Fall in Maine

Season of bounty

I truly love living in Maine, mostly because of the distinct change in the seasons.  Remember I grew up in England where 50 and drizzly is the most common year round weather! Each season in Maine has unique offerings and a diversity of outdoor activities that are specific to it.  While the summer and overnight camp is obviously top of my list each other season has it’s own feel and events to look forward to.

img_1736Fall is truly a quick change, from long, warm summer days by the lake to days that become crisp, cool and seem suddenly so much shorter.   Early Saturday soccer matches are often spent wrapped in a fleece blanket to ward off the chill and what would be E.P time at camp is already PJ’s and a book time.

 

lodge-chimney-in-the-fall

There is certainly at this time of year more leisure time in my schedule. I love to be out in the crisp Maine air enjoying a hike or a drive through the foliage.

 

 

One of my favorite Fall rites of passage is to go apple picking.  There are many local orchards and we often go a few times just to make sure that we hit all of our favorites spots.  The bakery at a couple of places is an added incentive.  The picking doesn’t take too long but sorting and figuring out what to make afterwards is often an enjoyable all-day event.  Some apples are designated for eating, we always make plenty of cinnamon apple sauce, apple crisp is a big favorite and then we enjoy scouring Pinterest for random recipes to use up the rest.

I often wish that camp lasted into these late September days so we could share the bounty of Maine with our Runoia family.  Wherever you are I hope that you Fall is fun and filled with quality family time and outdoor fun.

 

Stretching comfort zones

I spent this past weekend at the annual retreat for my women’s chorus.  It was a beautiful Maine weekend and we stayed at a camp by the coast with the typical set up of bunks and group dining.  I have been a member of this group for ten years and enjoy spending time with a diverse group of women whose only true commonality is their love of choral singing.

Team building
Team building

During the two day weekend we were challenged musically, engaged socially and built community together.  For many of the women being away from the comforts of home with a group of people they don’t know all that well is quiet a step out of their comfort zone.  Not unlike the first day of camp at Runoia we played name games, shared details about ourselves that others did not know and worked together in order to break through some of our nervous reservations.

I am always amazed by the outcomes that happen in such a short space of time.  By the second night most of the group had the confidence to participate in the ‘talent’ show and had bonded in a unique way.  It seems that when we can put aside the rigors and familiarities of our everyday lives then we are more able to open ourselves to stretching the boundaries of our comfort zones.

Talent show!
Talent show!

At Runoia we challenge our girls every day to step beyond the safety of their comfort zone.  Even for the adults and regardless of how many summers they have spent on Great Pond they are also stretched and push the limits of their own comfort zone.  A sleep away experience provides us all with an opportunity to grow both individual and as a great part of the whole group.  Seeing what a group of sometimes reluctant to participate middle aged women got out of two days at ‘camp’ reinforced for me how life changing a session at Runoia can be for young girls.

While I am certainly already counting down the days to Runoia 2017 and seeing my summer family again I am glad to have had the opportunity to continue being challenged in a different group which is just as dear to my heart.

Routines and schedules

One of the greatest things I love about being at Camp Runoia all summer long is the routine and schedule! bellYou never have to worry about when or what you are going to eat, laundry goes out and comes back right when you expect it to, you know when to get up and when to go to bed and the ringing of the bell dictates everything in between.

The other really awesome thing about camp when you are the family manager and chauffeur is that no one needs to go anywhere! Sleep away camp gets all of your needs met in one place. Everyone is quite happy and busy, there are no practices or play dates to squeeze in or Birthday parties at the same time in two different directions or grocery shopping to be done.  It is a formal schedule but not a hectic one.  Within the routine and structure at camp there is also plenty of time to take a minute to enjoy someone’s company or stop and pick some blueberries.

blueDon’t get me wrong I have enjoyed the last few weeks of summer, lazing around in PJ’s eating whatever, whenever and being on the relaxed plan for what to do when.  I am now ready to embrace the Fall with the new sometimes hectic schedules, weekend adventures in the beautiful foliage and a routine all of its own.  The days are getting shorter and the nights are definitely chillier but I’m sure before I know it we will be back on Runoia time again.

 

What’s Up After Camp?!

Our Runoia season ended in a whirlwind – the White Team was victorious, the cotillion fire was bright, the “see you laters” and “farewells”, hugs and tears were heavy and overall the memories of the summer are emblazoned in our minds.

What happens after camp? While many families vacation and return home to prepare for  pre-season sports and school, Camp Runoia is still busy with events around the lakes in August.

Weekend One after camp: Runoia alumnae came from far and near to gather by the shores of Great Pond for a celebration of the 110th summer and re-connections and new connections. Some came to see what camp is like now and some came to enjoy the peacefulness and calm, sit by a campfire, read the Logs and sing camp songs.

Singing around the Camp Fire at Runoia's Reunion
Singing around the Camp Fire at Runoia’s Reunion

Others came to fulfill their part of fundraising for the Betty Cobb Campership Fund and make the now famous swim to Oak Island part of their fund raising feather in a (swim)cap.

The Famous Oak Island Swim - now a Campership Fund Raiser!
The Famous Oak Island Swim – now a Campership Fund Raiser!

Weekend Two: Cobb family and friends descend upon camp for a relaxing and fun filled weekend. ’nuff said.

Gathering Before the Race at the Runoia Beach
Family Fun
Family Fun

Weekend Three: The Great Pond Yacht Club holds the annual “Hurricane Cup” at Camp Runoia. Super fun sailing with 15 boats in the race this year.  https://greatpondyachtclub.com/

Weekend Four: Coming up! The Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance will held the 7th annual “Run for the Lakes” From Runoia’s gate. An out and back 5K, professionally timed event. Find your registration info here:

http://www.maine.info/events/running/september.php#3385 or http://www.belgradelakes.org/events.html

Pretty soon it will be pumpkin season around camp. Enjoy the start back to school! And look for emails from camp about sign up for next summer!

Aionur

Runoia Celebrates 110 Summers in Style!

In the middle of August Camp Runoia hosted its 110th reunion.  Some 150 women young and old came from far and near and wallowed in the warmth of friendships and happy memories.

Runoia Gals from Far and Near Returned for the 110th Reunion
Runoia Gals from Far and Near Returned for the 110th Reunion
I’ve been thinking about camp, and the weekend, and camp, and friends, and camp….  I thought about how so many of us keep coming back, sometimes after years of absence, but still we come….and I thought about what it is that makes this happen.  I realize it’s because Runoia really is “home” to people.  Not home like where our parents live, but home in the sense that it’s where we feel safe, where we can be ourselves without pretense, where we are accepted for who we are and we get to shed our veneers and tear down our walls, it’s where we can laugh and cry with enthusiasm and without fear of judgement. It’s where we feel alive and secure and joyful.
The Camp Runoia Alumnae Organization raised $123,000 for the Betty Cobb Campership Fund in honor of this event.  I hope people will continue to give generously forever onward so that lots of young girls who couldn’t otherwise afford it will be able to know these feelings years from now when they come back for Reunions.
Thank you Jody!
Thank you Jody!
From Jody Sataloff, Past President of the CRAO and many other amazing accomplishments!

Run, Swim, Jump, Kick at Runoia

It’s Sports Week! What some camps call Color War, Runoia calls Sports Week. The short story is we have kicked, run, raced, swum, jumped, trotted, shot arrows, competed, played hard and played like a girl!

On top of it, we have had birthday parties, Evening Programs of “Create Your Own Country”, Pillow Football, Birthday Bash, Build A Boat to Float Contest, Talent Show, Runoia Caberet, Graduation Dinner and a Camp Fire with the theme of What Camp Friendships Mean to You.

Here are some of the pictures to tell the story:

Our Dear Trip Leaders (Some of Them)!
Our Dear Trip Leaders (Some of Them)!
Birthday Table Groups by Shacks!
Birthday Table Groups by Shacks!
The Runoia Play was a Medley Cabaret!
The Runoia Play was a Medley Cabaret!
Blue White Horse Show
Blue White Horse Show
The Epic Oak Island Swim

 

Blue White Swim Races
Blue White Swim Races
Blue and White Team Captains Second Session
Blue and White Team Captains Second Session
Junior Soccer Players
Junior Soccer Players
The Pine Tree in the Back Shows it's a Maine Peach!
The Pine Tree in the Back Shows it’s a Maine Peach!
Coco Crisp Enjoys his 10th Summer at Runoia and Gets His Own Blanket
Coco Crisp Enjoys his 10th Summer at Runoia and Gets His Own Blanket

We hope to see you next year!

The Runoia Team

News from Runoia July 31

Ms Tacky Runoia Judges
Ms Tacky Runoia Judges

The weeks have flown by this summer. It’s impossible to believe two weeks of our final session have ended today. The good news? Tomorrow is another full week of camp! That means another week of majors, another week of trips in the beautiful state of Maine, more Blue White competition and team captain elections. More fun evening programs, skill building, poignant moments, beautiful sunsets, friendships strengthened, life long skills and memories created and let’s face it, more amazing desserts! Today when almost all of us were in camp, we took our “formal” photos for the Log and in fact, Jeanne’s word of the day today was the word formal! She’s so clever.

This past week we have had a counselor hunt, a beach party and  Ms. Tacky Runoia with Tori and Charlotte taking the Jr. and Sr. crowns.

Harmony Land Camp, our new camp for 7 & 8 year olds ended this week and our 5 little friends departed – we can’t wait to see them next summer again!

Yesterday we had 25 campers plus wonderful and helpful counselors run a 5K to support our local library. Yay Runoia runners!

