Eric Blum's week at camp, August 2007Greetings from the Catskills and FV. I am completing my first week of 4 up here and I couldn't be happier as I am sure my colleauges are at my "real job" are very happy to have a respite from having to hear such camp classics as "Baby Duck" and "Here at Wawayanda" being sung throughout the corridors of the O.R. where I work, and seem to increase in frequency and loudness the closer I get to making my annual trip. I just thought I would write to give an update, from my perspective, much like the great emails you sent during your stay. I arived to camp just in time for check in during a torrential downpour. The feeling was electric, and according to reports from some of the VC's at the VC meeting the families seemed amazed that our program staff who spent the entire check-in outside in the rain remained smiling and helpful throughout. My first thought was of course they were smiling that Waeayanda smile, and it's infectous. After check in and Hird dinner I was able to hop in a vechicle with Jeff Daly and do quite possibly my favorite activity of all, finding, sorting, and delivering the missings pieces of luggage. It's amazing how many problems can be solved by 2 people in a luggage truck, it brought back many fond memories for me; for many years Peter Swain and I, and later Rob Leheman and I, did this exact same thing for almost every check in. On monday I was woken up by the Hird flag raising, they were singing and cheering loud enough to wake up up a very heavy sleeper. I didn't very little that morning since no one knew who the "new guy" in camp was or what he did. That afternoon still not having any thing to do I went down to maintence to assemble a grill for the staff to use (more on this later). So I spent the afetrnoon down at the shop and everyone was so very helpful-Wayne lent me the tools to do the job and even helped a little with assembly. That evening I made it up to the VC meeting whwere Bobby Edding's introduced me to the VC staff with the command thqt he expected to see my schedule filled with fun and exciting things-needless to say my schedule was while not jam packed it was certainly more busy than it had been before the meeting. Unforunately while the meeting was ending the need for a driver came up for a hospital run-so it was down to CRMC with a camper for xrays-it just so happened to be one of the busiest days that they have seen in this ER in awhile, and we didn't return to camp until 03:15 in the AM tuesday. Just another day in camp. Tuesday and wednesday were much the same, I lifeguared for a couple villages and just helped out. While I was lifeguarding for a Tacoma cabin I again witnessed the FV magic, 1 camper, who I later found out couldn't swim, was really tentative about getting in the water, as she saw her cabinmates having such a great time she began inching closer to the water. with alot of encouragement from her cabin she finally "took the plunge" and got into the water to just above her knees. If you could have seen the look on her face it was priceless.Her bunk cheered her on and as we were leaving she promised that next time she'd be getting on one of the tubes-what a huge accompishiment for this child. Wednesday evening looked like it was going to be quite-I was on call with Jeff Daly. Aroound 8 oclock the call came in from the Windsong overnight that they had a bear sighting at the haunted house, I'm not sure why Mike Miskelly (the camp paramedic) and I, went down to the site followed by Dan Wier and John Butler (the camp director of Wawayands and assisnt camp director of the Hird respectively), to scare away the bear. While al of this was going on a frantic call came over the radio regarding an injured couselor on an overnight at Laddleton. After trying to sort out the exact nature of te injury Mike and I responded at breakneck speed over to the farm where we were going to stage the rescue effort from. Once at the farm, once again the amazingness of the staff suprised me, which given the number of years I have been at camp I should have expected it. After getting a few more details I found out that Ben Syder from the farm and Diane (our new health center administrater and who was on her days off) had already begun the trek up to the overnight site. While still at the farm Beth Groschell and Jen Stover showed up to help me and Mike locate the injured staff memebr. It was supposed to be about a 1/2 mile hike in, I'm pretty sure it was much further. While the 4 of us began the hike in, back at camp Jeff manned the base station to act as a point of contact and to help locate more staff to follow behind us to help carry the staff member out. While hiking up a group of about 7 staff members, led by none other than John Butler, came charging past me. All of these staff were on there time off, but willing gave that up to help out. By the time I caught up with the group, they were able to walk the injured staff member down. Unbeknownst to me, Kelly Zigone the Hird director had come over to the farm on her day off to take charge of our staging area. After getting the staff member down te mountain and to the waiting ambulance he was transported to CRMC with what thankfully turned out to be something not very serious in the end. Once again I wa amazedd at the willingness of everyone to lend a hand, but I guess that is this place is all about. Besides we all learned alot from this experience, including me, and I have over 20 years in EMS. Thursday was much the same same a little lifeguarding here and there. Friday turned out to be another amazing day. Thrid period I led "Mind Over Media" with a Lenape cabin-one particular camper was unafraid to challange what I was saying-and put me on the spot. His arguements were consise and thoughtful, I had to admit he held his own and wasn't afraid to stick up for his beliefs, agian another great thing about camp, peple are free to express their ideas freely. At the end I gave this camper his due props. After that I was to lead a hike for Lakota village, instead 5th period turned out for them to be a hang out at the natural jacuzze (NAT JAC in this new FV lingo). I once again witnessed a young camper ho was afraid to get in the water, by the end of the period she had crossed over bisquit creek with the help of her counselor and made the return trip all by herself. Friday evening I found myself out at Mongaup pond to meet up with the CIT's. Their leaders Gail Morris and Nick Dalrymple had askied if I would come out and just tlak out my experiences at camp and to give them a little pep talk. Even though these 12 CIT's were cold, tired, dirty, and wet, they represented our organization in a way that made me proud. I assured them that they are our present and future. The ranger paid them the greastest compliment I think some one can give a group like this-even though they were the largest group they were the best behaved. As I was leaving they were singing my most favorite camp song "Daddy won't you take back to Old Wawayanda" (one of the CIT's mentioned that her uncle had help to pen the FV version). After returning to to camp from Mongaup I was invited to do some grilling for OUtpoet CQ, so it was up to sit CQ once again, this time with the new grill filled with chicken. As this email is getting very long I will close it now, since Sycamore has found the missing snake in their lodge and I have to go catch this thing-again I'm not sure why I am doing this. Through this enitre week I have again witnessed the magic of Frost VAlley", and it only reenforces why I return each year, even if my colleauges at work can't understand why I spend my vacation working here-maybe this year I will learn a new song to sing (even louder) throughout the corridors of UVa's operating room. The moon is rising over wildcat and camp is settling down for the evening. ANd as the song says "That Wawayanda spirit never did die". Smile that WAWAYANDA SMILE.
FONDLY
Eric Blum