The Sari Diaries- Wednesday 7/22/15

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

It has been quite an eventful day here in Chippyland and I am happy to report that campers and staff are back in their cabins exhausted and ready for bed. I personally also had an amazing day that I am eager to tell you all about! Here is the excitement that occurred at #TheRanch2015 today…

1. The morning started at first period tennis which is always a highlight. The best part of the period though was at the end when the Junior Team began showing up. We decided to have a quick Queen of the Court game. It was so fun to hit with some of our young tennis stars- Halle G, Eliza M, Skylar S and many others showed off their skills as they tried to be the final queens.

2. At lunch today, I had two Blackfoot campers come up to me to let me know that they learned how to put on their skis yesterday and that they are “soooo excited to get to ski for real tomorrow.” The jubilation in their voices and the animation with which they were telling me this was incredibly cute and reminded me just how awesome it is to be a Blackfoot camper experiencing all that Chippewa has to offer for the first time!

3. This afternoon I was lucky enough to join the fifth period fishing class. It is pretty crazy but I have never attended a Chippy fishing session. I was elated when Luke, the fishing director, called me on the walkie talkie to head down to the fishing docks. We had an awesome group on the fishing boat as we headed to the dam after which our lake is named. Jolie W, Sasha G, Chloe B, Sadie G, Ali C, Sophie S and Maddy S were the perfect fishing companions. Together we learned the safety rules of fishing, how to rip & hook a worm and how to cast our lines. Luke and Dori reminded us that patience is essential and that we should enjoy the serenity and beauty of the lake we live on. I have always known that fishing is an incredibly popular activity at CRC, but it wasn’t until I got to experience it first hand that I came to realize just how wonderful it truly is to be out on the pontoon boat waiting for a fish to bite.

4. Lakeview left for their trip to Madeline Island yesterday. All reports and pictures have confirmed that they are enjoying every second of their final camping trip as campers. They celebrated Ally S’s birthday with pizza yesterday and today enjoyed some stand-up-paddle boarding and yoga. We have missed them but are glad they are having such a good time. They will be back tomorrow just in time for our inter-camp with Marimeta!

5. Second Session Pirate Night was the big program tonight. We decided to implement a few new twists to this already popular event. Campers got invitations to Pirate Night in the mail today and the invitation indicated what color each cabin should dress in. Once called to the theater, the rules were explained per usual. Then the plot twisted…Sophie and I let the theater know that unfortunately, the boys who are typically the pirates had already left for their night out. Many campers were disappointed but we got everyone to the beach volleyball court for an “alternate activity.” Once down by the lake, we saw a pirate ship coming towards camp. All of the male staff were dressed as pirates and as they arrived at camp, cabins got together and ran away from the pirates. Cabins collected flags and searched for clues to find the buried treasure all while trying not to get caught by the pirates. It was an amazing night that ended with Cactus winning a tubing party during rest hour!

And there you have it- those are the highlights from today. It was just one of those days that campers and staff alike had high spirits and were happy to be spending their time at the most special place on the planet. It has been so cool to see how second session campers are already acclimating to CRC and jumping into camp life with an open mind and heart! Alright- have a wonderful evening…thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari