The Recreation Hall/Last Day Of Camp

Hello future readers,

During free time here at camp, we all really like the rec hall. It's right next to the dining hall, and has a lot of groovy things to do. It's almost like a community center, or a Boys and Girls Club, but camp style. Do you have those in the future?

Lisa and Robyn play "Hungry Hungry Hippos". It's a really fun game, but it's so noisy!

Wendy and Jennifer are playing a game of darts. Jennifer's pretty good at this game. She plays with her dad a lot at home.

Stephanie and Cheryl play a game of "Connect Four". This is a favorite game with all my friends. We really love the commercial when a brother and sister are playing together. She wins by connecting four diagonally, and the brother says, "Pretty sneaky, sis." Haha!

Raychel and I are playing Ping-Pong. She's beating the pants...umm...I mean shorts off of me! She's winning her second straight game! I curse the day her older brother Randy taught her how to play!

Susan, Sunny and April are in the "Cozy Corner" having a rap session. I wonder what they're talking about? Probably about the dynamite time we've all had here at Camp Echo Hill.

Well, future readers, this is my last entry about camp. This is our last day, and tomorrow we're back on the bus to Springfield. I'm really gonna miss camp. I've had such an outta site time and learned lotsa new things!

I'm really gonna miss Cheryl. She's the only one who's not going back to Springfield with the rest of us. We've become really good friends these past 2 weeks.

She says she can't give me her address and phone number, because her family is moving soon. So I give her my number and address, and make her pinky swear to write to me, and maybe call some time.

Camp has been a groove, but it'll be good to get back to my mom and Boomer, I've really missed them. But y'know, my mom was right. I've been so busy have such a good time, that even though I missed home, I wasn't homesick or anything.  So the next time you hear from me, future readers, I'll be back in good ole' Springfield.

Until then,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Let's Play Some Field Games!

Hello future readers!

Another really fun part of camp is playing field games. It's sorta like gym class at school, only better! We have to wear our bandannas, (one color for each team), and meet in the field by the dining hall.

One game we like to play is Red Rover. "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Cheryl right over!" Can Cheryl break the chain?

Relay races are a lot of fun too! Stephanie can run really fast!

One of my all-time favorite games is Tug-of-War. Even though my hands are really sore afterwards, it's a lot of fun.  It's the Red Robins versus the Blue Jays! Who will win?

Lisa's rooting for the Blue Jays, and Susan's rooting for our side. It's pretty close!

Yippee! We did it! The Red Robins win! Far out!

Victory is groovy...but man, does it hurt! Ouch!

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Fun at the Campfire

Hello future readers,

Every night, here at camp, I look forward to Campfire time. Since it's still summer, it really isn't good and dark until 9p.m. Then we all get bundled into our jackets, and put on our bandannas and meet at the campfire site near the hiking trail. Sometimes, Kerry, or one of the other counselors have announcements. Then we all chant "Announcements, announcements, announcements! That's a heckuva way to end our day, announcements!" (we only get to do that ONCE!). Sometimes, we tell ghost stories. Once, we had talent night, and last night we played "Pass The Story". Tonight, Kerry brought out her guitar so we could sing! I love camp songs!

One of my favorite songs is "Oooh Motty Wa", because we get to compete to see which cabin can sing it the loudest! It's a call and response song, so Kerry sings the lines and we all repeat them (loudly)! It goes:

"Oooh Motty Wa-ha! Oooh Motty Wa-ha!
Who do they talk about? Who do they talk about?
The Mighty (cabin's name here*)! The Mighty (cabin's name here*)!
So So sisters! So So sisters!
Don't you know that they go Don't you know that they go
Up on the mountain? Up on the mountain?
*Together* Go go go! Go Mighty (cabin's name*)
(repeat twice)
Go go go go go go go! WOOOO!"
(**Red Robins, Blue Jays, Yellow Canaries)

Whoever sings the loudest gets to pick the next song. Tonight it was the Blue Jays. They chose "Three Jolly Fishermen". After we were done singing, Kerry said we could make Jiffy Pop over the fire, and toast marshmallows for S'mores. In case there aren't any S'mores in the future, it's toasted marshmallows and chocolate in between 2 graham crackers. It's super yummy!

