Sun Shining Day at Camp
Another sun shining day here at Gwynn Valley! We’ve been so lucky to have great weather, great food and great memories to wind down our summer days at camp. It feels like this session has flown by as we head into our last day of Discoveries, all of Mountainside and Riverside return from Adventures and we celebrate the Tajar’s 100th birthday at the Tajar Ball, all happening tomorrow! Many events to celebrate tomorrow as we romp and roam the soccer pitch carnival style with hayrides, ice cream, face painting and of course dancing, making every joyous moment count.
Today we wrapped up our A day Discoveries with a performance from our Water Dancing troupes who glided through the pool with choreography to songs like “Riptide” and “ How Far I’ll Go”. A crowd of nearly 40 campers and staff gathered to watch these musical movements at the pool! Tomorrow I look forward to 2 more performances by the B day Discovery group. Our Farm discovery picked the last of the corn, pottery focused on glazing their creations, mountain bikers tried more technical trails and our horseback riders focused on trail rides.
Tonight Main Camp enjoyed their campouts with quesadillas, smores and frolicking in the woods with their cabin while others participated in Mountain Dancing with Debbie and Heather or a camp wide Scavenger Hunt. While I type this, Mountainside and Riverside have finished their adventuring for the day and have taken reprieve at their respective campsites. Enjoying their last evening under the stars before returning to camp to trade tales of triumph with cabin mates and friends across camp.
While I anticipate the reunion of all our campers and staff tomorrow evening, where we will dance in the moonlight with the Tajar, I think fondly about some of my ‘glimmers’ of the summer. In my last blog, I wrote about the term “glimmer” to describe “those tiny, insignificant moments when you feel a sense of joy, peace and gratitude.” I’d like to share a couple now as a culminating, well rounded, last blog of summer that I will write.
D Session I had the pleasure and privilege to accompany the Main Camp Canoers on a trip out of camp, or MCAT. I paddled on Mountainside and Riverside but I haven’t had much opportunity to do so since. With a few skills in my toolbelt and my affinity for moving water, I was thrilled to go with Grant, 5 campers and an SIT to Section 0 of the French Broad River. We spent 4 hours paddling, practicing technical skills such as S turns and ferrying into eddies, and breaking on Wolf Spider Beach for sandwiches ( a sandy river bank with a lot of wolf spiders). I was so impressed with these campers ranging from ages 9-12 who were maneuvering these large vessels on the river while utilizing their communication skills with new friends. As we pulled into camp reminiscing on the fun day and eager for dinner; we saw a family of deer ahead just within the horse pasture. A doe and her two babies, the size of bambi stood watching us as we paused and rolled down the van window. I called out, “hey momma!” her ears perked up and she peered at us as we marveled at her and her fawns. As we paused for a few beats, admiring and awwing, a camper in the van stated, “ this has been a day full of treats; paddling, air conditioning and animals!” Many glimmers in this day; to be the observer of children learning, cognitively moving their beings and taking on new communication dynamics on the river were glimmers I witnessed while leading up the rear on the river.
Twilight Play is a fifth program period we offer in our longer session in lieu of After Supper Activities and an Evening Program. I joined in on the Biking Twilight Ride to the Hung Farm, a farm space just across the road. It was the hub for Day Camp, contains a few mountain biking trails, two campout shelters, a take out for our tubing route on the French Broad and corn beautiful corn! While most campers were used to riding fast and hard in biking, this ride was aimed towards winding down and taking time in nature. Along our ride we would stop and pause to do a sensory activity. Standing quiet for a minute, we took in all noises we could hear and shared our results. Campers reported different birds, bugs and cars on roads far away. When we reached the end of our route at the French Broad River, we practiced taking two silent minutes and noticing all the things we could see. This activity showed me the depth and realistic playfulness of children’s perception. When I asked what they had observed I was almost teary at how appreciative and calm they were to report their natural experiences. “ I see that tree dancing by the water. I see the ripples in the water like waves, but where do the waves come from? I see bugs wiggling on the surface avoiding fish from below. I see that one branch sticking out from the water at a weird angle, almost pointing downstream away from the edge of that sharp rock”. As we rode back to camp, the group started to find calm amongst the noises and sights at play winding down for a quiet evening in the Valley.
I say this speaking from experience, from a Mountain View camper to a Mountain View cabin counselor; Gwynn Valley encompasses all parts of childlike wonder and growth through intentional natural occurrences. Children are able to connect so simply with their experience at camp. Dualistically, it can be accompanied by big feelings and new sensations but the focus, attentiveness and determination campers embody when encompassed with opportunity and support here creates magical moments that they can carry for a lifetime.
