regular day of classes. Partly cloudy skies make for pleasant temperatures; the breeze is steady and cooling, and campers are intently demonstrating skills to earn a patch at the next Council Fire. I am going to head out to Farm & Garden because today is Fryday! Devan let the girls harvest things from the garden this week (potatoes and onions) so he could fry everything up as a treat. The campers gather blackberries to make fritters and mix up ranch dressing from herbs gathered for each batch. All the while they are chatting and learning (Devan teaches while he cooks). It is a great class, and those fries are amazing.
- Breakfast Chick-fil-A Biscuits (surprise to the girls; they LOVED it)
- Lunch Steak Tacos
- Weather 85, Partly Cloudy, Chance of Afternoon Showers
- Dinner Mojo Pork, rice, black beans, plantains