In The Kitchen With The Campers

Hello future readers,

Some of us thought it would be cool to make some food for our dance that's coming up So me, Shante', Melody and Raychel asked Kerry, and our camp cook, Mrs. Bishop, if we could use the kitchen to bake cookies! So we all got out the ingredients and got busy mixing them together.

Melody kneaded the dough. I love cookie dough! I wanted to eat some, but I wanted the cookies even more, so I didn't take any.

Shante' rolled out the dough nice and smooth.

"I've got the cookie sheets!" Raychel said.

"All right! And I got a cool star cookie cutter", I said. "Let's get busy!" So we all took turns cutting the stars from the cookie dough, (and this time I did snitch a little piece!).

When all the cookies were laid out on the cookie sheets, Mrs. Bishop put them in the oven. (Camp rules, campers aren't allowed to touch the stove or the oven). We cleaned up while we waited 20 minutes for the cookies to be done. Pretty soon the whole dining hall smelled like home baked cookies! At last they were ready! Outta site! It's Cookie Time!

Mrs. Bishop said we could each have one cookie, and that she'd save the rest for the dance. And were they ever good! YUMMY!

I think it's super groovy to bake things in the kitchen, whether it's with my Easy Bake Oven at home, or during the holidays with my mom, or with my good friends here at camp. If people bake in the future, I hope you have as much fun as we did making cookies for our camp dance!

Until next time,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

P.S. This will be my last entry until the dance on the last day of camp. The boys will start putting their entries in a few days. I hope you like them! (And if you don't, please don't blame me!) ~Julie

Ladybugs On A Horse

Hello future readers,

Today the younger campers come to hang out with us older girls. Kerry's little sister Velvet and her friend Mia are in the Ladybugs this year, and Kerry says that 2 of us (me and Jennifer) are supposed to help the little kids with horseback riding. Kerry went to go pick up Cherokee while we waited on the trail with Mia and Velvet.

"Oooh! I'm so excited Julie!", Velvet said, practically jumping up and down.  "I can't wait to meet...what's the horse's name again?"
"His name is Cherokee", I told her.
"Oh yeah."

"I hope he's friendly", Mia said "I don't want him to be like those horses you see on the rodeos on T.V. where they make the cowboys fall down."
"No, he's nothing like that", Jennifer told her. "Cherokee's a big old friendly horse that loves children."
"Oh good!", Mia smiled.

"Look, here comes Kerry and Cherokee!" I said, pointing at the trail.

"Hi girls! Here's Cherokee. I think he really wanted to come and see us. When  I picked him up from the farm, he whinnied  and nuzzled my hand. I think he knew he was coming to our camp today." She knelt down next to Mia and Velvet.
"Now you 2 remember, this is a living creature, not a toy You have to be really gentle and sweet to him. No kicking, or whipping his reins or shouting at him  We have to show Cherokee lots of love if we want to ride him. Do you understand?"
"I understand", said Mia.
"Can we ride him now?" asked Velvet.
"Not quite yet", Kerry answered. "Before anyone rides him, we have to pet him and talk nicely to him so he'll know we're his friends, OK?"
So all of us gathered around Cherokee and stroked him and talked sweetly to him.

"Hi Cherokee!" Velvet said
"Good boy, we missed you, Cherokee." Jennifer told him.
"Hi Cherokee. You gonna be good so we can ride you, huh?" said Mia
"It's good to see you again, fella", I said as I hugged him.

"OK girls' it's time to ride", Kerry said. "Velvet, you're first." She picked Velvet up and put her in the saddle. She was so little her feet couldn't even reach the stirrups.
 "Julie, I want you to take the reins and walk Cherokee to the end of the trail and back here. Remember take it nice and easy. Cherokee's old and we don't want him to tire out too quickly."
"OK Kerry". I made the kissy noise (y'know, like you're calling your dog) and said "Come on Cherokee."

I walked him down the trail nice and easy.
"This is fun", Velvet said. "But can we go faster?"
"No Velvet, you heard what your sister said. He's not a race horse. If he gets too tired, Mia won't get a turn, and that wouldn't be fair."
"Poor old Cherokee", Velvet said as she patted him. "We love you even if you can't go fast."
I got back to where Kerry was waiting with Mia.  Mia's a spunky little kid and sometimes gets too excited. As we walked up, I could hear Kerry tell her. "Now remember what I told you? Be gentle, Mia."
"I will, I promise", said Mia. Kerry lifted Velvet off and put Mia on.
"Jennifer, please do the same thing as Julie. A nice easy pace to the end of the trail and back here."
"Okie dokie", Jennifer said.
So Jennifer walked Mia and Cherokee to the end and back again.

