Salutations! My name is Oscar the Otter, the beloved pet of Crow cabin. I get an interesting view of what the Crows do throughout a week from my perch on the table in the cabin, a backpack, an armpit (when they so affectionately decide to include me in everything they do, oh joy!), or the center of the dining hall table. That crazy counselor may think she knows what happens in a week at camp, but let me tell you the real story.
So, turns out that the Crows are somewhat responsible people. They keep the cabin clean and that's actually why I abide with them. I used to ride around on Pauly's cart...oh, Pauly! Ha, guess you probably don't know who that is. He's this pretty amazing guy who drives around a golf cart all day and wipes down every doorknob on site in every building on site. In addition to that BIG job he finds time to sanitize the surfaces of the bathrooms of 49 cabins on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Folks, I've seen what he does and he works hard! The reason he decided to leave me with the Crows is because we've both noticed that they are the cleanest cabin on camp and have been for weeks! When I showed up the Crows could hardly contain their excitement; they love Pauly and he loves me. It's just part of that camp love, I guess.
Now that I've gushed over that, let me inform you there are some, well, maybe strange would be a good descriptor of things that happen in Crow. Just the other day that crazy counselor went into a toilet stall and lo and behold! There was a pair of folded socks in the bottom of the toilet! When she asked around just who they might belong to not a single soul owned up to that soggy pair of socks (don't blame 'em!). Not a week later a stray sock showed up on the porch with no owner once again. It has been decided that one of Crow Cabin's talents is sock growing.
And duct-tape stealing. It's week 8 and that crazy counselor uses that excuse for all those dumb things she does, but it's beyond her (and me) what happened to her roll of duct-tape. It was there one moment and gone the next!
I'm not sure how I feel about living in a cabin that grows socks and swallows duct-tape but other than those vices it's clean, it's happy, it's where friendship bracelets are made by the dozens. I suppose it's a good home.
When I'm not at home I'm usually in those other places I mentioned. Let's start with the dining hall table. It's where the Crows eat their meals and it's also a happy place but not so clean. Sometimes I'm afraid I might get spaghetti in my fur or drown in a puddle of spilled water but they watch out for me pretty well. At breakfast on Monday morning I get to listen in as the girls hear what horses they'll be assigned to for the week. I also watch them down cinnamon roll after cinnamon roll and wish they'd share maybe just a crumb?
They do include me in a lot so I shouldn't complain. Oh, for example, last Friday night they used me! a lowly otter as a special guest in their song at flagpole before the theme dinner. The theme last week was 'Christmas In July' and that crazy counselor picked up some big red noses on a trip to Hobby Lobby (surprise, surprise!) and they stuck one on me! Then they sang a song about Oscar the red-nosed otter to the tune of a familiar Christmas song known as 'Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer'. I must say that it felt pretty great to be the star of the show for that one minute. And about being stuck in their armpits...well, that might sounds strange but really it's just one of the ways they carry me from place to place. Those equestrians do a lot of walking every day and sometimes I get to ride in a backpack, other times they embrace me with TLC, and other times like those mentioned aforehand I'm sort of just hanging there.
Hopefully that crazy counselor will inform you of her favorite memories of camp after it's all history in less than two fast weeks! For now, you can rest assured that the Crows are surviving and having a grand old time.
Much love,
Oscar
***So, the story of how Oscar came to Crow is true and we light up every time we see Pauly because he is so kind! Oscar has cheered up our days and we're glad to have him and Mocha the snail as cabin pets. Can't forget Steve the dead lunar moth that is now resting peacefully in our bird's nest on the porch. As a side note I can't believe how fast the summer has gone and am enjoying these last few weeks. Likely there will be no posts until I do a recap at the end, but I hope to somehow put together a summary of my experiences at camp! That's it for tonight...
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday, July 6, 2015
Brief Update of Camp
Perhaps my silence is the best indicator of what I've been doing the past few weeks. Anything and everything that keeps me too busy to blog.
Sleeping out in hammocks, picking hooves, dressing up like a security guard, rolling sleeping bags, singing or rather screaming at the top of my lungs every day all day on top of rocks and barrels and tables in some instances, planning devious tricks in the barn that may or may not involve a harmless clear liquid, winning Golden Toilet Seat award for clean cabin several days (oh yah!), crossing the suspension bridge multiple times a day, forms forms and more forms, splashing at the lake and pool, telling campers for the umpteenth time that they need to just 'wait and see' what the schedule holds, planning lessons for my riding class, jumping in mud puddles just because we can, shooting arrows at the archery range, gathering around the ambiance of candlelight for cabin devotions, throwing ice cream bars in the trading post...the list is endless.
Camp is busy. I'm exhausted.
