Y Camp?

Sunset on Silver Lake - Copyright Ann Burlingham @ Flickr

Because you can…

Today Lil’ Miss 20 Prospect left for her first over night summer camp. She was both nervous and excited to be going, but I am certain she will have a wonderful time. I know this because we have rented a cabin across the lake, and we will be monitoring the situation with high powered binoculars.

I kid. I’m a kidder. We will not be staying across the lake. Actually the camp provides webcams now, and GPS tracking devices for parents to monitor the situation and be certain their little princesses are safe and secure.

Kidding again. Actually, we pretty much just drop her off with a sleeping bag, and some bug dope and hope for the best. I trust that the counselors will come through with a sufficiently scary story tonight to scare the bejeebers out of her, if the remote woodsy noises don’t. With the bear and wolf population extending their range each year, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they lose a few campers. Not to worry. Lil’ Miss 20P is a fast runner. It’s good that kids learn these lessons at a young age. In Girl Scouts there are the quick, and the dead.

All kidding aside. It is a bittersweet moment. I have fond memories of my summers at Camp Hough on Silver Lake. It’s been a long time, but I can remember very clearly the old wooden cabins without window screens, the hordes of sand flies swarming the lights around the bathroom at night, the raspberry bushes up on chapel hill, and the daily competitions between the Seneca (odd # cabins) and the Iroquois (even # cabins) In 3 years I don’t think we ever won at capture the flag. Damn Senecas. “Find the counselors” was always my favorite, as it pitted us kids against the wily teenage custodians. Hard to believe our parents trusted us with such long haired, dope smoking, products of the late 70’s. (kidding, I kid, I’m a kidder) But back then, that was how it was done. Heck, we didn’t even have sunscreen! Oh, the horror!

Before long it will be college that we will be taking her off to. I don’t intend to be a helicopter parent then, anymore than I am one now. She’s a good kid, and she makes good choices. Each year we widen the circle of responsibility a little farther to let her experience the consequences of her own choices and actions. At some point she will disappoint us. I’d be disappointed if she didn’t 😉 I just hope she learns her lessons on the little stuff, not the big stuff that comes when she really is outside of our protection.

But this week, it’s all about the fun. The sun, the dirt, the bugs, the itch weed, and making memories that don’t include Mom, Dad & Brother. The first few steps into a life of her own making. Sniff, sniff.

Now, let’s end it with a song shall we?

There is a camp on silver lake,
SILVER LAKE!
Where boys are boys and no mistake,
NO MISTAKE!
From morning dip to campfire fun,
we always keep right on the run,
RUN! RUN!

Oh, you, should see us when we eat
WHEN WE EAT!
We must be hollow too our feet
TO OUR FEET!

Aroo, aroo my boys aroo, aroo, aroo
Do we know how to sing, we do
YES WE DO!
So sing way out, because we love to sing,
Until we make the echos ring
RING! RING!

Dramatic Sunset over Silver Lake NY - copyright Pete Wilson @ Flickr