Summertime

Setting Up Camp

Jeanna G2 Comments

Ahhh, Summer Camp. Growing up with two full-time working parents made summer camp a necessity. Yes, I was a latchkey kid, but that was just a couple hours after school, not an entire summer. As a full-time working, single-parent, summer camp is also a necessity for my daughter. But the good news is, we both love camp. The bad news is, her summer camp was cancelled because of Covid-19. She is devastated. We knew cancellation was a possibility, but we clung to the hope of camp happening like nothing else.

So, when handed lemons, make lemonade, right? I’m going to bring camp to her. Obviously it won’t be the same, but I think she’ll appreciate the effort, and we’ll both get a kick out of it. I can provide crafts, camp songs and prayers, swimming in a lake, a ropes course, skits, and maybe even a horseback ride. I’ll take a stab at their camp menu. Heck, I’ll even play reveille and taps (on my phone). Sadly, what I can’t provide is her ten other bunk mates or the space away from me to grow her independence.

I’ve been Pinterest surfing to find ideas and stir up memories of my own camp experiences, but there are some things that I need no help remembering. At Camp Jewel there is a giant climbing tower named Mt. Wood, and on the other side of the lake was a ropes course with a zip line. I conquered both. I was the only camper (that poor counselor drew the short stick) that went down to the lake for the Polar Bear swim before breakfast. My favorite stations were leatherworking and photography. They even had a dark room! We woke up in the middle of the night to go out looking for meteor showers. The battles between the cabins and the evenings at the Council Ring were always entertaining. It was my admiration of and the desire to emulate my counselors that led me to accepting a role at camps when I was in college, which then rerouted my career path towards teaching. I bet my parents didn’t know when they dropped me off that summer camp would be the catalyst that would eventually transform my life goals.

I’ve often thought about creating a summer camp for adults. I wonder… if I build it, will they come? In the meantime, let’s see what my daughter thinks of how I set up camp.

Brook Stompin’

Jeanna GLeave a comment

My friend, Carrie, and I used to go stomping up and down Salmon Brook all summer long back in my hometown. Bikes were our main mode of transportation, so we’d pedal from opposite ends of town and meet up at the soccer fields at the far end of the park.

Carrie and I would slip and slide our way down the brook. The mini waterfalls, a.k.a. riffle zones, were where we’d lie and let the water cascade over our necks and shoulders. The deeper, swimmable pools were by the bridge, but we’d keep going until we hit the end of the park, then turn around and head all the way back up. I loved feeling like it was our own private water park, like no one else knew this opportunity even existed.

Earlier this week we saw a family wading in the creek along one of the trails where we occasionally walk our dogs. We smiled and waved, but I felt like we were intruding. My daughter felt otherwise and asked if we could go in. I told her we’d go in on a weekend when we had more time. Well, forgetting my promise, we ended up back on that trail the next Saturday. The weather was beautiful and no one was around. I got puppy dog eyes from her and the dogs, so in we went. I intended to barely wet my ankles, but the Labrador had other plans as she, not so gracefully, plunged into the water splashing all of us. She and my daughter raced up to the island and back, while the little dog barked at them from the banks.

I stood there worrying she was squealing too loudly, the dogs shouldn’t be off leash, there’s got to be some slimy creature we didn’t want to encounter, my car seats will get wet, and how clean is this water, anyway? But the sun started to warm my back, so I turned and faced it with my eyes closed and soaked it in. When I reopened my eyes I could see that Ellie had been transported to her world of imagination. The look of pure joy on her face drowned out all of my worries, and the memories of my adventures with Carrie at Salmon Brook resurfaced.

Generally speaking, we don’t think about things until we have a reason to. I wouldn’t think about brook stomping just sitting on my couch, and my daughter would have missed the opportunity if we only ever walked in our neighborhood. We’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: Wander off the beaten path. Take a chance by rerouting your day’s itinerary. A trip down memory lane may be what makes today worth reliving.