August 16th 2015

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky.

All is well, safely rest.

Good Night.

The sun has set on the first full day of the two-week session. The lake is still and outside my window I can hear nothing but the faint sound of Ahmic Lake splashing against the shore. The air is calm and the cabin line is silent as the girls settle in for a good night's sleep. This is a far cry from the action-packed day today! Today the air was filled with the sounds of camp, the sound of feet and tires against the gravel road as the girls headed out on the path for Early Bird, the splashing sounds of the open water when the campers embarked on their first swim practice, laughing and screaming while trying a new sport like war canoe, the sounds of chitter chatter as new friendships were made, and joyful cheering when they hit the target in archery. The air was electric and the energy was infectious. 

Today was another beautiful day here at Camp Ak-O-Mak. The girls awoke at 7:00 to the ringing sound of the bell (88 times, for the number of years camp has been open) and filed down to swimming, running, road cycling, or mountain biking. With all of the great choices for Early Bird the campers had already begun to set new goals for themselves and really push themselves. The campers who are new to Ak-O-Mak went on a camp tour to get more aquatinted with their two-week home and then cheer on their camp-mates coming in from their Early Bird.

After a delicious breakfast it was time for inspection. Each morning the cabins are inspected to make sure that they are tidy, beds are made, wet clothes are out on the line, floor is swept, and trunks are at least somewhat neat and organized. I also check to ensure that the campers are ready with all the equipment they will need for their three morning classes. Today classes included; swimming (of course), mountain biking, canoeing, and archery.

This afternoon the girls were introduced to war canoe (or a C15 – a canoe holding 15 people…14 paddlers and one cox). In a war canoe paddlers only paddle on one side of the boat, and instead of sitting down they kneel on one knee. It's a great sport for swimmers to train in because it strengthens their upper body and core while being fun while learning a new skill. Every camper was trained on the dock to paddle and then went out with a group in one of our war canoes. 

After the tough work-out the waterfront was opened up so the campers could take out the other canoes, kayaks, or paddle boards.

Sunday nights we have a cook-out at the campfire. No cozy campfire sweaters needed tonight as the weather was still so nice and warm. Home-made hamburgers, sausages, salads, veggies and all the fixin's were served for dinner, followed by a necessary camp-fire treat…roasted marshmallows!

After dinner the girls sang songs around the campfire, learning some new songs and singing some Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and other home favourites.

As the sun set beautiful pink and violet over the lake it was time for the girls to head back to their cabins and get some rest. On the walk back to their cabins I could hear the excitement from the campers making their predictions of what tomorrow will bring.

Tomorrow brings on a new set of adventures!

Sweet dreams and happy camping!

Hayley