Arrival: We took Sophia and Madeline to Mini Camp on Sunday afternoon. It was very hot out, with the humidex around 39C when we dropped them off. When we hauled their things up to their tent (a bit of an uphill hike), it was unbearably hot inside. One minute in the tent and I was drenched. We met their counselor, Hadley, and she said they could change and go to the pool right away. The girls didn't waste any time getting their suits on! We took them down to the pool and they were happy as clams. I could scarcely get a "goodbye" out of them. It's a good thing I got my hugs back at the tent site! Since it was so hot out, and Georgia hadn't been to the camp before (she wasn't with us when we went to the open house), we let her wade into the lake water for a few minutes. She loved it! The third shot below is a glimpse of the camp fire area.
Departure: When we picked up the girls Wednesday evening, their counselor told us, "They were both super helpful and enthusiastic about everything. I hope I see them back next year." That was great to hear! Not so great to hear was, "One of their tent-mates had head lice." Ick. As a result, all of their belongings had been taken to Fort Qu'Appelle to be washed and/or frozen. That meant the girls were stuck with what they were wearing for a couple days, and they were thoroughly checked for lice (only the child with lice was treated). On the bright side (from the girls' point of view), they got to sleep in the first aid building on beds one night -- rather than in their sleeping bags on plywood. (The supply list did not include a bed roll, so we didn't send any. We will next time!) I think the camp handled the situation well and prevented an outbreak. I also checked our girls when we got home and they appear to be lice free. Thank goodness.
Sophia and Madeline LOVED Camp Monahan. When asked what their favourite part was, the answer is, "Everything!" They enjoyed swimming in the pool, canoeing, crafting, playing active games, and eating in the dining hall. It sounds like they even enjoyed washing their own dishes! (Wish that would transfer to home, but I know it won't!) They made some new friends, too. Sophia wrote down their names and phone numbers. They had wonderful weather. It was sunny and hot the whole time, except for one rain shower, I think. When we picked up the girls, I managed to get some location photos: "Inland" is where the girls sleep, six girls to a tent. Sophia and Madeline were lucky to be placed in the same tent (it's what they wanted, but we didn't know if that would happen). I also got a shot of the inside of the craft hall before we left. We paid $6 for a photo CD to be sent to us and I look forward to seeing the photos taken during the Mini Camp.
