Juliana and Fleming Kelliher enjoy the Illahee movies in Alexandria.

The Camp Illahee road show ended just before Thanksgiving.  Illahee alumnae and year-rounders Kris Campbell and Caroline Warren journeyed to Northern VA and were hosted by alumnae along the way.  For a bird’s eye view of the trip, check out their vimeo movie filmed with Caroline’s iphone: Kris and Caroline\’s Trip to the Big City  They were hosted in Norfolk, VA by Kathy Bell Finney whose daughter Ann Gordon is a six year July session girl following in her mama’s footsteps. Kathy loves the fact that Ann Gordon, now in high school keeps up with camp friends during the year and even sees them at field hockey games.  In Fairfax, VA they stayed with alumna Rosie Cannon Haney who Gordon and I met at our first Illahee reunion in May 2004.  A Federal Washington DC prosecutor by day, Rosie has applied stellar photography skills helping with camper photos for the past seven summers while daughter Ellie has been a camper. If you have a July session daughter, you can thank Rosie for many of the fabulous daily photos she has taken.  She also has her own yellow lab, Tilly, who could be Liza and Newton’s sister.

Juliana Fleming Kelliher graciously opened her doors in Alexandria where she has been talking up Illahee since daughter Fleming attended last summer.  A native of Houston, TX, Juliana attended camp from 1981 through ’83 with Houston friends- sisters Holly King Hamel and Tavenner King Rogers and their cousins Wandy Brewer Hughes and Clare Chapoton Anderson…..Wandy and Holly are still in Houston, but with Tavenner in London and Juliana in Alexandria, camp has been a way that they have all reconnected as their own daughters now attend the Mini 2 session together.  Clare’s daughter, Sally, is too young for camp but will be ready to enroll soon!

My own last two camp shows were closer to home.  Gordon and I were hosted by Frank and Elizabeth Tindall (directors 1986-2002) in Asheville and did a “joint show” with Falling Creek Camp where Frank is currently a director.  Reconnecting with Frank and Elizabeth is always fun and we’ve enjoyed seeing more of them this fall as our daughters Carter and Gardner have become fast friends enjoying their freshman year at Wofford College.  Two days after the Asheville reunion I was in Shelby, NC at Cassie Luce Plaster’s home.  I wrote about her last year as she was a camper, counselor and after graduating from Converse College, even served a period as the Tindall’s nanny.  Now Cassie has her own July session girl, Carter Plaster, and her older son is a Falling Creek camper.

It’s nice to be close to home during the holiday season.  We are building a Christmas float this afternoon and are entering Saturday’s Brevard Christmas parade.  We plan to paint out on the Pinecrest driveway and have the staple guns and butcher paper ready to go.  I’m kind of envisioning a final night type of production but on a smaller scale!  Stay tuned for more news and our parade details, coming up soon!  Until then, dec’ the halls!

Carter Tindall and Gardner Strayhorn, friends since they were toddlers, are freshmen at Wofford College. They join their parents Frank and Elizabeth Tindall, former Illahee directors, and Gordon and Laurie Strayhorn, after a recent Camp Illahee movie showing in Asheville.

Rosie and Ellie Haney are always terrific hostess in DC!

Ann Gordon and Lily Damgard enjoy seeing each other on the sport's field.

Ann Gordon and Claudia Eck following the Collegiate vs. Norfolk Academy Field Hockey Game.