Orcas Island Encampment Project '05

That's the offical name. No one really calls it that. I am tired, sore, bruised, and sick from my week at Orcas. I had an AWESOME time! Jeffrey is such a sweetheart! He's also stubborn as all get out and obstinate at times. So what else is new, right? (All the boys are like that.) On to my adventures on Orcas. On Tuesday we take speed boats to another smaller island near Orcas called Matia Island. The speed boat I was in along with two other mentor/child groups and Greg broke down and we were stranded in the ocean for 20 minutes. It was sooo fun! On Matia we have to go down a cliff via a rope. I HATE that part! I always slide down the cliff. ALWAYS! I was wearing jeans so all I got was dirty and bruised. Then we have to go up a bunch of rocks to get to the tide pools. That was fun. Not. To get out of the tide pool place and back to the trail, you have to climb up the rocks. I got almost to the top and slid back down. Thank God Sam caught me and lowered me to the rocks beneath me. (Sam is Greg's son and was on support staff. Greg is the camp director.) *spacing for a few minutes due to being extremely tired* Anyways, the Yakima charter bus broke down Tuesday night on Orcas and wasn't up and running until Thursday morning when we had to leave Orcas. (Praise the Lord!) Tuesday night it rained cats and dogs so we moved all our outdoor stuff inside.Wednesday we hike around Cascade Lake which is right next to the camp where we stay. Wednesday night all the mentors dress up like clowns for dinner for our clown night. That is my absolute favorite part of camp! This year I looked adorable if I do say so myself. And we have speakers come and talk to the boys around the camp fire after dinner. This year they were two firefighters (indoor & outdoor), a retired Navy Lt, and a Washington State Patrolman. The firefighter let all the boys try on her suit. It was sooo cute! Thursday we went to the zoo. By dinner time most of us mentors were at our breaking point. Good thing Thursday night is mentor's night out. We go to Funtasia for like 4-5 hours. On the way there the Kennewick bus (which all 42 mentors and support staff were in), broke down and started rolling backwards on a hill in the middle of Seattle! *laugh* So we backed into a parking lot and waited for the Yakima bus to come get us. Friday we got dropped off at the monorail which we road to the space needle and then walked to the science center. It's pretty funny that I'd never been to any of those places including the zoo until I became a mentor 4 years ago. On way back to Yakima Jeffrey slept 'cause he was tired and he gets bus sick, so I got to sleep too. (That's good 'cause my voice was almost gone.) When we got back to 1st Pres Julie was there to pick me up and Jeffrey's dad was there to pick him up. (He actually wanted to take Jeffrey before the closing ceremony, but Greg said no although Jeffrey's dad told me Greg said he could.)
So today I'm going to do nothing except call the lady I'm going to be plant sitting for and wait for my parents to come home from Vermont. I know you called while I was on Orcas Bonnie. I'll call you when I have more of a voice. Or perhaps tomorrow since that's your 20th birthday and all. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Talk to yall later. (When I have a voice, ya know?)