We're almost to the half way mark and it's really hard to believe because as one of my campers put it well: the days are long but the week flies! A new day begins and we hit the ground running, filling it with activity and adventure. When the weekend rolls around I wonder where the week went. It's already time to write parent letters, do laundry, catch up with the family, run errands, go to church, and maybe get a bit more sleep so I can start all over in...24 hours.
Why am I doing this? you may wonder. At times I do. But then there are those moments--and you know what I'm talking about--that remind me of why I'm at camp.
How about all the amazing, comforting songs I've learned in chapel, the times I see a child go out of his or her comfort zone and accomplish something great, the moments that I hug tearful campers farewell who are much more than teenagers staying in a cabin but rather friends that have cheered me up and made me laugh, the faith that is grown there, the love that is expressed there, the memories made there, the astronomical number of high-fives and I-love-you's shared there.
Yes, camp is exhausting. Yes, there have been children that have pressed my buttons and times in my weariness I've wanted to just leave it all behind. But then there's God and He always provides in such incredible ways, giving me the strength to take it one step at a time. This is no sprint, it's a marathon.
Week five has been particularly interesting so far as my co-counselor Lizzie and I have moved not only to a different cabin but to a different village. The equestrian campers are heavy on the young end this week so instead of being in Lake Village with the older kids like we usually are, we switched cabins with two lovely ladies from River Village and are working in a different unit with younger kids. I love our campers and it's great to experience a new unit and village but good to know I'll be returning to my 'home' in Lake Village next week.
Since we have a wonderful media team at Camp Tecumseh that captures a lot of the activities for us, I'm going to use some pictures off the website to give you a glimpse into camp life.
Starting the day with crazy songs at flagpole.
After breakfast we gather for chapel. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are separate between the villages and this one is in Lake Village.
All-camp chapel on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hundreds and hundreds of us!
The zipline across the lake!
One of the Crows ready to zipline in the woods.
Sleeping out in hammocks, picking hooves, dressing up like a security guard, rolling sleeping bags, singing or rather screaming at the top of my lungs every day all day on top of rocks and barrels and tables in some instances, planning devious tricks in the barn that may or may not involve a harmless clear liquid, winning Golden Toilet Seat award for clean cabin several days (oh yah!), crossing the suspension bridge multiple times a day, forms forms and more forms, splashing at the lake and pool, telling campers for the umpteenth time that they need to just 'wait and see' what the schedule holds, planning lessons for my riding class, jumping in mud puddles just because we can, shooting arrows at the archery range, gathering around the ambiance of candlelight for cabin devotions, throwing ice cream bars in the trading post...the list is endless.
Camp is busy. I'm exhausted.
We're almost to the half way mark and it's really hard to believe because as one of my campers put it well: the days are long but the week flies! A new day begins and we hit the ground running, filling it with activity and adventure. When the weekend rolls around I wonder where the week went. It's already time to write parent letters, do laundry, catch up with the family, run errands, go to church, and maybe get a bit more sleep so I can start all over in...24 hours.
Why am I doing this? you may wonder. At times I do. But then there are those moments--and you know what I'm talking about--that remind me of why I'm at camp.
How about all the amazing, comforting songs I've learned in chapel, the times I see a child go out of his or her comfort zone and accomplish something great, the moments that I hug tearful campers farewell who are much more than teenagers staying in a cabin but rather friends that have cheered me up and made me laugh, the faith that is grown there, the love that is expressed there, the memories made there, the astronomical number of high-fives and I-love-you's shared there.
Yes, camp is exhausting. Yes, there have been children that have pressed my buttons and times in my weariness I've wanted to just leave it all behind. But then there's God and He always provides in such incredible ways, giving me the strength to take it one step at a time. This is no sprint, it's a marathon.
Week five has been particularly interesting so far as my co-counselor Lizzie and I have moved not only to a different cabin but to a different village. The equestrian campers are heavy on the young end this week so instead of being in Lake Village with the older kids like we usually are, we switched cabins with two lovely ladies from River Village and are working in a different unit with younger kids. I love our campers and it's great to experience a new unit and village but good to know I'll be returning to my 'home' in Lake Village next week.
Since we have a wonderful media team at Camp Tecumseh that captures a lot of the activities for us, I'm going to use some pictures off the website to give you a glimpse into camp life.
Starting the day with crazy songs at flagpole.
After breakfast we gather for chapel. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are separate between the villages and this one is in Lake Village.
All-camp chapel on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hundreds and hundreds of us!
The zipline across the lake!
One of the Crows ready to zipline in the woods.
Fun times during classroom session at the Equestrian Center!
Hopefully one of these days I'll maybe get around to posting more pictures and give a low down of what a day at camp might look like. For now, I'm going to somehow muster up the energy to get off the couch and head back to camp for the night cause we are having a sleepout!!!
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-HHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Good night ya'll. Stay safe. Enjoy summer :)
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