Then it was time to say good-bye. Kerry had to take Cherokee over to the boys' camp for their riding lesson. Rats! I know it's silly, but I wish Cherokee was my horse and I could spend all the time I wanted with him. I only get to see him once a year, and I think about him sometimes. We all took turns saying good-bye.

"Good-bye, Cherokee. Thanks for letting me ride you", Velvet said first.

"You're a good boy, Cherokee.  Be good for the boys camp", Mia told him.

"See ya around, fella", Jennifer said, stroking his blaze.

I walked up and gave Cherokee a big hug. "You're the best horse ever, Cherokee. I hope I can see you again soon."

I hope people still get to ride horses in the future 'Cos if you don't, you're really missing out on one of the grooviest things in life!

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

Bridget Learns To Swim

Hello future readers!

Today some of us went to the lake for a swim. Even though Bridget got a super new swimsuit for camp, she was afraid to use it, 'cos she didn't know how to swim. Kim and I had to talk her into coming with us.

"Come on Bridget, please come with us. I promise I won't let you drown", I said to her.
"I dunno Julie", she said looking behind her off the end of the dock, "That water looks awfully deep."

"It's not that deep by the platform", I told her. "Learning to swim isn't so tough. I could teach you."

"Besides how much fun is it sitting on the sand watching everyone else has fun in the water?", Kim said. "You don't wanna be left out every time all of us go swimming. You'll have lots more fun if you could join us.  Please Bridget?"
"Oh, OK....but I still don't know about this."

So we all walked down to the lake together. Bridget was really scared. Kim and I held her hands as we went into the water. It only comes about up to your chest near the platform, and the gets deeper as you go further out. So we walked all the way to the platform and helped Bridget climb up on it and sit down. Wendy, April and Robyn were already there splashing around and having a ball.
"Watch me dive off into the water, Bridget", Kim said, and she jumped in.

"See? It's a cinch!" Kim called out as she floated past us.

"I can't do that, Julie!", Bridget whispered to me.
"Don't worry about it", I said. "Let's just sit here a while and watch the others."

.

Then I dove in and hung onto the edge of the platform.

"Come on in, Bridget. You can hold onto the platform and we can practice kicking out feet."
She whined a little, but Bridget slid off the end of the platform, held onto the side and I showed her how to kick her feet.

"See that's not so bad", I told her. "Now let's practice kicking on our backs. I'll hold you up."
"Are you sure about this?"
"The water is only chest deep, remember? If I lose my grip on you, just stand up."
"OK."

"OK, back on our tummies again, only this time, hold onto my hands instead of the platform."
"But I'll go under!"
"No you won't. Just pretend I'm the platform and kick your feet like you did before."
I held onto Bridget's hands as she kicked her legs (really hard!), and the slowly I let go.

Her head went under for a minute. I held her hands again.
"Don't let go!" she screamed.
"I have to let go or you won't learn. This time when I let go paddle your arms. You can do it."
"No I can't!"
"Yes you can Bridget. I'm letting go now. Paddle!"
She went under again, and then came up paddling!
"I'm doing it!"
"YAY! Go Bridget!"

She swam around the platform a couple of times. I couldn't believe she learned so fast! She didn't even need a kickboard! I climbed back up on the platform. to watch her swim. Then April said, "Hey look at Bridget! She's floating on her back!"

Wow! She really was! Somehow she got turned over and was floating on her back!
"How does it feel, Bridget?" I called out.
"Outta site!" she called back. "I can really swim! Thanks Julie!"

I was super proud of her! Now Bridget won't be afraid to swim in the lake or go to the pool back home! Summers will never be the same for her! They'll be better! Go Bridget!

Until tomorrow, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Let's Play Some Volleyball!

Hello future readers,

Today Kerry had a surprise for us. She and Doug (the Camp Wilderness counselor) set up a volleyball net on our main field. So some of the Red Robins and the Purple Peacocks decided to play.

We did "Rock Paper Scissors" to see who got first serve. Paper covers rock, and we were paper, so Sunny got the first serve.

Susan hit it back to our side.

All right! Stephanie bopped the ball back over the net.

Score one for Lisa!

"I got it! I got it!"

"Right on, Julie!"

Cheryl got right under my return hit.

And she got it!

By the time the match was over, the Peacocks beat us 4 to 3. But it was a good game and we all had fun.

"Hey guys, let's go up to the Dining Hall for some bug juice and gorp!"
"YAAAAAAY!"

Do kids still play sports like volleyball in the future?  Do you have robots play for you like on "The Lost Saucer"? (that's a Saturday morning TV show) Or maybe you play by computer? Well, I hope you guys still play real sports, 'cos it's so much fun!

Until tomorrow, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman