Monday, August 23, 2010

Summer 2010 is wrapping up

We were sad to say goodbye to so many camp friends last week, but have taken advantage of the intimate group size we have left. With fewer campers we've been able to do some special activities including all of the cabin boys visiting Ramsbottom (Danny's cabin) for a rest hour story time. Meal lines also move quicker; something we were especially thankful for during international rotation when we enjoyed Indian and Irish themed dinners.

The international theme continued into evening activity on Wednesday when campers were able to journey around camp visiting different booths representing numerous different countries around the world. The Colombia table displayed some home made jewelry, the Italy station taught a few words in Italian and we learned how to write our names in Hebrew at another booth. Tea was made available in the Turkish tent, Dominican and German breads were sampled and at the Ireland booth there was a potato peeling contest. Out on the sports field we practiced our Aussie Rules Football technique and back on the deck we waited patiently for our very own henna tattoos. There were more countries to visit than those mentioned here; be sure to ask your camper about his/her favorite.

In addition to the international evening activity this week also brought us another Big Living Unit Night, small living unit night (bunk night), Hot Rodicus Supersonicus (a legendary camp game of gargoyle themed hide and seek), the Variety Show and Return the Flag. The variety show brought us diabolo skills, gymnastics, guitar and piano solos, dance numbers and even stand up comedy. You may be wondering what Return the Flag is. Well, on Friday we surprised the campers with a backwards day. Upon waking up we began the day with dinner and continued on to evening activity. Instead of capture the flag each camper had a flag they had to return to the other side without being tagged. The day continued on it's backwards schedule until we ended the day with morning meeting.

Festivities continued into the weekend with Sunday morning meeting in the Red Pine Forest and Windstock Sunday afternoon activity. A rainy afternoon, the atmosphere was set for a laid back, chill afternoon of music, jewelry making, tie dye, hacky sack, and face painting. With only a few days left today had another unique schedule. Following morning meeting we played ballistic trivia followed by fun hour and an afternoon of choice activities - magical mystery tours to surrounding towns and a hike to pitcher mountain are only a couple of the exciting outings campers are enjoying.

Coming up tomorrow is Paul and Paula Bunyan day - a morning full of lumberjack activities followed by an obstacle course on the sports field. We'll find out who is the best flapjack flipper and which duo is best with the two man saw. The last days of camp sure are packed full of fun activities!

Click here for a link to the most recent round of photos. There are photos from pre-visiting day as well as the last week.

With the end of camp so close we have included a few closing day reminders. Please scroll down for details:

Campers being picked up at camp should be picked up between 9am and 12pm. The New York bus departs at 9am so we encourage parents to wait until 9:15 or so to avoid the bus rush. Most campers are usually picked up by 10 or 10:30. If you’re going to be late please let us know.

The Boston Van is scheduled to drop campers off at 11:30am at the Riverside Station on the Green D line (Newton, MA)

The New York Bus is scheduled to make three drop offs.
-Hartford at 12:00pm – Parking Lot near Motel 6 and McDonald’s
-Mt. Kisco at 1:30 pm – Bedford Rest Area on the Southbound lane of route 684
-NYC at 3:00 pm – 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam
We encourage parents with children on the bus to NYC to call the office around 2pm to ask for an updated arrival time. By then we’ll know if the bus is running early, late or on schedule.

We do our very best to hand back all Lost and Found items to campers before they leave camp, but if you notice something missing when you begin unpacking please send an e-mail to Deidre@WindsorMountain.org and we’ll do our best to get the item(s) shipped home as soon as possible. When picking up your camper from camp or the bus please be sure to collect all their luggage.

If you have any other questions about closing day please call. We've had a wonderful summer and thank you for entrusting your children in our care!

Monday, August 16, 2010

I DO believe in fairies...