Sunny doesn't like graham crackers, so she just eats a chocolate bar.

After a while, it's time to go back to our cabins, so Kerry plays "Taps".

"Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hill, from the sky,
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh."

Good night, future readers!
Until next time,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Rest period

Hello future readers,

Here at Camp Echo Hill, we have to have rest period for one hour every day. Sometimes, it's a drag, because we'd rather be doing the things that makes camp fun, but other times, we really need it, because we're so busy doing all of these fun activities, we're wiped out! During rest period, it's the rule that we must stay on our bunks and actually rest. We can do quiet things, and we're really not supposed to be talking a lot. Since I brought my tape recorder, Kerry let's me play it low during rest period, as long as we don't sing, dance, or cause a 4-alarm ruckus!

Today during rest period, I'm coloring in my Partridge Family coloring book. I'm sure glad I brought  it with me along with my crayons. If I can't watch David Cassidy on TV this week, at least I can listen to him sing and color his dreamy face! *sigh*

Sunny borrowed Stephanie's copy of Dynamite magazine. Stephanie's lucky because she has a subscription, and doesn't have to wait for book order time at school to get one. Sunny really likes the Count Morbida Puzzle Pages and the Bummers page.

Cheryl is writing a letter to her folks. She says she's gonna tell them about all the great friends she's made and all the groovy stuff we're doing here at camp. I'm so glad she isn't nervous anymore about being the new kid.

 

After rest period, is free time today. Maybe we'll head over to the rec hall and play some games or something. That's all for now future readers.

Until next time,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Rafting on the Lake

Hello future readers,

Today Kerry told us we were going rafting. I was excited, but a little nervous, too. I'm a good swimmer, but the only boats I have ever been on, someone else was doing the steering! What if I dropped my oar into the water? What if I got so confused that I couldn't get back to shore, and someone else had to bring me in? That would be embarrassing!

Well, Kerry asked us to meet her at the lake by the dock. Sunny, Cheryl and I walked down there and found Stephanie wearing a life jacket and talking to Kerry.

The rest of Blue Jays (Stephanie's cabin) had gone on a hike, but Stephanie had a blister on her foot, so she asked Kerry if she could join us instead. Kerry told her that was fine. Outta site! Then Kerry gave us each a life jacket and explained about how to use the oar, and to paddle nice and easy and not splash and thrash too much. I hope I can remember how to do it when it's my turn!

There was only 1 raft, so we had to take turns. Cheryl was first.

She made it look so easy! Sunny was next.

She knew how worried I was. When she got out, she told me it was a cinch, and she knew I could do it. I didn't know about that. Then it was Stephanie's turn.

She told me how much fun it was! I felt a little better, but I was still scared. But my friends did it and no one dropped their oar or got stuck in the middle of the lake.  When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and got into the raft. I took one more deep breath and started paddling. I remembered what Kerry said, and did everything right! After a while, I relaxed and started to enjoy it! Rafting was really groovy!

I was really proud of myself! When I got out, Sunny gave my hand a little squeeze, and told me she knew I could do it! I'll bet even folks in the future get scared of things sometimes. But isn't it cool when you don't let your fear hold you back and find your brave side?

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

It's Arts and Crafts Time!

Hello future readers,

One of the things I like best about camp is doing arts and crafts. For 2 hours everyday in the craft cabin, they have 2 or 3 tables set up with different things to work on, and you can sign up to have a turn at the pottery wheel. You can choose to do all of the crafts, or just one if you like. It's really far out!

Today I'm at the woodworking table. I'm making a treasure box out of ice-cream sticks for Miss LaSalle for her desk at school. Wendy and Jennifer are putting together flowers out of wood shapes, while they're waiting for me to finish with the glue.

Over at the macrame' table, Robyn and April are making friendship bracelets with cardboard looms, (they've finished 6 already!) while Lisa is showing off the "Ojo de Dios" (God's Eye) she just finished.

It's Cheryl's turn at the pottery wheel. I can hardly wait until it's my turn. It looks like so much fun! I wonder what she's making?

Making stuff is really groovy! I'm gonna need more room in my knapsack to carry all my crafts home! I hope people are artistic in the future, it's so much fun!

Until next time future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman