Ah two week sessions, my favorite sessions, with crazy Sundays, more time to get to know campers, and most important, Sailing Pathfinders.  Every afternoon during two week sessions, the Sailing Pathfinders - otherwise known as SPF's - flock to the beach and learn the ancient craft of sailing.  They brave the high seas of the Rehoboth Bay, along with its many creatures and jellyfish, battle the days when there is too much wind and when there is no wind, and at night, hear the word IRONS ringing in their ears.

Being an SPF alumna, I remember the first few days of sailing as capsizing, nearly getting stuck in the marsh, and wondering what I was doing.  So, to save some confusion and capsizing, I have tried to morph the sailing program into a more show-and-tell teaching style, as well as using candy to gain the short summer-time attention spans.  The first day of fourth session had winds around 18mph and more white caps than I’d want to sail with on a Sunfish, so the SPFs sailed two boats at a time and I went out on the jet ski to coach the new sailors through their first tack (turning the boat around).  A few days later, the wind was almost as strong as the first day, so we held a rigging-sailing around a buoy-unrigging competition.  Once everyone felt comfortable on catamarans, the waterfront staff and SPFs sailed across the bay to what we call Treasure Island.  The next day the pathfinders mastered our biggest boat, the Hobie 16, that has two sails, a ton of ropes, and is buckets of fun.

 Unfortunately, our last day with the SPFs is rainy and thundery, but Maddie and I hope that they have taken away a lot from these past two weeks and will use their new sailing skills for a long time.

Peace, love, and IRONS

Becca

Things heated up quick when P4 had a "burning hot" fire competition. Campers learned how to quickly build fires with the resources around them. 

After leading chapel Saturday morning the Adventure Pathfinders went on a two hour canoeing from Wolf Creek back to camp's waterfront.   Once they arrived back at camp, a hot meal of pizza in a pot awaited them made by the waterfront staff. 


Meanwhile, all of camp was preparing for the Wild Wild West Sunday’s Central.  Saturday Night at the Movies were all western themed and the campers were delivered freshly popped pop corn.


After waking with thoughts of central and the wild Wild West in our heads, we filled ourselves with breakfast and headed to Eucharist with Father Jeff Ross from St Peter's in Lewes. 

Just after siesta the big day began.  All of the staff dressed in cowboy and cowgirl costumes along with the campers and some even talked with heavy country accents to add to the flavor of the West. The central was set up as a carnival where campers were able to go around playing different types of games while winning gold to trade in for City Slicker Snow Cones, “pancons” (pancakes with apples and bacon), rootbeer floats, sweet tea, apple churros and other delicious snacks.  

The Sailing Pathfinders built a great mini gold course.  P7 built a rodeo relay with pool noodle horses.  The Adventure Pathfinders lashed horses for everyone to lasso.  H2 built a Tumbleweed Skiball game.  H11 made the Sherrif Shootout Balloon Darts game.  P4 made the Rootin' Tootin' Ball Shootin' canon ball drop game.  P5 built Pistol Pete's Shootout with water guns to shoot ping pong ball off of golf tees.  P6 painted faces and braid hair.  H1 Hunted on the Oregon Trail.  The Environmental Staff lead fiddler crab races.  The Ropes and Waterfront Staff built a saloon and themed rooms for us to tour in the Rec Hall.  P7 hosted an old fashioned milk bottle toss game and a great bottle pickup game.  H10 built a California Gold Rush racing game with straws and ping pong balls.  H9 had spin art for everyone to make. The Pool Staff hosted Kissing Kate's X's & O's Frisbee Tac Toe.  The Kitchen Staff introduced two new games - Snake Eye Dice & and the Rattling Ring Toss. Wild bandits robbed the saloon all day.  And campers had the opportunity to arrest each other as well as staff members. The medicine show stole the crowd's attention with “sword swallowing,” hula hooping, a “chubby bunny" competition and other weird talents.

The day concluded after a final robbery or the Lafontaine's Savings and Loan bank and an all camp bbq at the beach. Campers played volleyball and hung out on the dock while they awaited their hamburgers and hotdogs.  After ice cream campers cooled off in the pool for free swim. Here the campers practiced new jumps and dive in the pool such as the “walk on water” and “salmon dive.”

All of camp was happy to sleep in an extra hour this morning - except for Day Camp who arrived this morning at normal time.  And we're all excited for the "Tastees" to arrive tomorrow for Taste of Camp!


beceith<(")

(aka Becca & Keith - and that's a "penguin")