Not Back To School Camp 2011, Day 2

Hello! Back again, with more stories about Not Back To School Camp:

My Bed for the week.

I woke up early the next morning. Like really early. Like 6:30 in the morning (that's really early for me ;) ). I laid in bed until 7:00 but I had to get up because I was really hungry, so I quietly got dressed and tried to leave the cabin as quiet as I could. I kinda failed. I had my arms full with my backpack and jacket that the door slipped and before I could catch it the door banged closed. Opps!

It was so quiet in the forest it felt like no one else was around.  And It was beautiful with the sunlight coming in through the trees.  I sat down in one of the many circles of chairs (there were chairs all over camp) and had a little snack. I didn't have much appetite because I was really missing Mom and Dad. The first night and morning were the times that I missed them the most.
I started to do a bit of drawing since there wasn't anything else to do. A little while later Ben came whistling over and he joined me. We said good morning and talked a bit ("Good morning" "Good morning" "How'd you sleep" "Pretty good. you?" "Pretty good, thanks" "What do you think of camp so far?" "It's great! I love it" "Good. Me too"). Arden came over and he joined us. Then Ben asked if he could borrow my pencil because he had some writing he had to do. Danielle came over and we checked in with each other ((read above)).

Then I went and took a freeeeezing shower. The water was warm but it was very cold when I got out into the cold morning air with wet hair. Brrr!

We then circled up and had breakfast outside the lodge and did the Yum prayer. It goes "Yummmmmmmmmmm". Then we all go inside and get breakfast (they had it set up like a Buffet, with Gluten-free and Vegan foods on the counter.)
 All of us new campers and sat outside and the older campers talked about Camp and what happens and stuff like that. It was nice to hear and talk to the other campers.
 I didn't have much appetite that morning, because I missed Mom and Dad so much. I had grabbed two hard boiled eggs because I thought I'd eat lots, but I stopped after eating half of one and then I placed my plate on the ground and three yellow jackets started eating it. I let them have it.

Then after the meeting I saw Dad walking around looking for me, so I jumped up, ran over and gave him a huge hug. I was so happy to see him that I teared up. Dad brought me some cookies that I had baked before the trip to have a snacks and after seeing him I regained some of my appetite so I ate a few. Grace came over and she gave me a hug.

We had a little time to before Advisee meeting so I  hung out at the swings fora bit then headed over to where my Advisee group meets. I got there ahead of everyone else so I put sunblock on, and did a bit of writing before we started. Everyone slowly came over and when Jasmine came we started. We had Highs and Lows, and we talked more and got to know each other a bit better. We played a few games. One we played that I like is called YE-HAW!

This is where our Advisee group met up

In the game you pass the sound "ye-haw" with a arm movement...this may be VERY hard to explain and there is a very good chance that what I say will make NO sense whatsoever, but I shall try. Okay, so you pass the sound "Ye-haw" to the person sitting next to you and then they pass it to the person sitting next to them. Then if you want the sound to jump/skip a person you shout "Pitchfork" and make a movement like you're throwing hay with a pitchfork. And if you yell "Hay-barn" and put your hands up over your head like a roof, then the sound turns around and starts going the other way. If you do "Get Down Little Doggy" you try to give the sound to someone sitting across from you. If that person doesn't want it they say "ping" and do a silly movement, and it comes back to you or they can accept the sound and they start is going again. Then there is "Four Shifter Gear Box! 1 2 3 4!" and the person who last accepted the sound when we did "Get Down Little Doggy" starts the "yehaw" again. and if you mess up you can start shouting random things trying to mess the other players up. "Pitchfork!" "Hay barn!" "1 2 3 4!"  It's lots of  fun to play.

The little sweat-lodge. There are about 17
people inside there

Then we also played "Hot seat". One person sits in the middle and everyone asks them questions. That was fun too. We asked questions like "Can you speak another language?" and "If you could live anywhere in the world where would you live" and stuff like that. I enjoyed it. After Advisee meeting we went and had a very yummy lunch of tacos. I wolfed down a taco rather quickly. I hadn't eaten much since I got there (because of the excitement and nerves).
Then I talked with Matt S. and the other work-traders and together we worked out a schedule for when we'd do our work-trade. Who wanted to do what workshop when and when we could all be free to work.

