Back from Camp

Julia returned yesterday after two weeks at a summer camp just outside Huntsville, Ontario. (The photo above was sent by the camp staff.) Kate was there too, but for just one week, followed by a week with Todd's parents. When Kate returned this afternoon, she was clean as a whistle and had a bag of freshly laundered clothes, thanks to the wonderful grandparents. When Julia arrived, she was covered with bug bites and every item she owned was soaked and caked in mud.

Kate, who was in the beginner session, had only an overnight out-trip. Julia, the veteran, went on a 5-day out-trip with her group. The weather turned out to be cold and wet, and a thunderstorm provided an extra bit of excitement. Julia, being one of the stronger kids in the group, was asked to carry a canoe on her own during the many, many portages (the longest being 800m). She really detests the portages. The group was well equipped, but the counsellors left behind one crucial item, the bug repellant. So the deer flies had a field day (5 field days, to be exact) with this group. To add insult to injury, raccoons got into the food and ate the chocolate chips.

So after all this, Julia's reaction was, "Well, it was an OK trip." She's going for another 2-week session later in the summer and actually looking forward to it. When she wasn't on the out-trip, she had plenty of fun with her cabin-mates (some have been e-mail pen-pals for the last couple of years) , staying up late and participating in all the great camp activities.

Julia has enjoyed going to residential camp the past four years and says she prefers the more rugged camps with the out-trips than the tamer ones close to the city. (This is from a girl who greatly depends on her computer, MP3 player and hair dryer at home!) Given that I have no camping experience and my idea of a "rugged" vacation is staying at a mediocre hotel, I'm very impressed and glad that she is learning how to survive in the wilderness.