Playin' around at camp

Hello Highlands fans! Where is the time going?! Only 11 more days left of camp. I’m on the countdown big time this year because, like you, I’m missing my own campers. While our daughter’s camp doesn’t post photos, I’ve been able to catch a glimpse or two of my kid over there and while it makes me miss her even more, I see how TAN and HAPPY she is. I can’t wait to hear about her time away. I’m happy to report her homesick letters (the ones where she begged us to “GET HER OWT!!”) have subsided and she admitted at visiting day that she “had kind of forgotten about us.” I consider that success!
This weekend was big in the life of Highlands. We turned 110 on Saturday. I feel like we are looking pretty youthful and spry given our ripe old age! We celebrated in traditional Highlands style, with the Steeplechase on Saturday morning. At 7:30 a.m. instead of being woken by the bugle, instead, campers were roused from their beds by the crazy Army/Navy staff entrances. You’ll see photos of this nonsense (staffers sitting on the hoods of cars, the mom in me does NOT approve). But the kids LOVE this. There’s music blaring and it’s a great way to kick off the fun that then ensues.
As you know camp is divided into two teams, Army and Navy and they competed in countess events. Each boy participated in at least one leg of the race, and often two. These events ranged from jumping off the towers into hula hoops, to dribbling a soccer ball around cones, to kayaking around Five Pines island, to casting a fishing line into a spot in the lake. It is my favorite day at camp. And while the weather left much (VERY) to be desired, that didn’t stop the boys from having a GREAT time. The highlights of the race are the water boil and the baker tent race This year, the teams were neck in neck until the very last event, which was the long kayak race around Five Pines . Woah. It was crazy! Two second generation Highlands men competed, Trey Taylor and Reed Altorfer. While Kent had the lead early in the race, Reed must have paced himself, because he pulled it out for a Navy victory. His prize? A kiss from the Lady of the Lake. (Just ask your boys for an explanation.)
The fun didn’t stop there. Camp was treated to the senior carnival in the afternoon and a picnic supper and Games on the Hill.
This is a week where many of our oldest campers are out of camp. They have headed off on their big trips to Pictured Rocks, Boundary Waters, sailing in Lake Superior and kayaking north woods waterways, among others. It sort of changes the vibe in camp and lets us act a little smaller. Tonight we’ll be treated to the music of Jim DiDomenico, lead singer of Underwater People, and we’ll roast marshmallows and have a big old dance party! Tomorrow is Division Day and the Juniors will head out of camp to play laser tag and picnic on a local lake. That’s a lot of fun.
Speaking of fun, your boys are having lots of it. I had the rare moment of just hangin’ out on Junior Hill yesterday, soaking up the sun and watching our young teens play giant jenga (again, thank you to our craft instructor, Becky D.), goof around with some funny balloons that make totally inappropriate noises when you let the air out of them, and throw a Nerf football around. It’s amazing what boys will do when left to their own devices on a sunny afternoon for an hour or so. In the incredibly scheduled times in which we live, I think the few unstructured moments at camp are so good for our boys. I believe in these moments of freedom is where real creativity and growth can happen. I saw boys share, laugh, play and lollygag. In the wise words of Snow Nothdurft, “How lucky we are.”
Keep those postcards and letters coming. It’s not the packages that the boys love so much, but instead the excitement of something real in the mailbox. They check it every day (sometimes 16 times a day). Tomorrow the real zoom-time begins.
And on that note…

This weather. It brings a tear to my eye. I hate to brag, because I know many of you have been hot and sweaty all summer. But this day. It is perfect. It’s great for the boys who are out finishing up earning their ACs (achievement credits). Activities are open, which means your boys get to pick where they go.
History was made this morning. Elsworth the moose, who proudly hangs over the kitchen doors in the dining room, spoke to us after a 25+ year nap. He made an announcement about the 1st annual Elsworth Pine Wood Derby which will take place on Thursday. And then he led us in a cheer. It was awesome. Only at camp, folks!
This week is so fun. Tomorrow we’ll have the Top Shot competition at riflery, and a Wacky Canoe race. Thursday is the Art Show and the Derby Race. Add that to a final Division Day (Cubbies go into town to Jim Peck’s zoo, a picnic at Clear Lake and then lumberjack show), Seniors Dream Burger picnic, Stunt Night, Kerchiefs and the Banquet – and you’ve got the recipe for awesomeness.
It’s a fun week, but bittersweet. The wind has shifted, there is a crispness in the air. The nights get down into the 50s. It all means this summer of fun and self-discovery, challenge and friendship, is growing to a close. I just don’t know how I feel about that!
And on that note…
I ❤ CH // tracy b.

Ten actual camping days of the summer left. 11 if you are a stickler, but that last day of camp doesn’t really count since the busses pull out and the last camper is gone by 9 a.m. on Saturday August 11. I can’t believe it! Time flies when you’re having *this much* fun!

