We are already into week 3 of summer camp and our first batch of 4-H'ers is in the house! Last noghts Opening Ceremony was dubbed the Greatest Show on Earth by a multitude of campers. Many of our campers are from the western part of the state and have never seen the flat portions east of I-95.
Big events arescheduled throughout the week...our adventure campers are looking forward to spending the night in the wilderness after paddling one of the great blackwater rivers of the coast.
Talent shows, dances, and Scavenger hunts round out the night activities.
Enjoy the week...
June 28, 2010
June 23, 2010
June 22, 2010
Sweltering...
Heat index today: 103
Heat index tomorrow: 103
It's just so hot down here...this summer we have had 22 days of 90 degree (or better) weather. Last year we had 4 at this point.
Tonight is the Scavenger hunt. Last night, staff members discovered my first name, which to this point, had been as secretive as the Manhattan Project.
The week is going well, despite the heat. Next week, we have 4-H groups coming from several different counties. We are really looking forward to it, but will certainly miss the wonderful campers brought to us during Operation Purple Camp!
Enjoy the day...
Heat index tomorrow: 103
It's just so hot down here...this summer we have had 22 days of 90 degree (or better) weather. Last year we had 4 at this point.
Tonight is the Scavenger hunt. Last night, staff members discovered my first name, which to this point, had been as secretive as the Manhattan Project.
The week is going well, despite the heat. Next week, we have 4-H groups coming from several different counties. We are really looking forward to it, but will certainly miss the wonderful campers brought to us during Operation Purple Camp!
Enjoy the day...
June 21, 2010
Week Deaux!
Operation Purple Camp is in Week 2! Roughly 105 campers, 29 staff (including Lee and I) are enjoying the warm temps outside and the cool temps inside.... Last night's Opening Ceremony was pretty amazing, complete with a "Purple" sunset. After a quick poll of the campers, I have decided that virtually all children attending here are of the Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army, and Navy persuasion, while few if any are linked to NOAA, the Public Health Service, or the national Guard.
Military Experience Day this week will be akin to last weeks - two or three static displays, an awesome speaker, and Top 10!
Campers will enjoy the Giant Swing, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, teambuilding, ecology, and FEFA soccer (FEFA = Fourh Entertaining "futbol" Activity). Oh yeah, the pool, just as last week, is still abuzz with fun...it's always a hit! Tonight is International Night...Our counselors from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Scotland will lead activities about the homelands...
This week, we'll have the Eastern 4-H Center Hunt for Scavengers, Talent Show, and Dance, too. Me no like dance. Me like talent show. Campers like dance...
I posted staff pictures in digitized format on the Eastern 4-H Ctr facebook page, too - so look at them - and add us as a "fan"...
In unrelated decoy news...I have restled coated my first-ever made from scratch decoys. The are virtually impervious to chemicals, water, and other items of potential destruction in the foul world of fowling. just need to get the paint, matte finish, keel, and heads on and I'm done!
This past weekend, Lee, me, and several staff also went to the Edenton Music and Water Festival. It was hot and we all got a lil' sunburned. We still had lots of fun!
Enjoy the day...
Military Experience Day this week will be akin to last weeks - two or three static displays, an awesome speaker, and Top 10!
Campers will enjoy the Giant Swing, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, teambuilding, ecology, and FEFA soccer (FEFA = Fourh Entertaining "futbol" Activity). Oh yeah, the pool, just as last week, is still abuzz with fun...it's always a hit! Tonight is International Night...Our counselors from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Scotland will lead activities about the homelands...
This week, we'll have the Eastern 4-H Center Hunt for Scavengers, Talent Show, and Dance, too. Me no like dance. Me like talent show. Campers like dance...
I posted staff pictures in digitized format on the Eastern 4-H Ctr facebook page, too - so look at them - and add us as a "fan"...
In unrelated decoy news...I have restled coated my first-ever made from scratch decoys. The are virtually impervious to chemicals, water, and other items of potential destruction in the foul world of fowling. just need to get the paint, matte finish, keel, and heads on and I'm done!
This past weekend, Lee, me, and several staff also went to the Edenton Music and Water Festival. It was hot and we all got a lil' sunburned. We still had lots of fun!
Enjoy the day...
June 14, 2010
Operation Purple Camp UNDERWAY!!!!
Operation Purple Camp, a camp for children whose parents are deploy(ed, ing) is well underway. Day 1 was very strong!
A speedy check-in was facilitated by a new process...the Dining hall was nice and quiet...If Summer Camp was a football game, a key to controlling the tempo would be "control the dining hall."
Opening Ceremonies saw the introduction of staff, expectations, meaning of Purple (which is all the colors of the different military branches), an in-depth discussion of Leave No Trace, and more....
Special thanks to the National Military Family Association, Sierra Club, and Sierra Club Foundation for making this week possible.
I'll be brief, but consistent with updates this week...tonight is INTERNATIONAL NIGHT!!!
Enjoy the day...
A speedy check-in was facilitated by a new process...the Dining hall was nice and quiet...If Summer Camp was a football game, a key to controlling the tempo would be "control the dining hall."
Opening Ceremonies saw the introduction of staff, expectations, meaning of Purple (which is all the colors of the different military branches), an in-depth discussion of Leave No Trace, and more....
Special thanks to the National Military Family Association, Sierra Club, and Sierra Club Foundation for making this week possible.
I'll be brief, but consistent with updates this week...tonight is INTERNATIONAL NIGHT!!!
Enjoy the day...
June 9, 2010
Staff TRaining underway
Staff training started over the weekend...so far so good. Long hours has them focused and attentive...and appreciative of that 2 hours of free time at night!
Some of the highlights:
We have a mascot, a black panther as "performed" by Ross, our New Zealand counselor. His international night program dealt with the question "Where is Old Zealand".
Liam our Scottish counselor showed a picture of himself in a kilt. He also showed a picture of an exotic animal in Scotland - a pigeon.
CPR and First Aid was yesterday....special thanks to Lee who taught all day long. I had the lifeguards...so I put them through the rigors of swimming with anchors and such. Raymond set the all time record with the anchor swim - 36 seconds, followed by Maria at 38 seconds, who is recovering from a broken foot in February.
We also have done Rock Climbing, Ages and Stages of Development, and a host of other important activities. The new staff members are adjusting well - thanks to leadership of our returners.
Enjoy the day...
Some of the highlights:
We have a mascot, a black panther as "performed" by Ross, our New Zealand counselor. His international night program dealt with the question "Where is Old Zealand".
Liam our Scottish counselor showed a picture of himself in a kilt. He also showed a picture of an exotic animal in Scotland - a pigeon.
CPR and First Aid was yesterday....special thanks to Lee who taught all day long. I had the lifeguards...so I put them through the rigors of swimming with anchors and such. Raymond set the all time record with the anchor swim - 36 seconds, followed by Maria at 38 seconds, who is recovering from a broken foot in February.
We also have done Rock Climbing, Ages and Stages of Development, and a host of other important activities. The new staff members are adjusting well - thanks to leadership of our returners.
Enjoy the day...
June 1, 2010
Pre-Season
Pre-Season is here...Spring training as I like to call it...Summer Staff will arrive later in the week, and we will begin training immediately.
This week, Tyrrell Elementary School will be here today and tomorrow. Thursday I'll head to Greenville to do camper interviews for Takeoff 4-Health...It'll be a busy week. The new cooks are doing well, and survived the Wedding Reception Onslaught, with a great deal of ease, albeit. The reception brought nearly 300 guests to our beautiful facility, and nary a drop of rain fell from the sky as predicted by the Weathermen.
This weekend I managed to take the Yellow Dog out to sea. I put in at Swanquarter Bay, rode the 3 mile ditch into the salty water, took a little used cut through beautiful marsh (the creek is about 2 miles long and 20 feet wide...fun if you have a small nimble craft like the Dog), and turned up in Swanquarter Bay. We rode to Oyster Creek Landing to see all the big shrimp/crab/fishing boats. En Route, we had dolphins playing in the propwash. We also spotted several local black ducks. Black ducks, or Black Mallards, are the wariest of all ducks. They are really tough to decoy, and often look like they don't even trust their fellow flyers. Local ducks are the wariest of all. So decoying a local Black Duck, is virtually impossible...virtually. It has been done.
On the way back a Black Bear, roughly 700 pounds, was spotted in the road. He was absolutely tremendous. We also came across a fox, deer and a 6' Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Yesterday, the program staff and I enjoyed a cookout at the Staff House...Boston Butt, Corn on the Cob, Green Beans, Big Girl's Macaroni and Cheese, Watermelon, and Creamsicle Cake. I cooked, the ate. But I am their provider, at least that's what I tell 'em.
I also finished painting my decoys. I completed a Sleeping Bluebill, encased in masticized burlap and painted to perfection. I have gotten better and better. I also finished a Canvasback, 2 other Bluebills, and 25 Surf Scoters. I have 7 more to do...6 of which are from scratch. I will be Restle Coating from here on out. Burlapping and Restleing provides years of use from decoys. You can only burlap the foam ones. I like the foam ones, though...here's why: Cork co$t$ tons of money, plastic is cheap that's what everyone uses, wood is to heavy. I like to hunt over classic decoys, and hand painting and finishing adds to the thrill.
Enjoy the day...
This week, Tyrrell Elementary School will be here today and tomorrow. Thursday I'll head to Greenville to do camper interviews for Takeoff 4-Health...It'll be a busy week. The new cooks are doing well, and survived the Wedding Reception Onslaught, with a great deal of ease, albeit. The reception brought nearly 300 guests to our beautiful facility, and nary a drop of rain fell from the sky as predicted by the Weathermen.
This weekend I managed to take the Yellow Dog out to sea. I put in at Swanquarter Bay, rode the 3 mile ditch into the salty water, took a little used cut through beautiful marsh (the creek is about 2 miles long and 20 feet wide...fun if you have a small nimble craft like the Dog), and turned up in Swanquarter Bay. We rode to Oyster Creek Landing to see all the big shrimp/crab/fishing boats. En Route, we had dolphins playing in the propwash. We also spotted several local black ducks. Black ducks, or Black Mallards, are the wariest of all ducks. They are really tough to decoy, and often look like they don't even trust their fellow flyers. Local ducks are the wariest of all. So decoying a local Black Duck, is virtually impossible...virtually. It has been done.
On the way back a Black Bear, roughly 700 pounds, was spotted in the road. He was absolutely tremendous. We also came across a fox, deer and a 6' Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Yesterday, the program staff and I enjoyed a cookout at the Staff House...Boston Butt, Corn on the Cob, Green Beans, Big Girl's Macaroni and Cheese, Watermelon, and Creamsicle Cake. I cooked, the ate. But I am their provider, at least that's what I tell 'em.
I also finished painting my decoys. I completed a Sleeping Bluebill, encased in masticized burlap and painted to perfection. I have gotten better and better. I also finished a Canvasback, 2 other Bluebills, and 25 Surf Scoters. I have 7 more to do...6 of which are from scratch. I will be Restle Coating from here on out. Burlapping and Restleing provides years of use from decoys. You can only burlap the foam ones. I like the foam ones, though...here's why: Cork co$t$ tons of money, plastic is cheap that's what everyone uses, wood is to heavy. I like to hunt over classic decoys, and hand painting and finishing adds to the thrill.
Enjoy the day...
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