THUNDER BAY – So we’re trying something new for the next few days of camp. Instead of us telling you how great it is, we thought, why not get the campers to do it? So in their own words, get ready for a blog post from the mind of a different camper each day until Friday.
Thanks to Jacklyn Spithoff, a 16-year old camper, who was willing to take the plunge first. Check it out…
By Jacklyn Spithoff
This morning at 8:30 am sharp, we had our first CQ wakeup call of the week, courtesy of Lauren who took it upon herself to sing (or yell?) a song from everyone’s favorite movie Frozen, at the top of her lungs. She even decided that, when one of the boys’ cabins told her to go away, the best option was to continue to serenade them from their porch.
I actually woke up in time to attempt to not look like a sleepy troll AND make it to breakfast with a few minutes to spare (for anyone who knows me, they know this a near impossible feat-Sachi, my Companion, was surprised, too. Mom and Dad, I hope you see this and agree!). With our bellies full of bacon, eggs, and potatoes, we set off to our first adventure of the day-yoga under the gazebo with Samantha Barrow. We stretched and pulled our bodies in ways that personally I don’t think humans are supposed to bend–that is, unless you’re my Companion, Sachi, who taught us some pretty cool moves in Acro Yoga. I mean, she sat on my feet while my legs were sticking straight up in the air. How cool is that?
Our next fun activity for today was our scavenger hunt. We all participated in groups with our cabinmates. We had to make a puzzle, find an object that started with each letter of the alphabet, sing the alphabet BACKWARDS (if you haven’t tried it I recommend it, it’s pretty funny), and play “over under” in order of our birthdays. Not to brag, but my team (Cabin 4) won by a longshot. Great work, ladies!
Next we all filed into the cafeteria and ate a hearty meal of Mac and Cheese and meatballs. Mac and Cheese is the favourite meal of one of my friends Neave, who (understandably) chose a trip overseas over Camp Quality. We all miss you Neave and hope you’re having a super time!
After lunch was my personal favourite activity, and I guarantee I’m not alone when I say that “toes up time” ROCKS. We had some time to just chill and relax after a busy day and an early morning. Since our picture day was after toes up, our nap was cut by a half an hour☹ We went through our normal routine of camper/companion shots, individuals (my least favourite), and our traditional group shot courtesy of Alan Dickson (not to forget Dave, our videographer). While we were each waiting for our turn, we got to learn more about nature with the Let’s Talk Science crew.
Our next fun activity was fishing with the Thunder Bay Police Association, but unfortunately fishing is not quite my thing, so I hung back and made some crafts. I made a new dinner plate and it was actually quite a cool project.
Once the rain finally held off a little bit, the police challenged us to our annual game of soccer: CQ vs the Thunder Bay Police Association. As per usual, we crushed the police, especially since we had our tiny little rising soccer star, Denver. The game was intense, I must say.
At 6pm, we returned back to camp for a wonderful barbecue dinner cooked by our police friends: smokies, hamburgers, and Mac and Cheese. There was a catch to this dinner, however-since the police were joining us, we did something relating to the “police theme”. Each camper and companion pair had to eat dinner with one hand cuffed to one of the other’s hands! Some gave up pretty quickly, but Sachi and I stuck it out until all of our dinner was gone.
After dinner, we did our cabin photos for the log book. We invited our newest camper, Dustyn, into our cabin photo. He acted as the “ladies man”, and didn’t seem to complain! Many of us then got our game on with a “Spot It!” tournament.
The object of the game was to flip two cards over at the same time and spot the object that appeared on both cards. If your team pointed it out first, you got the cards and the team with the most cards at the end of the game won. The winner is to be announced tomorrow morning at breakfast…I’m not sure Sachi and I have a chance at that prize!
Next we had an optional activity, a memorial gathering to honour and remember the campers and people in our lives that we have lost. The gathering was held in the “place of solitude” down by the beach, a space we created several years ago, where we silently reflected and listened to a song.
And finally as the nonexistent sun started to go down, many went to sit by the campfire and have banana boats and snow cones, but not me. My Companion and I decided a shower was necessary, and then it was time to report to the Craft Shack and write the blog for today to show everyone how much fun we are having at camp. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, and an earlier wakeup call, again done by Lauren….we can’t wait to hear what song she’ll choose to perform tomorrow! We are heading to town early to do some fun activities…but you’ll hear all about it tomorrow! Stay tuned!
