Nearing

Camp is nearing the end.

Foley Stromboli night has just passed. Camp affirmations have just finished with a Tim Tam Slam Fest. God is good. He's been good this summer. More details later. That should be sufficient for now.

Midsummer Days

It's been so good. Mini-week was full of adorable little kids. So little. So lovable. The week is so short, since the children are so young. But it was enough for me. It was difficult to always be hung upon and questioned. I found myself occasionally yearning for teen week. We happened to play a game (called Bug-Bug) in which half the camp ends up "dead" on the far side of the ballfield. The rest of the camp must carry or drag the "dead bugs" to the other side of the field. It is a wretched, hot game to play. I found myself yearning for teen week as I lay dead under the bushes. Small children came up to me, lifted one of my legs, then dropped it, quickly deciding that I was too much for them to muster.

Mid-camp break began when mini-week ended. On Wednesday, the little children headed home for much-needed naps, and we went (napless) to Camp Andrews for a relaxing Wednesday night and Thursday. We spent the day loving their climbing equipment, and their beautiful creek, and their hidden caves, and their pool. On Friday, Black Rock treated us to a day at Hershey Park!

It rained in the afternoon. We left for Chocolate World after waiting unsuccessfully (in the rain) for an hour in line for Fahrenheit. Everyone was in Chocolate World. You could have lost a limb in the crowd and not known it til much later. We eventually returned to the main park and rode a few more roller coasters, including Fahrenheit. The best part of the day was the companionship of the people. Camp contains the combination of people where you can never go wrong, no matter how you slice it. There is no boring, or lame, or undesirable group. I know because I'm sitting in a room full of them right now. They're practicing swing dance, throwing tape at each other, practicing a skit about Cupid shooting people (to advertise archery), tripping over large white boxes, and smelling strange because they were canoeing all day... actually, the last is just me.

We're preparing for teen week, folks. Tomorrow the older kids come. And it will be so good.

Walking to Devotions This Morning

After rain,

His glory:

shafts of light--

because the mist is so thick,

that we swim through the forest

as we walk.

Drip-

Drop.

Camp Staff

Nothing is like living at camp. I tell my campers at the beginning of the week to watch the way the staff interact with one another. Listen to the way they speak to one another. They don't over-compete. They apologize. They encourage each other. They work together as a matter of course. Every job can be made fun. The Kingdom come.

4th and 5th Grade Week One

• Girls have cooties
• Bedtimes are 8pm
• Attention spans are 10 minutes at best
• Missing Mom, Dad, and dog
• "Pharoah, Pharoah"

Special Week

As we near the end of special week, each cabin writes about one of the events we did together.

What I wrote:

Wilderness time for the ladies of Cardinal B was a hoot! Dee Dee listened next to her friend Nora as the wilderness directors explained the function of rabbit fur. Jessica took pictures of the animals, exclaiming about the many facts she knew about each animal. She snapped a few shots as best friends Willianne and Faye cuddled the rabbit, Amelia. Bobby didn’t seem to mind the fur sticking to her shirt at all! Later, each lady touched the gecko and the bearded dragon! Amanda bravely petted Timmy the turtle, who had risen from the depths of his little pond. Sandy petted Amelia. She whispered to the rabbit as Ameila settled into her gentle grasp.

What actually happened:

Dee Dee stared silently. She sat next to Nora. Jessica took pictures and commented on the furriness of rabbits. Willee and Faye cuddled the rabbitt... til the rabbit "scratched" Willee. (It was actually a scar that had been on her arm for a long, long time). Bobby touched the rabbit. Amanda petted Timmy. Sandy ran out of the class after petting the rabbit, going for the glass door. She missed the door and went for the glass wall, thereby bruising and cutting her left leg slightly. The rest of the afternoon I spent in one-on-one time with Sandy, telling the nurses about her leg, which warranted a single band-aid.

Pre-Camp

Today was a beautiful, windy day at camp. We are a week into pre-camp training. We began today day with first aid training: Check. Call. Care. Passed!

Then a rare opportunity arose for the majority of the staff to use their free time to go into town to buy essentials. While in this process, I ran into, not one, but two former campers of mine whose names I forgot on the spot! (Tina and Taylor, I am so sorry.)

A few things: The staff are so beautiful! I can already see the Kingdom come in our interactions. Next week is special week. My co-counselor is tops. It's gonna be a fun-fun time.

For purposes of writing to me:

Carolyn McKalips

c/o Black Rock Retreat

1235 Kirkwood Pk.

Quarryville, PA 17566