Those were the days

I'm just back from a steamy walk and the cicadas were in full voice which immediately took me back to my summers of childhood and teens, and a camp on Inks lake that I adored.  To be honest, I would have adored any camp--this just happened to be the one I went to for over ten years.  Camper, counselor--who cared--as long as I could go.

There was just something about the freedom of being away at camp and all of the activities that rocked my world.  There was always something fun going on, or about to happen, and it sure beat the heat and humidity of boring Dallas, Texas.  I would have stayed all summer if my parents or the camp had let me.  Swim Bay, the Sailing docks, and Ski Dock were my homes away from home.  Nothing was more fun than learning to sail and ski, and on days that were windless, we'd shove our sailboats off the dock, swim them out a ways, flip them over, and while the music wailed over the sound system, we'd have an Inks Lake Dance Party on the upside down boats.  There was usually more swimming than actual dancing because the underside of those boats was slippery as hell, but we didn't care.  As long as we were wet, everything was perfect.

                                      
My face, and specifically my nose, peeled so many times it's miracle I have any skin on it today.  And my hair??  After being a counselor on the waterfront driving ski boats all day, all summer long, my hair was almost snow white blonde, and one year as a camper, on the last day when all the parents came, my mother asked one of my counselors how I'd gotten a hold of hair dye. When my counselor (Mo Thompson) pulled me aside and told me, I wanted to go drown myself in the lake.  Yeah, mom...I bought some hair dye at the Merit Store.  See why I loved camp so much???

I never understood the campers who wanted to horseback ride in that heat.  That's my version of hell on horseback, with that Hill Country sun pounding down on you, as you sweat like a herd of pigs.   As much as I adore horses,  give me the lake, and a breeze, until it cools off.  Like maybe in the dead of winter.

Camp was a huge part of my life and if you can send your kids to camp, do it.  It's good for you, great for them, and something I wish every child could experience.  Ours went to one in Colorado and they learned terrific skills.  Benji was like me and went forever-- both as a camper and then as a counselor-- and Brian went for several years as a camper.

Camp....I'd go back right now.