Runoia Runners at the Belgrade Library 5 K
Runoia Runners at the Belgrade Library 5 K

Some of our full season campers attended the Lupine Farm horse show in Vassalboro, Maine. Congrats to all who attended and participated. Here’s a snapshot of some of those who were there! Go Runoia Riders!

Full season horse show
A few brave Runoia girls who have been training and working all summer attended Junior Maine Guide Test Camp this week; a five day encampment where our campers camp together, cook meals together and are tested on skills ranging from their encampment and food to

JMG Candidates at Testing Camp
JMG Candidates at Testing Camp

map and compass, solo canoe, fire building, ax work, environmental essay, tree identification, first aid and more. It’s a grueling and wonderful week. This week 69 campers and CITs from over 8 Maine camps participated and tested their knowledge and skills. More information on the JMG program is available here

More trips including 6th and 7th shacks and 3rd and 4th shacks went out and returned to Bigelow (backpacking on the famous Appalachian Trail), Flagstaff Lake, Oak Island trip on Great Pond and a Camden Hills trip to the beautiful coast of Maine. Day trips included Senior Village and Ocho to Popham Beach and 4th shack to Morse Mt. hike through the salt marshes to the beach at the Morse Mt. Bates College conservation area.

Today we’ve played a lot of sports and enjoyed the lake as well including a special event of Blue White Archery Tournament to end the week and begin another! Shoot well Runoia Archers!

 

DSC_0782

Maine living at Camp Runoia

Fine Maine Days

Our second session here at Camp Runoia has started off splendidly. The first session girls all made it home safely and our new arrivals are fully settled in.  We have girls from so many different places.  Our English campers finally got out of school and flew on over, we have an alumnae daughter from Japan and also girls from as far away as Hong Kong and Vietnam.  The continental US is well represented from CA girls to those from FL and a whole heap from our great state of Maine.

skiOur days have been glorious.  Warm and sunny although sometimes a little windy for skiing so some of the girls have been enjoying sneaking out a little early to get out on Great Pond before breakfast.  There have been no complaints about waking up before the bell.  There is something magical about getting up before everyone else and enjoying the solitude on the lake.

Our second session of Harmony Land Camp for our youngest campers is half way finished. They’ve been enjoying all the camp activities and having fun times with their counselors. We hope they will return next summer!

Trips have already gone out and returned with tales of adventure and s’mores around the campfire.  Projects have been started,  we are growing food, shooting at targets, climbing the wall, riding horses, are out in boats and generally busy as we can be all the way through our fun and entertaining  EP’s.  EPThere is much anticipation for the new campers picking their blue and white teams this weekend and lots of speculation about how captain elections will turn out. We are filling our days to the max and enjoy falling asleep to the sounds of the loons after long and productive days

It is always a “Fine Maine Day’ for building life skills.

Keep the letters coming our campers love to get mail from family and friends.

Sending you our love from Great Pond,

Aionur

Beginnings and endings

Endings and new beginnings

It is amazing how much we cram into a week at camp!  What a diversity of experiences there have been in the past few days.  Even the weather has kept us on or toes with moderate winds to dead calm and baking sun to a cool rainy day.  We have had new beginnings every day and very happy endings.

For EP we have been energetic at the scavenger hunt and chilled out at campfire, really tacky during everyone’s favorite ‘Ms Tacky Runoia’ and talented at our very own Runoia’s got talent’s show the Voice and USA gymnastics team had better watch out!

Team captains were chosen with the ‘A’ team of Ally and Anna leading the Whites and  Z and Eliza managing the Blues.  All of the girls that chose to run for the position gave great speeches at assembly and were commended for having the courage to ‘give it a go.’  Soccer games were already played with many more activities to compete in this coming week.

IMG_2444We have seen so many firsts as girls tried new things, met new people and adventured far and wide and we are beginning to see some of the lasts for our oldest campers.  Painting their boards to put up in the boat house was bitter sweet.

Perhaps the most meaningful moment of the week was our youngest and newest group of campers the ‘Harmony Land Camp’ girls sharing their love with the graduating senior village girls.  It was the first Runoia campfire for the HLC girls and the last as campers for our graduates.  A very meaningful moment as traditions are passed along and legacies left to the next generation.  Harmony Land Camp is our new short session taster program for 7 and 8 year old girls and it is already a big hit.

HLC at Nina's

We will make the most of our last 5 days of first session and are already anticipating the ‘see you next summer’ goodbyes as we hug those we now call our ‘summer sisters.’

 

See you soon!

Aionur

Tomorrow

Tomorrow….

The girls are coming

We will shift to being a child focused community

It will be a fine Maine day

There will be squeals of pure joy

Tomorrow…

We will move around 500 pieces of luggage

The gaga pit will be full

We get milk and crackers

There will be a few tears

Tomorrow…

Is sure to start early and end late

Will be here soon

Is the best day of the year

Is just the beginning

 

We can’t wait for tomorrow the Magic Makers of 2016 are ready for the magic to arrive!

Our Spanish campers are on the way!

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