Friday, July 31, 2009

I can't remember


a cooler July - and the record book bears me out. It was a cool one, from jeans and jackets on the 4th of July all the way through to today, which is in the 80's after it was 50 something over night.

Okay I think I overdid it. Have some cramping and pulling on my left side after a busy day of laundry and driving on errands. It's so hard to sit. Especially when my own expectations (and Paul's) are high. I'm usually good at being a slug, but only on my own terms - not when it's dictated by my guts (and Doc).

Back to camp. After 4 years at Bar-L, I graduated to a camp my mother and my aunt had attended. Camp Cheley in Estes Park, Colorado was a once in a lifetime experience for me. My buddy Sal and I went in the summer of 1969 - I was 11 going on 12 and a month was a long time to be gone. But I got over my initial homesickness and adjusted to life at camp in week 1.

Sally and I were put into separate cabins. Looking back, I suppose that was best for both of us, to help us branch out and make other friends. We were in Lower Chipeta with girls from around the country our age. One of my cabin-mates from was Hawaii! We all had to help at the lodge at mealtime and there was lots of obnoxious singing of camp songs. Thank God there was no square dancing at this camp!

We got to ride horses, hike, shoot rifles, archery, crafts and camping. We could earn awards by learning names of the mountains in the range near Estes. Or the parts of a saddle and horse. We were constantly challenged physically and mentally, but gently. I became very attached to my cabin counselors Colleen and Nancy and especially liked the overnight we spent somewhere in those mountains. Sally and I would walk up to the canteen at break time for a nice cold Coca Cola and a Snickers bar. We also liked the paddle tether ball game for excitement.

It was exciting when the month was over when my parents and the Rodgers came to pick us up. I felt I had been away from them for a lifetime. I'm sure my folks felt I had grown up some during my time there. I've got many fond memories from my Cheley days.

My cousin's daughter has been there this month - her 4th year at the camp, I believe. I'm glad the family tradition has carried on!

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