February 25th -- The Last Full Day--Tomorrow They Are Yours Again.   

Last night the older campers did Wee Blocks--setting up thousands of domino-like blocks in patterns and then letting them run.  The younger campers listened to a musical story about a boy who went to sea.  This morning we arose to a big flapjack breakfast with Glen Brook Maple Syrup and sausages.  The electives this morning were about the same--Finishing the bead projects,  papermaking, board games, and outdoor skills.  Outdoor skills divides into two teams who then race to build a fire, melt a large can of snow and bring it to a boil.  It is very popular.  That was followed by snow shoeing and skating. After lunch and rest we took the camp picture, then off for more cross country skiing and sled games. The campers have set up a timed obstacle course for sledding and they are very enthusiastic.  Tonight after dinner we will have a skating party on the lake with fires, tiki torches, and the moon.  Following that we will have a slide show of over 100 photos of the week, then off to finish packing and get a good night sleep. 

The bus tomorrow will leave for NY about 9 AM and we expect to arrive at the Waldorf School about 2 PM.  We will pack a bag lunch. Please be prompt or a bit early, as Mr. Butler needs to turn around and head back home again.  Parents arriving by car, please pick up between 9 AM and 11 AM. The counselors will then clean the camp and head home themselves.

This has been an awesome week--wonderful kids, perfect weather, fun activities and fantastic counselors.  There were just a couple tinges of homesickness here and there, but minimal.  The kids got along really well. We had ages 4 to 13 here, and they usually played together so nicely. Of course no flu epidemic and no broken bones is always a good thing too!  Thanks for sending your kids and we hope to see many this summer and/or next winter.  I will post a last batch of photos later tonight.   jmm

February 24, 2005  Cold with more snow coming....  Just 3 degrees this morning!  Brrrr!  The turkey feast (stuffed squash for the veggies) was amazing last night.  Homemade gravy too!  French toast for breakfast today and Glen Brook maple syrup.  The electives this morning:  Making Fimo Beads to be baked and strung later, Window Stars out of a beautiful translucent paper, Paper Making with some very interesting colors, and a new Monopoly Tournament-Glen Brook Rules, Basketmaking using pipe cleaners.  After snack we are off for some bowling in town.  This afternoon after a little rest we will tap the maple trees and hang the sap buckets. It will not warm up enough for the sap to run this week, so we will not get to make syrup this year.  Then we will round out the afternoon with sledding and skating and winter sports.  The bell is ringing so I have to get the buses ready now for bowling.... Photos later. jmm

Feb 23, 2005  More Snow!  We awoke to another two inches of fluffy snow, then blue skies and now snow again. I was wrong, most campers were awake before the bell this morning.  We have a regular group of boys who are ready first thing each morning  to lay the fire in the woodstove. As I write this at 10:00 AM we have electives going. Each morning after breakfast all the campers sign up.  This morning's choices were:  Outdoor Skills including fire building and looking for animal tracks in the fresh snow, a Monopoly Tournament, Bead Looming bracelets, Burning the Brush Pile (a perennial favorite with certain boys), Hair Wrapping / Styling with lots of ribbons and French Braids , and Cooking (two boys making cornbread for today's chili).  Then after snack the skating, sledding, skiing, and snow shoeing resume.  After lunch we are off to Mr. Iselin's farm for horse-drawn sleigh rides across the meadows and through the woods with sleigh bells jingling and huge horses snorting clouds of steam.  Back home for hot chocolate before more sledding and skating.  Tonight is a big roast turkey dinner with all the fixings, veggie option provided. After our post-dinner singing will be evening activity--perhaps shopping bag skits tonight or maybe a night hike around the lake in the moonlight.  We will try to post today's photos sometime this evening.  jmm

Feb 22, 2005  After a wonderful morning of more origami, loom beading, clay bears, games, skiing, sledding, and of course the favorite, skating, we had an early pizza lunch.  Then off to Granite Gorge for a fantastic afternoon of tubing on a 600 foot long run.  Everyone had such a great time. Home again for hot chocolate, more skating and sledding, supper, singing, and charades.  We are going to bed now!  Many campers slept this morning until the wake up bell, and I suspect most will be asleep tomorrow at 7:30. jmm

Feb 21, 2005  A busy day!  The heavy snow stopped about noon with lingering flurries. The decision to open early was the correct one. Thanks to all who made quick changes in plans. The last six campers have safely arrived. This morning, previously unscheduled, was quickly filled with clay modeling, origami, and games, followed by ice skating in the snow before lunch.  We had delicious (and hot) soup and sandwiches for lunch.  During rest period every camper was supposed to write a letter home, but because of the holiday we will wait until tomorrow to mail them.  After rest there was lots of sledding, cross country skiing, and more skating.  Hockey (no-check, soft puck) is very popular.  We warmed up again before dinner.  Hannah had her birthday today, we had cake and singing.  Then we sang camp songs chosen tonight by Keith's table, followed by parlor games.  We had a little stomach thing last night with one of the campers and one bruised knee today, but all in all we are in good spirits. No photos got transferred from the camera tonight. Sorry. jmm

February 20, 2005  Winter Camp Begins Early and Snow Heads Our Way

With the winter storm warnings we decided to open camp a day early so we all could be off the roads tomorrow.  The Bus left Garden City about 2 PM.  We have a record 30 campers enrolled and 24 are here already tonight.  The weather folks are saying we may get 8 inches beginning sometime after midnight.  We will post some pictures tomorrow with a little luck.

There was an afternoon ice skating party, then the bus arrived and at 7:00 we sat down to a delicious dinner of Pad Thai and Coconut Custard Bars.  After dinner we sang the old camp songs until bedtime. 

Besides our year-round staff--Louis Bullard, Grant Butler, Helen Bullard, and James Madsen, we are joined by veteran summer staff  Tom Braden, Jennifer Butler, Keith Worthy, Rose Heffernan, and Beth Foster.  First time counselors Clara Wetmore and Michael LaBella have also joined us.  We are delighted to also welcome Diedre and Martin Somers and their children who are helping keep everything moving along with their wonderful and helpful presence.