Tree Day and Air Band!

The sounds of screen doors slamming…the occasional squeal, with the loud cacophony of crickets in the background are music to my ears. When I’m old and gray, I hope they have screen doors in the nursing home when they wheel me out into the hallway 🙂 Actually, maybe I won’t be a pain in the … Continued

A Well-Oiled Machine!

Three and a half hours ago, I was wondering whether we were going to have dinner or not. After a beautiful sunny fun-filled day, around 4:30, the skies opened up and a deluge ensued…it was never really windy, but the skies were angry, and there were several “POPS” very close to camp. We practice emergency … Continued

Welcome August Session Campers!

Camp feels more like camp when campers are here. We have some friends who run other camps who take two or three days between sessions…I would lose my “Mo”(mentum) with that long of a break. I just like camp better when it is full of happy, squealing, fun-loving girls. It’s just what we do. Our … Continued

Willy Wonka’s Final Night…and Our’s Too!

The perfect end to a perfect session. There’s part of me that would love for this to go on forever. I think if I could reconcile the sleep thing, I’d be good to go. It’s true…the older I get, the less I need, so maybe in five or ten more years, we’ll just keep these … Continued

Sing Around the Lake and Canoe Formation!

It’s hard not to get a little sentimental during tonight’s evening program, and I was caught off guard tonight when I got a lump in my throat several times during the Slide Show. I have to set the scene cause it’s hard not to picture grandma’s vacation slides when I say, “slide show.” This was … Continued

Merry Christmas…in July!

Sleigh bells were ringing and carols were singing on this balmy summer day in the Carolinas! It was Christmas in July! Reds and greens were the colors of the day and Christmas cheer was every where. Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday…largely because of the strong tradition of family gatherings in our clan.  Christmas has … Continued

Sunday, Sunday…so good to me.

I do know that the Mamas and Papas were singing about Mondays, but today fulfilled my fantasy of what an Illahee Sunday should be. I’ve been whining the last couple of Sundays because we pack so much into each morning…cabin photos…individual portraits…a big Sunday lunch, and a special event afterwards. Then, there’s the cook-out and … Continued

Bingo, Scavengers and Harry Potter!

Here’s a business philosophy that can apply to most situations…if you can, try to say “yes.” That’s something that Laurie and I try to live by running camp, and you’d be surprised at how often we surprise those doing the asking. At first blush, you might think that we’d get taken advantage of…but I guess … Continued

A Blue Ribbon Camp Day!

The temperature was a lot cooler today, and we were back to the lower humidity that mountain weather usually brings. There was a collective sigh of relief from the (gasp!) two days of heat and high humidity that we’ve had. Sorry, flatlanders…I know it’s still hot there. We are settling into camp again with our … Continued

Welcome Mini 2 Campers!

A great big welcome to all of our Mini 2  families! Hopefully, by now you have found a picture of your camper already having a big booming time with her cabinmates. There is a lot that goes on in our photo galleries, and I encourage you to “tag” your camper when you find her. We … Continued