We were excited to welcome so many families to camp yesterday. Some arrived to pick up their camper(s) who were departing after two weeks, and others joined us for our visiting day/Theatre Festival activities. After many hugs on the deck and some tears from campers heading home we all gathered in the pine grove for morning meeting. With stomach's eagerly anticipating the noon time brunch we met the 2010 LITs and sang "The Music Condor", "Purple Lilacs", and "Give Yourself to Love". Around noon time we left the pine grove and joined the growing brunch line. With satisfied tummies we settled in for Windsor Mountain's production of "Peter Pan". With limited scenery all eyes were on the campers, the costumes they made in two short weeks, and their performance. The play was performed in a round the actors incorporated audience members and made the entire deck area their stage - Peter even flew down from the bell tower twice! It was a wonderful performance by all; another round of applause to all those involved.

In the week leading up to Visiting Day our video intensive campers put the finishing touches on their video project and our sailors competed in a regatta to signal the end of their sailing intensive session. Some of those sailors have now moved on to teach counselors how to sail! We also enjoyed "Super Happy Fun Day" on Saturday when we scrapped classes for the day. Instead of classes we enjoyed an epic Peter Pan morning meeting in the ropes course (complete with fireworks and flaming arrows) followed by capture the flag: lost boys vs pirates. After lunch was super happy fun afternoon with off campus trips to Pitcher Mountain, Gleason Falls, Echard's farm, Peterborough for an MMT (Magical Mystery Tour), and on campus activities such as AAARRGGGHH (capture the flag on the waterfront). The day came to an end with a cook-out, slideshow and camp fire.

Earlier in the week campers took part in a range of classes including Tree Fort Building, Italian, Card Sharks, Beginning Chinese, Lady Ballers, Quest Behind the Magic, Cuts and Bruises (stage make-up), and Awkward-O-Rama: the Final Chapter. We're starting off this week with Russian around, Beginner Sailing, Tai Chi, How to be English, Gatorball, Hip Hop 101, and WMI Book Club. International Day is scheduled for Wednesday and we're already enjoying internationally themed meals for dinner!

Until next week, click here for photos.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Dunnies, Rock Climbing, and Camp Fires

Give me a D-U-N-N-Y! Give me a D-A-Y!

What's that spell?

DUNNY DAY!

Yesterday brought us beautiful, sunny weather and one of our favorite activities - Dunny Day. Dunny Day is an afternoon at the waterfront filled with swimming, fancy jumping off the dive tower, rope swinging, canoe races, a sailing regatta, an open water distance swim, smoothies, music, face painting, stenciling, and a BBQ. We even brought one of the ping pong tables down to the waterfront this time! As always it was a blast and we're already looking forward to Dunny Days to come.

Before the start of Dunny Day we began Sunday with donuts for breakfast - a special treat. Following breakfast we gathered for our quaker style Sunday morning meeting. We began with a guided meditation followed by thoughtful comments on the topic of gratitude. Some campers expressed thanks to their parents for sending them to camp, others expressed thanks to their fellow campers for making Windsor Mountain a welcoming place where they could be themselves.

Sunday was certainly an eventful day, but there is much more to share about the rest of the week. Since our last update we've captured the flag, sang songs and listened to stories around the campfire, contra danced with the tent unit, searched for our pack leaders in Alpha Wolves, gone down the zipline, explored the local town of Hillsborough, camped out on the big island, and completed an 80's scavenger hunt - all during evening activity! In the mornings we've celebrated Jamaica's independence, been introduced to the story of Peter Pan, learned about Chicken Patties from the LITs, and signed up for more creative, exciting classes. Which classes you ask? Well, some include Canoe Wars, Random Acts of Baking, Archery, Disc Golf, Freakin Batikin, Fun on the Farm, Iron Chef, Risky Business (high ropes), Hard Rock Cafe (off campus climbing trip), Extreme History, Recycled T-Shirts, Post Morning Meeting Challenge, Propaganza, Magical Mystery Tour and Step. Phew! What a selection!?!

