Today there is another snow storm passing by camp. The tall pines are swaying in the strong wind, there’s a chatter of branches that bend and won’t break. With the lake frozen enough to take fishing huts out by snow mobile, it’s hard to believe summer is just a few months away and our overnight sleepaway camp will be in session.

As the trees, land and lake hibernate, we busily prepare ourselves for summer.  Snippets of an email conversation I had with a parent of a nine year old camper today sums it all up as February comes to a close:

“Every night just so you know, we spend time together before bed. Without fail, we begin talking about camp.  I was instructed last night to think up words having to do with camp. I had to say the word and Alex would tell a story or recall some aspect of camp having to do with that word. So I said, ‘bedtime’, and she proceeded to tell me how her counselor would read them stories before turning in and she really liked that. She said it was one of her favorite things -but she says everything was one of her favorite things, So I’m not sure we can pin it down to anything specific!

Later, the parent replied in a separate email: “I was told that tonight I will think up a time of day and she will then tell me what’s happening at camp during that time. Oh, and tomorrow is tee shirt day at school. Can you guess what she’ll be wearing?!

She tells me everything she ever ate for breakfast at camp and every other meal and she tells me all about all the activities she loves and the counselors and the campers. Is it summer yet?”

And, I repeat, is it summer, yet?!?