A Favorite Day in Camp

The fourth full day of camp is always delightful because the action, commotion, and excitement of going to Avalon the day before has subsided. So this was a quiet morning without campers waking early to hike to town. The two of us rolled off our bunk before sun-up so we could arrive at the shoreline to see that summer sun peek its light from behind Saddleback Mountain.

I quickly slipped into my Levi's and hooded zip-up sweatshirt and tried to quietly exit our sweet little cabin, Cormorant's Corner (see photo), but the cabin door rattles and shakes and is anything but quiet. Thankfully our cabin is located just across the camp fairway from the bathroom pavilion (neither are equivalent to a 5-star hotel--we don't care). I brushed my teeth, applied a little make-up (so as not to scare too many people) and brushed my hair and then, a quick stroll toward the shore begins the unwrapping of a new day. Seriously, it is nothing less than spectacular. Living here on the West Coast of our nation, we're accustomed to seeing the sun setting into the ocean. So one-week-a-year watching it rise from behind the land is breath-taking. If that's too dramatic, then you'll just have to accompany me to the shoreline at Gallagher's Cove at Campus By the Sea to see for yourself.

Today we had the bonus of watching the very young adult camp staff in charge of "trash duty" launch the trash barge into the water and then motor away toward Catalina's dump and recycle location. The ordeal looks so primitive; I guess that makes it all the more fun to watch.

It's also fun to watch the folks who have gotten up early to water ski or those who do not want to try skis, there's always the tube. Two or three kids fit on the big tube at once and it's fun to hear the squeals of glee.

At 7:30 the "wake-up" bell sounds through camp. That's our signal to begin our trek toward our cabin to see what's happening with Tristan and his mommy. We've learned early into this week that Tristan have learned how to open the latch on the cabin door and while his mom snoozes soundly through "la-la-land," (is that part of the bliss of being 21 years old?), he pity-pats barefooted over to the wooden-deck patio of the cabin next to us--3 cabins which are one building share the patio. Tristan knows no strangers and loves the audience he finds there. He loves to chit-chat with anyone who will listen. So we reel him in and encourage Desiree that it is time for her and Tristan to get ready for breakfast.

At 8:00 a.m. breakfast is served, so campers are in the dining hall and hungry. The day's schedule and activities resemble that of Monday and Tuesday with morning singing--the kids love the songs with hand motions.

Thursday's evening meal is always a picnic on the beach. The last few years I have found this event much more enjoyable than I used to. Eating outside and near the water is a treat. It was a treat again this year as we watched the seagulls who were watching us from a distance, hoping we'd toss them a little tidbit.

The extra bonus of Thursday evening this week is that Danny Oertli, a professional musican, is a camper with his family this week too and will be providing a concert. He had a few new songs to share -- he wrote his wife Reyna a song for Mother's Day this past May and shared that with us. Danny's first wife, Cindy, was his high school sweetheart. When they had been married 8 years she was diagnosed with cancer. After all the chemo, they were told she would never have children, so they were overjoyed when she got pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Then they were told she would never have another. So a couple years later they adopted a baby boy and named him Jack. When Jack was less than a year old and just barely walking, Cindy, died of a massive heart attack. Danny was devastated. Several years later he met Reyna and eventually they married. They now have a little girl. So Danny speaks about having three children from three birth mothers. He's published Mommy Paints the Sky and it a fascinating, well-written little book.

I like Thursdays at camp and I hope this reveals that.

Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol