Those chocolate chip cookies were good...

I don't wear a Fitbit, but I'm pretty sure that I'd have 10 000 steps before lunch at camp. Well, maybe not, but it feels that way. Let me pick up where we left off....LUNCH!  A couple of years ago, Barb O'Loughlin commented that it sure is hard to keep a stable weight at camp. Collectively, we realized that we're simply not accustomed to three serious meals each day...cooked by someone else. Today, we chowed down on chili (or plain) hotdogs with homemade 3 bean chili, baked potatoes and salad for lunch.  Seriously!?  Who eats that well for lunch?  Campers. That's who.  Good thing too, because we're all pretty hungry when meal time rolls around.



The afternoon had more rotations through the pool, visits to the nature lab, garden explorations, river studies, etc.  By now, you probably understand the routine. I really enjoy being down by the San Lorenzo River, which is little more than a trickle this time of year. The group was using a dichotomous key to identify various invertebrates they collected from the running water and under rocks. I've never seen a water penny. The appearance of larva form means the name is quite apt. It really does resemble a tiny penny.

The day hikers returned, most of them remarkably chipper after a 4-5 mile hike. Children's physical energy is astonishing - a reminder to me just how much time they need in unstructured, active play. The vast majority of hikers opted for a game on the field directly after their return. We could meet every energy need on the planet if we could bottle those joules.


Students were all looking forward to choice activities just before dinner.  The options included arts & crafts, capture the flag (CTF), the climbing wall, a garden party, theatre, archery, the mole hole, snake feeding and shelter building. I started up with the CTF group who played a rousing game with multiple rounds up and down the side of the hill (Remember many of these kids just returned from a full day of hiking.)  Towards the end of the hour, I meandered down to see the work being done with arts and crafts. The tea party invitees were drawing and coloring, waiting for the sun-steeped tea to be ready. Each person had created their own blend from the herbs and plants in Sasha's garden. Mrs. Borges caught the campers sliding down the mole hole and the very end of the archery session. You really can't tell there are 200 children here when they are spread all over the place.


When dinner rolled around, we dined on beef stroganoff, steamed carrots and freshly baked sourdough bread. The garden tomatoes were scrumptious - I opted to enjoy them plain, having snacked on a few earlier in the day directly off the vine. Dinner was topped off with homemade chocolate chip cookies. Our foolish male counterparts stepped away from the table for a few minutes and found themselves cookie-less upon their return. Mr. Lozano has connections in the right place though, and managed to score the last two cookies in the kitchen. Totally worth it!

Mr. Fennessy and I joined David, Katie, their cabin leaders and students for the night hike. Mr. Lozano and Mrs. Borges each accompanied different groups.  The latter group was lucky enough (and quiet enough) to hear owls in the trees above them.  We all sang some songs, heard Native American legends on how the night sky came to be, and learned about our night vision.

Mr. Rousseau and Ms. Christie will join us tomorrow. We really appreciate the effort our colleagues make to connect with your children in this special place.

We're at the halfway mark, when the fatigue of long physical days starts to set in. We're very tired, but happy. Our students are trying new things, stepping out of their respective comfort zones, and making us quite proud.  What more could we ask for?

Ready for the night hike.