Camp Woodland Blog

Have you ever known a kid (or adult for that matter) who was not excited about the possibility of a snow day?!  To go to bed the night before knowing that you had the whole day ahead to play in the snow and do things that you don’t normally get to do?  I have lived in Georgia for the past 5 years, and it is a rare occasion that we even get teased with the thought of a snow day.  This week was a dream come true for many Southerners as schools and places of work were closed for a day (or more) thanks to Winter Storm Leon.  Even though I lived in the “North” once upon a time, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement of having 2 snow days to break up the hum-drum of the last week in January.

While walking my dogs around the neighborhood over the past few days, I loved seeing fewer cars on the roads (since not many people down here know how to drive with white stuff on the ground!) and hearing the bursts of laughter coming from kids playing outside while making snow angels, throwing snowballs, and sledding down our hilly landscape.  I even saw some “grown-ups” (or maybe just several students?) running around a local college campus with very large water guns and having a ball.  One of my neighbors invited me over for dinner and said that it felt like a “holiday” in the middle of the week.

So, what if every day was a snow day?  In my mind, it absolutely can be at camp!  Having played hard all day with the anticipation of waking up to something fun and exciting puts campers to sleep every night.  The bursts of laughter heard while campers are hanging out in the cabin, walking to and from activities, eating meals together, huddling around the campfire, are just a few of things that make each and every day at camp extraordinary and more like a snow day than a regular day.

Will Summer Ever Get Here?! As the US has experienced a polar vortex twice this season, numerous “clippers”, subzero windchills, and below average temperatures, it seems as though summer will NEVER get here!  It is hard to imagine wearing shorts and a t-shirt, let alone a bathing suit for Rec Swim when many of us are donning layers of long underwear, hats, gloves, scarves, and boots, just to try to stay warm.

But, if you are like me, you may have started to notice that the days are starting to get just a little longer (we are already over a month out from the Winter Solstice!).  As you see from the pictures taken on my recent snow day, spring is actually trying to push its way through despite the frigid temps (at least it is in Augusta, GA!).  I have begun to notice little spikes of green line the paths on walks with my dogs every morning, and I even saw some pink buds peeking out through the snow.  On one of the coldest mornings we’ve had all winter, robins were chirping and fluttering about.

For those of you counting down the days until camp, it won’t be too long before summer days in the Northwoods will become a reality.  We are anxiously awaiting your arrival and have been turning up the heat on plans for the “Dare to Explore Summer of 1-4”!  Until then, have yourself a great snow day!