So what are the guys up to today? Well, after a breakfast of pancakes and a yogurt bar, they were out tearing up the fields and the waters enjoying the most amazing temperatures. Last night was cool, I found myself getting really snuggled under the covers around 4 a.m. (It was hard to drag myself out of bed at 5:30 for a run…ugh!) and this morning  has just been lovely. They keep saying highs in the high 80s, but I’m just not seeing it. A calm, glassy lake is calling the skiers and wake boarders among us! Cabins11, 25, 10, 1 and 2 are all getting pulled behind a ski boat today. And wouldn’t you love to be in a canoe on this lake (right)? Cabins 12, 13, 15, 21, and 3-7 (remember lots of guys are on trips) are all going to be working on their J-strokes and rudders today. Cabins 25, 13, 24, 9 and 11 will be embracing their inner Katniss at Archery. Sailing the balmy waters of Plum today are cabins 1-4, 8, 12, 16 and 18 (believe it or not, there is a decent breeze). Cabins 23 and 8 are fishing, and 24, 9, 10, 25 and 17 are all chasing a ball around at soccer. And that doesn’t even count the guys at adventure, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, kayaking, riflery, skin diving or track! Man, I wish I was a camper.
At lunch we’ll be dining on oven roasted pork, corn soufflé, mashed potatoes, tomato, onion and cucumber salad and cream puffs for dessert. Y.U.M. And if that isn’t delicious enough, the guys will have tater tot casserole (a camper favorite) for supper.
And on that note…

As we ease into the home stretch of Camp, the guys are out enjoying activities, making the most of their free time and really solidifying friendships. These last two weeks of camp are bittersweet. But we really try and savor each moment from here on out. There’s an incredible wind coming up from the south, warm and lovely.
Our oldest campers all go on a “big trip” at Highlands, and there are lots of guys coming in and out in the coming days. The first hiking trip to Pictured Rocks left yesterday, and the first of two sailing trips on Lake Superior and the canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota leave today. Our tripping program has a long history at Highlands, in fact you can read more about it on the Camp Highlands Archives. Each division has a trip that’s geared toward the age group. The Cubs go on an overnight, the Colts have a three day canoe trip and the Juniors take a three or four day hiking trip. By the time a boy is a Senior, he gets to chose from several amazing trips we offer. This year we’ve introduced *another* awesome trip – kayaking on the Namekagon River in northwest Wisconsin. Jealous!
There’s an easiness about the days right now. A good portion of the older guys are out of camp, so the little guys have extra opportunities at skiing, shooting at riflery, and more. They rule camp right now!
Today’s menu doesn’t disappoint! Lasagna for lunch and soup and sandwiches for supper. Stay tuned in the coming days for a great interview with head chef Lois Craig who’s been keeping our bellies full for 24 summers. Now that is a legacy!
Remember, camp is over on Saturday August 11 at 9:00 am. If you haven’t notified us of your plans for your son’s travel home, please let us know. If you have any questions about the Final Banquet, check out Andy’s information about the end of the term.
And on that note…
I ❤ CH // tracy b.

As a mother of a not-so-sportsy kid, I enter each summer with a little trepidation. J is a great kid, of course, but he doesn’t long to toss the ball around the back yard at the end of the day. He rides his bike. Plays the piano. He’s a really good drawer. Here we are at Highlands, where the guys are out playing basketball and baseball and lacrosse. Soccer, football, tennis. Not his thing. We are now in *his* 7th week here at camp. Our summers are a little different than most campers. We get here two weeks before camp starts, and we stay after camp ends. It has the potential to get….long. I worry. Has the magic worn off?
Yesterday he tracked me down. All smiles. “Mom, I dropped a ski. I couldn’t get my foot in the binding, but I was so close!” Seconds later, Ross walked by and said, “This kid! His hitting has improved SO much! He really worked hard on his swing AC and he was making great contact with the ball.” J was beaming. I got that prideful, swelley, prickly teary-eyed feeling. It wasn’t that I was so happy he’d hit the ball. It was seeing the look of accomplishment on his face. It was seeing this kid who can get down on himself for not being good at shooting hoops experience a true sense of pride.
He has been working on that ski drop all summer. He’s been encouraged to keep plugging away at ACs in baseball. At summer camp at Highlands, the structures are in place for him to stick with things. He’s got a huge network of guys, both staff and campers, encouraging him to set goals, work hard and make progress. All that, and he has time. Real time to improve. Time that in our day-to-day in Gainesville – where we are rushing to this, rushing to that, making dinner, doing homework – just doesn’t exist.
Maybe this summer isn’t too long. I’m going to slowly back away from my back-to-school shopping and I’m going to go sit in the boat and watch our campers have their successes, one Achievement Credit at a time. I’m going to watch these guys enjoy every last second of “camp time,” where they don’t rush, they make progress, they improve their skills, they have fun. I’m going to go watch them make small steps toward a better self. I’m going to go watch them be boys.
And on that note…
I ❤ CH // tracy b.
[slideshow elements=”10″] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement10.jpg” caption=”Boys have success in everything from riflery to kayaking.”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement09.jpg” caption=”Adventure is a great place for the younger boys to gain confidence.”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement08.jpg” caption=”Working on ACs in baseball!”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement07.jpg” caption=”Working on ACs in baseball!”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement06.jpg” caption=”Working on ACs in baseball!”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement05.jpg” caption=”Working on ACs in baseball!”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement04.jpg” caption=”Working on ACs in baseball!”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement03.jpg” caption=”Working on ACs in baseball!”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement02.jpg” caption=”…and football!”] [image link=”https://www.camphighlands.com/wp/wp-content/themes/camp-highland-for-boys/images/blog072712/achievement01.jpg”  caption=”…and football!”] [/slideshow]