There is still more fun to be had this week, but shh the surprise up our sleeves is a secret...

Sunday is Theatre Festival/Visiting Day as well as the final day for many of our campers. Families should arrive at 10:30am. Morning meeting is at 11am, brunch at 12 noon and the Theatre Festival at 1:30pm. If you are picking up your camper on Sunday we welcome and encourage you to stay for the Theatre Festival (which should be finished around 3pm). If you need to pick-up your camper and depart before then please remember to sign them out in the office. If your child is participating in the performance, they will need to be here until the Theatre Festival is complete. Any questions please call 603-478-3166.

We look forward to seeing many of on Sunday. In the meantime, click here for the most recent round of photos.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

A few more photos are posted

Hello again from camp.

In addition to yesterday's photos we've posted another album with a few more pictures.

Some families mentioned problems with the photo linksin the previous post. Links to both albums are below:
August 3rd photo album
August 4th photo album

Enjoy!
The Windsor Mountain Team

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Camp is in full swing!

Only a couple of days have passed since camp began, but there is so much to share.

Click here for the first camp photos. To return to this blog after viewing photos, click on the "back button" of your browser.

After a delicious sphaghetti dinner on Saturday evening campers joined their counselor's for the first program planning of the session. Campers chose from classes including Monkey Business (low ropes course), Nature Mosaics, Beginning Guitar, Spelunking, Fab 5 (swimming lessons), Costume Design, Patchwork Pillows, Pane in the Glass (stained glass), and Trip to India. Following program planning campers headed back to their bunks to get some rest for the first full day of camp.

Sunday morning began with the first morning meeting followed by Big Living Unit time during which each living unit (Dorms, Cabins, and Tent Unit) mingled and got to learn fun facts about their counselors and fellow campers. The rest of the day included more bunk time, a swim at the waterfront and a quick trip to the health center to meet the nurse. In the evening campers gathered as living units and worked together to determine which interesting and zany facts belonged to which counselors. We learned that Danny has roasted marshmallows over lava, Hannah has lived next to 3 US presidents, Erin spent 4 days in Panama with an indigenous counselor making chocolate and Jake and Kerry traveled across the US for 5 weeks together.

Yesterday was the first day of classes which culminated in a Pirates vs Vikings capture the flag game. Always a camp favorite, capture the flag did not disappoint! After dinner this evening campers will enjoy a carnival, and tomorrow night a camp fire. With sunny, warm days and cool evenings perfect for a good night's sleep we're sure to have a fantastic week ahead!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Only a few days left...

Does camp really end on Wednesday? Where did all the time go?

Click here for more camp photos. To return to this blog after viewing photos, click on the "back button" of your browser.

Today has been a Super Day. A Happy Day. A Fun Day. A SUPER HAPPY FUN DAY! With just a few days of camp left we shifted the typical schedule to accommodate extra special activities. After what seemed like a typical start to the day fireworks went off during the ropes course morning meeting and it was soon clear that today would not be a run of the mill day at camp. The morning became a rematch of capture the flag. Siesta became Fiesta and the afternoon was Dunny Day. What is Dunny Day, you might ask. Dunny Day is an afternoon with the entire camp at the waterfront with rope swinging, swimming, boating, face painting, stenciling, a waterfront cook-out and so much more. It is a much anticipated activity and the weather was perfect for an afternoon at the waterfront. We're capping off Super Happy Fun Day with the all camp dance; music is bumping across campus as I type!

Super Happy Fun day comes on the heels of the last small living unit (bunk) night. Last night was surely a memorable night with campers baking pizza, exploring the island, venturing into Hillsborough for a scavenger hunt and ice cream, dressing in costumes, and sleeping at Windswept; a nearby campsite previously home to the Bridges program. Unfortunately the morning was a bit hazy and the sunrise didn't cooperate, but the view is spectacular just the same.

Earlier in the week campers searched for "gargoyles" (counselors) hidden throughout camp and earned points for each pound of gargoyle they carried safely to the basketball court. It is no easy task given that in the game of Hotrodicus Supersonicus gargoyles turn to stone as soon as they are tagged by campers. With teamwork and determination the campers were able to gather enough weight to save camp. Prior to Hotrodicus campers are journeyed around the world during the international day evening activity and learned fun facts about different countries represented at camp. They also completed air band performances and indulged in the artistic talents of fellow campers during Joel's coffee house. It's been an eventful week, and there is even more to come tomorrow with our annual Andy Upton 5 mile road race ending with ice cream!

Because Wednesday is the final day of camp, a few reminders are listed below.

Campers being picked up at camp should be picked up between 9am and 12pm. The New York bus departs at 9am so we encourage parents to wait until 9:15 or so to avoid the bus rush. Most campers are usually picked up by 10 or 10:30. If you’re going to be late please let us know.

The Boston Van is scheduled to drop campers off at 11:30am at the Riverside Station on the Green D line (Newton, MA)

The New York Bus is scheduled to make three drop offs.
-Hartford at 12:00pm – Parking Lot near Motel 6 and McDonald’s
-Mt. Kisco at 1:30 pm – Bedford Rest Area on the Southbound lane of route 684
-NYC at 3:00 pm – 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam
We encourage parents with children on the bus to NYC to call the office around 2pm to ask for an updated arrival time. By then we’ll know if the bus is running early, late or on schedule.

We do our very best to hand back all Lost and Found items to campers before they leave camp, but if you notice something missing when you begin unpacking please send an e-mail to Deidre@WindsorMountain.org and we’ll do our best to get the item(s) shipped home as soon as possible. When picking up your camper from camp or the bus please be sure to collect all their luggage.

If you have any other questions about closing day please call. We've had a wonderful July session and thank you for entrusting your children in our care!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Is it already week three?!?

Click here for photos from the last week To return to this blog after viewing photos, click on the "back button" of your browser.

We had a wonderful Visiting Day yesterday and enjoyed opening campus to so many families, friends and siblings. Everyone basked in the sunshine and appreciated the occasional breeze that would pass through campus. Festival performances from the A Capella group, reggae band, step class, air band, and others kept the audience entertained before many campers enjoyed the afternoon off campus with family and friends. We even had an impromptu whole camp dance party last night before bed! After a busy day we were happy to have a delayed wake-up this morning followed by a Sunday-style morning meeting with a friendship theme.

If you were able to join us for visiting day you saw first hand some of the activities campers have been participating in and the finished products from some of our art classes. During week two campers participated in classes including Isn't it Organic, The Sandlot (baseball), Paper making, Canoeing, Jam Band, Jog with me, Outdoor Cooking, Puppet High Tea, West African Dancing and Paper Mache bowls. A few trips off campus have taken our LITs (Leaders In Training) to Vermont where they did some community service and explored Burlington, a green team class to a local farm, and our international campers to Boston where they were able to walk along the harbor, cool off in a fountain (be sure to look for photos) and explore Faneuil Hall.

In the evenings campers have kept busy with activities including a "who-done-it" mystery adventure, camp fires, Jabborwocky (a two-headed camp legend which campers defeated with team work)and bunk nights. On Wednesday each large living unit participated in their own activity. The Tent Unit had a hunger banquet, the cabin boys played Gatorball (a Windsor Mountain original sport combining the rules of many more traditional sports), and the dorm girls had a spa night. A variety of activities indeed!

In the next week we look forward to hosting an open water swim meet for some of our campers and kids from the local YMCA (this afternoon) and international day - complete with internationally themed meals.

A quick reminder for parents who are picking their children up on July 22 - please plan to be at camp around 9:30am. Morning meeting ends around that time and you'll be able to meet your camper(s) on the deck and then collect their luggage.

Looking forward to week three!