Then we all went on Tilke's Magic Trail Tour, and she showed us around all of camp. She showed us the beginnings of trails, A lovely river, the sweat-lodge (which we fit 17 people inside all at once. It was hilarious!) Then we crossed this huge tree that had fallen. It was so cool, and really wobbly. Someone started making it swing which was really freaky! I jumped off (and when I jumped off the tree, by backpack swung and landed on my back rather hard. ouch!) we walked a bit more, and we saw the Labyrinth. It was so cool! It's lots of stones stacked to make a Labyrinth and as soon as we saw it a lot of us started to walk around.
We all walked back and I was super hot from the walk (Still being in my morning cloths. T-shirt, Jeans, and sweatshirt) so I ran up to my cabin and changed into something cooler. (tank top, skirt, knees socks, Ugg boots, backpack...I wore that backpack everywhere, but for the last two days I started to just leave it in the Lodge and go get it when I needed it. Too heavy!).

Crossing the fallen tree

After I got changed  I ran into Panda (Very lovely girl! ;) ) asked me if I wanted to try to play Tether Ball with her. We were terrible but it was so much fun and we laughed lots. Matthew came by and said that he and a few other campers were going up to the watering hole, and asked if we wanted to come - I said yes. As I was walking up I ran into Sage and we talked for a bit. Sage is lots of fun to hang out with!   She wasn't going on the hike. She was in the middle of this book and she really wanted to finish it (which I can understand). So we talked, while Matthew went and got changed, then when he came back we left with Margie and Garret.

The waterfall/water slide
at the watering hole.

 It's an amazing hike up to the watering hole. I'd say it's about a mile long hike, but it's so lush and green there and we could hear the river from far away. For a while we thought we had taken the wrong trail. We were joking around about how we would get lost and all the bad things that could happen. There was this HUGE tree(with a smaller tree next to it) that had fallen down across the road. It looked like it would keep sliding down the hill at any moment. We all quietly tip-toed under it, and kept walking.
It got more more lush.
 We got there and some other campers and staff were already there. I climbed over on the rocks and watched as Garret, then Matthew, then Margie all jumped in. And I watched them all come up out of the water with shocked faces because the water was freezing. It was so funny. I didn't go swimming that day, but I did put my feet in and I agree it was very cold water. We stayed there for less than 10 minutes and then hiked all the way back. Matthew didn't put his shoes on the whole hike back because he didn't want to make us wait, so he kept saying "Ow" the whole walk back. Once we got back into camp we ran and told Sage all about it.

Me up at the watering hole

We went to Uncle Dell's for a meeting and everyone who was holding a workshop did a quick demo. I did one for Needle-felted Pumpkins. And everyone else did theirs. It was great and I went to a few workshops later in the week.
I went and had a nice dinner and then went to the swings and hung out there for a bit. When the bell rang we all went Uncle Dell's for the nighttime meeting and Staff Talent Show. I then remember that I hadn't called Mom or Dad yet, so I ran and called them both. Then I ran back to Uncle Dell's for the end of the Talent show. It was great.

Then we all headed over to the Lodge, and out in front they were having a music jam! It. Was. AMAZING! They played amazing music, and Matthew, Danielle, Adli, and I were all dancing around together. It was so much fun. I was writing down notes about the day during the slow songs, and dancing with the fast ones.

The swings in the daytime.
They were a great place
to hang out.

Danielle went to bed (i gave her a big hug) and when the music ended  Matthew and I went out to the swings and were swinging in the dark which was super cool. The stars were amazingly bright and it was so quiet. Then we went and sat by the tepee in the moonlight with Dandy (Dandy is the "night owl" he stays up late and makes sure everyone is safely in bed). It was so peaceful and relaxing. Then I went to my cabin and went to sleep.


And THAT ends day 2 of Not Back To School Camp!