It’s not easy being a canoe, but it sure is informative.  From my perfectly centered vantage point I can hear and see almost all of camp, and there is a lot to hear.  I can hear (very clearly I might add) the tribal cheers in the dining hall.  I can hear chapel and chorus classes singing beautiful praises, horses snorting at their riders, and tennis teachers coaching their campers.  Camp is so full of happy sounds.

After hearing the girls praise the Lord in chapel this morning, I found that it wasn’t long until I was put to work.  But even with girls paddling me around, I still listened.  I listened to giggles as they learned to hold on to their T-grips, and squeals of joy as they swamped me and swam in Lake Doris.
I could hear girls cheering all the way from the fencing pavilion when Bianca P. got her platinum.  There isn’t a happier sound than girls encouraging each other.  And I loved hearing Jess T and Chapel D sing their way to bronze in chorus!

I missed seeing all the girls on trips today, and there were so many gone! Kathleen W, Hannah B, Sarah B, Isabeau C, Claire C., Ashley C., Grace C., MC C., Olivia Faith D., Eleanor D., Sarah D., Anna F., Emma J., Olivia J., Lagare K., Lauren M., Mairin M., Morgan P., Shannon S., Nicole S., Claire U., and Nathalie W. all went rafting on the Nantahala River today.  Krystal S., Virginia D., Claire D., Madeilene M., Abby V., Hunter S., and Rigby P. all slept out at Newberry Creek last night, but they made it back in time for classes. I heard they had a bit of an issue with the bear bag, due to Sammi throwing like a girl.  I especially missed Sunnyside, who was surprised this morning with an extra hour of sleep and a special trip to Max Patch, and then downtown to Tupelo Honey for dinner.   Katherine B., Ellen B., Chapel D., Isabel F., Addison H., Christine N., Elizabeth A., Adrianna L., Kate F., Katie F., Izzy O., and Katerina B. all went water skiing today and had a blast.

The knitting girls told me they made headbands today, and cooking whipped up some delicious mac & cheese.  Kade D. told me she got her front handspring on the vault in gymnastics today, and kayaking taught T-rescues all day.   Stephanie H. told me that making glue drawings in art was the best part of her day.  Anna B. said she liked free swimming the best.  I got to watch swimming classes do water aerobics classes this afternoon, which was Abby V.’s favorite class today. As I was paddled around the lake, I just soaked up the joy around me.  I listened to the girls chatting above and around me and couldn’t help thinking of how wonderful Camp Merri-Mac is.  There is nowhere I would rather be.

While my day passed in the normal fashion, it did not end that way.  After listening to cabins sing their songs at dinner, Dreams Begin and Dreams End decided to use me for our evening activity, cabin night.  They decided to raid each cabin on senior hill by putting my fellow canoes and me in the middle of the floor.   I guess this is where I’ll spend the night, listening to happy campers snoring, and who knows what the morning will bring.

Mary Page Boyd
Dreams Begin Counselor
Die-hard Iroquois
Merri-Mac girl