Today was a fantastic day on Old Forge. We had beautiful weather, perfect temperatures and lots of fun activities with friends. Everywhere I went there were campers laughing and smiling, truly enjoying every part of their day.
As I walked around camp, I found myself smiling right back due to the wonderful friendships that have formed in our cabin groups. Camp looks different today than it did a week ago. One week ago was the first full day of activities as a cabin, and the campers were still getting comfortable. Not today…today I saw campers who felt at home here.
The two best friends who came to camp together were partnered with a different cabinmate and happy as could be. The camper who had struggled with homesickness at the start of camp was now the life of the cabin. The quiet camper who was afraid to try new things at the beginning of the session was now first in line for the blob. It’s growth like this that not only makes me smile, but brings tears to my eyes.
The smiles were contagious today, and that is a bug I don’t mind catching. I have to say though…nothing makes us smile quite like the Dolly’s Trolley!! After dinner tonight, Bryan flipped on the disco ball to let everyone know we were having dessert. As soon as they saw the disco ball, the campers and staff screamed the normal scream when the disco ball is on. Then, four hundred heads quickly turned to the kitchen to see what it was…NOTHING! Then everyone thought, maybe we are dancing instead? (The disco ball either means line dancing in the dining hall or dessert.) However, there was no music. Waiting on bated breath, Bryan told them that there was dessert but it couldn’t be found in the dining hall. This dessert was parked outside…the Dolly’s Trolley!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! The screams were unbelievable! I know they lasted for a solid five minutes! SO MUCH JOY!!! We could not get them to quiet down to dismiss the first cabin. It was such a wonderful surprise, and the smiles were sweeter to me than any ice cream!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Reflect at the Rock: This morning Emily talked about being thankful. Even in difficult times, there is something to be thankful for…a lesson learned, a new perspective, and most importantly, appreciation for the friends by your side.
- Meals: For breakfast we had french toast sticks, scrambled eggs, sausage links and a fruit bar. For lunch we had corn dogs, mac and cheese and a salad bar. For dinner we had roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, haricot verts, dinner rolls and a salad bar.
- Weather: We had a very beautiful day at camp today! We woke up to cooler temperatures that were brought in with the rain yesterday. This was lovely. There was a slight breeze in the air and the sun was shining brightly for a warm, fun day! It was truly amazing.
- EP: Tonight’s EP was St. Patrick’s Day Battle for Gold. We’ve been celebrating holidays in July this session, and tonight was St. Patrick’s Day themed. Cabins were divided into 4 groups (Lucky Leprechauns, Horseshoe Heroes, Super Shamrocks and Shooting Stars) to compete with other teams in various games and challenges around camp. In the finale, the horseshoe heroes (purple) won the gold!
- DOLLY’S!!! Definitely our favorite detail today!!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
