The Sari Diaries- Tuesday 7/18/17

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

At the conclusion of our first regular day of activities here at #TheRanch2017, I am pleased to report that things are really and truly going well. Campers and staff are having the times of their lives- good things are happening around here and I am honored to be the one to tell you all about it this evening. So here it goes…

Activities today were a clear success! At fishing, I got to see Audry L, Maddie K, Annabelle K and Vida K learn how to bait a hook and rip a worm…it was pretty cool. Josh and Turner are fantastic instructors who are really teaching these kids important fishing skills while making sure they have blast doing so. Over at swimming, the Red Caps were being instructed by some amazing counselors. Lillie Yalowitz, Sammie Taxman and Sara M were helping these campers get comfortable in the water, blow bubbles and even do some back floats. The progress was incredible- especially for the first day! Moving along the waterfront to skiing, Brady S got up and around Dam Lake…an amazing accomplishment!

I also made it to the north side of camp to visit the Gold Club Archery Period. This is a period exclusively for our campers who have already shot at least 25 golds. I watched in amazement as Nicole L, Lindsay B, Charlotte A and Izzy R shot round after round into the target. I know that it takes a lot of practice and concentration to become as consistent as these girls…they should be proud! I also heard from Ryan at archery that Avery K is quickly making her way into the Gold Club. According to him (and he would know best), Avery is currently the camper who most regularly hits the actual center of the target. She takes her time with each shot and is able to aim with such accuracy…so impressive!

On the tennis courts, Raquel was working with our beginner tennis players. Their forehands are really coming along…they were all excited to be playing and they are getting some top-notch coaching from Raquel. Not only does she know what she’s doing on the tennis courts with high level players, but she has created a program for Chippewa that meets the needs of all of our campers…it was really neat to watch!

On my way back to the office, I stopped by the basketball courts. The running class was filled with Trailriders campers and they were just finishing their run and beginning the abs and stretching portion of their hour. I interrupted a bit and began playing basketball with them. While their skill levels were varying, I loved the enthusiasm and general energy radiating from these campers- small and spontaneous moments like that are what make my days around here!

Before dinner I had a couple of visitors in the office who couldn’t have been any cuter. Halle S, Mia F and Hannah R all came in just to hang. They showed me the slime that they made with Lexi G from Horseshoe, and we chatted about life at camp and at home. It was a stop-by that was the perfect break from some of my office work, and another reminder that our campers here at CRC really are what make this place so special…I’m not sure if that half hour was a highlight of their day, but it definitely was one for me!

This evening we introduced a new Evening Program- Chippewa’s Shark Tank! Each cabin was charged with the task of inventing a product that will enhance Chippewa. They were able to use any supplies around camp…the concept was that they would present their sales pitch to the Sharks (Cliff, Lisa, Soph-Aloaf, James and me), and we would decide how much money we would invest in their product. I must admit that it was awesome…from the planning stages all the way through to the presentations, I was blown away by the creativity that is present here at CRC. Some of my favorites included Timberwalk’s CRCamera which automatically takes pictures around camp and uploads them to Camp Minder, Trailriders’ Tick Tac No which scans bodies for ticks and then removes them once found, Circle C’s Letter Crew which helps campers write letters quickly while personalizing them for their current mood and likes, and Cactus’s ElectroBottle which helps ensure campers stay hydrated all day. While each invention was unique and impressive in its own way, A-Frame’s Zip Zop Bug Drop got the most investment money. They were the big winners and were very excited!

So there you have it…another day is in the books. I know it seems ridiculous for me to keep saying this, but each day here on Dam Lake genuinely seems to be better than the last. I guess that means that tomorrow is going to be outstanding…obviously! Okay, thanks for reading tonight’s edition!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari