Archive for May, 2010

… really, really beautiful. It’s inspirational just walking down the road here at Farm and Wilderness. The new growth makes a cathedral roof of chartreuse above you, while the sun filters in from every direction.

I can’t wait for summer.

As I wait, I am thrilled to hear of returning campers counting the days until camp begins and also eager to communicate with new parents and campers and let them know how focused we are on getting to that place where camp feels like a home away from home. Time tends to work a little differently here at camp, so don’t be surprised if that happens in less time than you think!

Staff will be arriving for training on June 11th so the next few weeks are great times for this year’s campers and parents to contact me.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Blue Skies!

… a bit of a blur! Systems, systems, systems. My Outlook calendar looks like weird wallpaper this month.

It’s time to start taking advantage of the longer days. All the information from the March American Camping Association conference needs to be revisited and adapted so that it’s fully incorporated into camp.

For any returning camper reading this, don’t think I am going to change everything around on you! Most of these improvements have do with everything that happens behind the scenes so that camp runs smoothly and everyone communicates well and gets what they need.

Timberlake will always be about simple living, but it never hurts to have an extra rain plan up your sleeve!

And that take planning and careful preparation.

Besides, the more detailed the plan, the more fun it is to be spontaneous and change it to better suit the moment.

…. full of buds of green that had everyone excited. A big maple in front of my house displayed that subtle yet majestic shift from it’s Winter to Spring appearance. Laden with little buds, It made one do a double-take.

It didn’t really look different, but something felt different.

The hills, meanwhile, were undergoing a “popcorn” effect; where from one day to the next several trees would suddenly add a puff of bright green to the hillside.

I kept myself busy with extensive interviewing of staff, hiring, and general preparations. I changed and added a few questions this year to focus less on hypothetical situations (“what would you do if…”) and more on specific accomplishments that demonstrated what these staff were capable of. This made for some fascinating interviews. One evening I looked up at the watch and realized I had been on one call for almost two hours!

I am very excited to be working with this year’s staff. They seem in every way as surprising and full of potential and wisdom as that big maple in front of my house…which is saying a lot!