...And the leaves are down.

How quickly it happens.

Leaves are green.

Leaves aren't green.

Leaves are on the ground.

All over the ground.

All over the roads!

All over the cabin paths!

All over the bowl!

Even all in the lake!

Y'know it's getting cold if even Woodrow doesn't want to go swimming.

And all over our Lakeside Fire Ring!

C'mon, leaves! Don't you know this is new? This is why we can't have nice things. (Kidding, we can. We can have nice things. And we do!)

I know, 'Dro. I'm not sure what to do about all of this either.

I'll tell you one thing.

 

Our afternoon schedule of practicing "stealthy walking" is canceled.

You'd be able to hear us crunching from a mile away.

If you think leaves on the ground is a rough sign of the passing of the seasons, you don't even want to know what Camp looked like this morning. You don't even want to KNOW. But I'll tell you anyway. 

Frost! On the fields! On the roofs!

I didn't take any pictures of that, though. Those pictures would be too depressing. Sunny leaves are better.

However, the colder weather and shortening of days means it's only a matter of time before WARMER weather and LONGER days, which means it's already time to start thinking about Summer 2016! (Although, when isn't it already time to start thinking about next summer?)

Stay tuned to this very blog, because we're gonna start unveiling next summer's dates, next summer's themes, next summer's new classes, next summer's special surprise announcements, and unveiling all the other next-summer-y things we have to unveil!

All the next summer news is so exciting it'll warm away the frost a bit longer, and you'll even be able to hear it above the crunching of leaves. 

But not now. That news is later. For now, you just have to wait.

And hear the leaf crunching.

Which is a very, very loud sound.

Join us for our Fall Community Service Day!

If you weren't able to see Camp clothed in colorful foliage at our Fall Fest, you've got another chance THIS SATURDAY. (Or if you were at the Fall Fest, come back again! More leaves are more colors. We promise.)

Yes, this Saturday, October 10th, from 10am-2pm, you can join us for our annual Fall Community Service Day. 

We'll be doing some fun tasks like preparing the Dining Hall for winter, shutting down the waterfront for the season, chopping firewood, and other random jobs!

(Random jobs like collecting all the pumpkins we threw in the lake. Kidding. Just kidding...Am I though?)

Think it can't get any better? 

Think again. 

Lunch will be provided.



See ya Saturday.

Pictures of a Fest in the Fall

This past Saturday was our Campfire Council's Fall Fest!

It was a great day and the best part was, this event was not thrown by Camp, but rather by FRIENDS of Camp.

And with friends like these who needs better friends? Not us! We've got the best friends there are.

If you couldn't make it, here's a little digital photo tour of what went down at our very first Fall Fest, and hopefully you can join us in person next October.

How do you know this picture was taken at a Fall Fest?

Pumpkins. That's how. Pumpkins.

There were games!

And pumpkin launching games! (More on that later.)

Hot cider!

Pumpkins roasting (or drying) near an open fire.

Fall tie die and autumn bell ringing!

The Fun Run begins! On your mark, get set...

Go!

And off they went.

On a great 5k course winding through Stokes Forest...

And just a few kilometers later (like five of them), it finished with a lap along Lake Shawanni...

Around Camp, and down into the bowl.

Neck and Neck! Photo Finish! Other Running Term!

These two weren't running! They only ran far enough for this picture to be taken.

Aren't you forgetting something, Adam?

That's right. You run faster with the Camp logo showing.

Larry finished first!

Woodrow finished last. The guy behind Woodrow doesn't count.

Nothing cozier than a Fall Dining Hall.

Arts and Crafts!

Relaxing post-Fun Running.

Fall photo ops with friends.

Or with creative hats. Whichever.

There were custom t-shirts...

To be tie dyed in exclusive fall fashion...

And the hand prints to prove it.

Pumpkin painting!

Pumpkin hunting!

Pumpkin finding!

And pumpkin raffle prizes.

Refreshing refreshments.

The Dining Hall porch is a great place to hang out, no matter the season.

 

A great morning, for old friends and new.

See!

I promised more pumpkin launching.

Lake Shawanni was too cold to swim in...

Unless you're a pumpkin.

If you're a pumpkin, the water temperature was perfect.

(And even if it wasn't, we didn't hear them complaining.)

Every event or happening at Camp includes a couple things that can only occur at that event.

Hurling pumpkins into the lake is one of those things.

I'm pretty sure a Fall Fest tradition was born.

Enjoy your seasonal treats, Velcro the Snapping Turtle. You should get to enjoy the autumn as well.

This event was made possible by several generous donations from some local businesses. 

Obligatory group picture of our volunteers, Camp Staff, and the founders of the feast, the Campfire Council.