Friday August 14 - Last Day of Camp

Pick up tomorrow (Saturday) morning from 8:30am to 10:00am! Good afternoon Birch Blog readers! It has been a very eventful last two days of camp. Yesterday we had our last banquet of the summer. All of the girls gathered in their green and white for our thanksgiving-style meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, gravy and cranberry sauce. In honor of banquet, we had a special treat for dessert - ice cream! After the festive meal, we continued into the evening program portion of the evening. We (Colleen and Maddy) emceed the evening and led the camp in a few favorite songs before Nancy took the floor to do some introductions and thank yous. Part of the reason banquet is a special night is because we have guests come from the Center Church in Hartford. They are usually people who are involved with the camp committee who work hard all year long for the camp. Banquet is their opportunity to see how their efforts are appreciated by our wonderful campers and staff. Afterwards, we sang some more songs and had a slideshow of the session and watched a video that Colleen and Danny put together using the camp goPro! The photos from this session and the rest of the summer will be available online in a few weeks. Next, every camper got an award to mark their number of years at camp. The evening concluded with the Candlelight Service.

Today has been quite a whirlwind for the campers and staff because not only is the last day of the session, but it is also the last day of the CAW 2015 season. Luckily, we have had gorgeous weather all day. We woke up to french toast and cereal for breakfast. During the first three periods of the day, girls in Arts and Crafts participated in a nature scavenger hunt. Rowboats and canoes went out like normal and the girls in sailing class got to help the staff get the sunfish out of the water so they could be washed and dried.

Lunch today was chicken strips with rice and green beans. For dessert, we had chocolate cake. Everyone is getting tired by the end of the session so we had a slightly longer rest hour. Afterwards, we all got in the water for our last general swim. Everyone was enjoying the beautiful weather, so we extended that for a bit too. Instead of regular fourth period and activity period, all of the girls are now up on the field. We are playing non-stop cricket which a fast-paced baseball-style game that everyone gets a turn in.

Tonight, we will enjoy meatball grinders for dinner. Afterwards, everyone will return to their cabins to do some packing. All of the towels will come off the clothesline tonight so no one will end up without their belongings tomorrow! Evening program will be our closing campfire. We will eat s'mores, sing songs and receive awards for boating, swimming and track and field. I heard that some girls in cabin 7 will be performing a duet! It should be a great way to end a successful session and an incredible summer.

We are so lucky to have had such an incredible group of kids come through our program this summer! Remember to spread the word about Camp Asto Wamah to all of your friends, relatives and neighbors! You can find us on Facebook and Instagram @campastowamah.

Thank you for reading; We hope you have enjoyed the Birch Blog this summer!

Pick up tomorrow (Saturday) morning from 8:30am to 10:00am.

Wednesday July 12

Happy Wamah Wednesday! Unfortunately, us bloggers (Maddy and Colleen, for those wondering) took a day off yesterday. To catch you up, we had a fun day of indoor activities to accommodate the rain. In the evening, we had an awesome talent show! Almost everybody participated in some sort of act, skit, song or dance. All of the girls can't stop talking about all of the incredible talent they saw last night. This morning started off with waffles and peanut butter. It was a gorgeous morning on the lake after yesterday's rain. The girls that are in level 6 or superstar swimming had the opportunity to swim to Frog Island. It's not actually an island, but it is a marked spot almost all the way across the lake that is quite shallow and known for its rock collection. All of the girls that make the swim there and back are allowed to keep a rock as a souvenir.

Lunch today was ravioli with salad and baguettes. We had some delicious cheesecake for dessert. This afternoon, activity period offerings were paddle boarding, sailing the Hunter, the tower, badminton by the flagpole and apples to apples.

Wednesday means another night off for the kitchen staff so we had our "eat out" meal again. Counselors took sandwich orders and everyone enjoyed eating outside. It was a lovely evening to be out by the water or even up in the woods. Now, the girls are very busy playing Cops and Robbers. It's our only game that is played counselors vs. campers and everyone gets very excited and competitive! Later this evening, our senior campers (cabins 6, 7, & 8) will be up on the A Field for a special treat - stargazing! It should be an clear night to see some awesome shooting stars!

Heads  up, tomorrow night is our Banquet evening. The camp laptop will be up in the lodge for the slideshow of photos from the session and the goPro video Colleen and Danny have put together (very exciting!), so blogging will have to wait until the next day. Check back Friday evening to hear how the last two days of camp go!

FYI pick up on Saturday morning will be from 8:30am to 10:00am.

Monday July 10th

Happy Monday! We resumed our normal schedule on this gorgeously sunny day at CAW. The morning started off with english muffins and cereal with watermelon and honeydew as a special treat. Last night we kicked off Secret Sisters! Secret Sisters started two years ago as an exercise we used to promote kindness and inclusivity within camp. Everyone chooses a name of someone in camp and keeps themselves anonymous while they send notes of kindness, give friendship bracelets, and pay compliments to their selected name. In a few days we will all reveal ourselves to our Secret Sisters! In the meantime, everyone is busy making and passing along their little gifts to their Secret Sister.

In honor of this special time at camp, we broke out the glitter today in arts and crafts! Everyone got involved in the beautiful mess that is glue and glitter.

Lunch today was lasagna with salad and we had fruit ice pops for dessert. This afternoon we had a very busy activity period. Girls could go on the tower, paddle board, play spoons (a card game) on the picnic table, sail a sunfish, or play kan jam. It was also very windy out and 6 campers had the opportunity to go on a wild ride on the Hunter with Maddy and Colleen.

Dinner this evening was chicken fajitas and a very special dessert - chocolate pudding pie. Tonight, the LTs will be hosting a very exciting carnival! It will be held by the waterfront/lodge area and the details are a surprise! We will fill you in tomorrow on how it goes!

Sunday August 9th

Happy Sunday! We had an awesome Track Meet today! The day started off with blueberry bread and cereal. At 10am, instead of heading to first period classes, everyone went up to the field. There, we competed in the standing long jump, the running long jump and the softball throw followed by the 50 yard dash. By then it was about noon and we all went in the lake for the general swim. Our noontime meal was our traditional Sunday ham and noodles served with corn. We had peach crisp for dessert. Everyone was pretty tired at this point in the day after all that running and jumping so we enjoyed a nice breezy rest hour.

After everyone had a chance to recharge, girls that were interested in running “the marathon” (about a half mile) headed up to the field. Everyone else stayed by the flagpole and cheered on the girls at the finish line. Finally, it was time for the main event of the day – the Indian War Relay! Everyone participates in this relay race that starts on the camp road, dips into the lake with some swimmers, hands off to rowboaters, followed by canoes and then ends with runners down the path from Hungerford with the final leg being a 50 yard swim. It was a very exciting competition and all the girls were down at the dock at the end cheering on their team.

Afterwards, we had activity period. Campers had the opportunity to participate in swim races as part of the Track Meet day or go sail on the Hunter, play apples to apples, or kan jam by the flagpole.

This evening we had “pick up” dinner. We put out all the leftovers in camp in a big buffet and everyone could choose two items. The assortment included cold cut sandwiches, meatballs and noodles, baked ziti,  pasta salad, cheesesteak sandwiches, and tomato soup. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the variety! For dessert we had our traditional Track Meet green or white frosted cake.

Last night's evening program was such a hit, we will play a second round tonight! In a few minutes, the bell will ring and we will all meet on the field for Step it Up.

Tomorrow we will be back to our normal class schedule! Keep checking back every evening for an update!

Saturday July 8th

We have successfully made it through one week at camp! This lovely Saturday started off with bagels and cereal. It was another beautiful morning on the lake. After cabin clean up and camp duties, everyone got busy with the first three periods of the day. Lunch today was baked ziti served with salad and baguettes. We had chocolate pudding for dessert. At lunch today we had two exciting announcements. First, campers can start submitting articles and artwork for the camp newsletter, the Birch Barker, that will be printed on Thursday for Banquet. Second, the talent show will be Monday night! Everyone is already busy getting their acts together. This afternoon everyone was involved with some kind of activity. Counselors offered jumping off the tower, aquarium games, row boating and kan jam.

Tonight is another night off for the kitchen. Instead of taking sandwich orders and eating outside, we did "mix up" night in the dining room. Counselors sat at their usual table, and campers had to sit at a new table without any cabin mates. Everyone enjoyed hot dogs, chips and pasta salad and it was a great way to get to know some new people.

Tonight we are playing a brand new game! It's called "Step Up." The games will be similar to activities we hold during a carnival. There will be knock-out on the basketball court, hula hooping, ball toss, soccer shoot out, football throw, archery and ping pong bounce. All of the activities will take place on the A Field and the girls can go around to the different stations at their own pace. They will win pea beans as a prize. Two counselors will act as captains for the green and white teams. Every girl has been assigned to a team in preparation for our Track Meet tomorrow. When the girls win beans, they will give them to the team captains who will then count the beans and take that many steps towards the A Field. Whichever captain makes it the field first wins the game for their team! It should be a ton of fun!

Like I just mentioned, tomorrow is Track Meet. That means we will not be holding our regular schedule. We will all be up at the field running, jumping and throwing in individual and team activities. Be sure to check back tomorrow and I'll give you all the details!

Friday July 7th

Welcome back Birch Blog readers! It has been an awesome Friday here at CAW. This morning began with chocolate chip bread - a favorite among the campers and counselors. We enjoyed a gorgeous morning out on the lake. Rowboaters and canoers made great progress in their small crafts today. Lunch this afternoon Shepherds Pie. It was a great day for meals - today's lunch is also a favorite tradition at camp. After rest hour, everyone got in the water for a refreshing general swim. Activity period options included the tower, paddle boarding, sunfish sailing, and Nuke 'Em. A select group had their turn on the Hunter today with Colleen and Katie.

Dinner this evening was chicken melts served with tomato soup, applesauce, carrots and chips. Sue's yummy apple crisp was for dessert. Now, the girls are either back at their cabin changing for evening program or out around the flagpole playing tetherball and nok hockey. When the bell rings, we will all meet up at the A Field. Tonight's game is Pirate Gangs! This is a special night at camp because this game takes place throughout the entire camp boundaries. All of the girls get very into the game that involves gun (flour pouches) battles and searching for the hidden treasure.

Tomorrow holds another exciting day camp and we can't wait to give you the details here on the blog tomorrow night!

July 6th

Good evening! This morning was a beautiful start to another camp day. Cinnamon bread, Maypo, and cereal were served for breakfast. In senior sports today, the girls played an extremely enthusiastic game of touch football, showing us that these girls want to play just as much as the boys! In sailing class today, the wind was just right to learn how to tack and sail upwind back towards camp.

Lunch was chicken parmesan and spaghetti with fruit popsicles for dessert.  The water was a perfect temperature for general swim after rest hour. Activities offered today included paddle boarding, tower jumping, yoga, Kan Jam, badminton, and hair wraps!

Philly Cheese Steaks were for dinner, and cheesecake was for dessert. Evening program tonight will be King Dodge! Hopefully everyone will jump in the lake for  a quick dip after the game to cool off before bed.

Stay tuned for more updates and follow us on instagram @campastowamah

Wednesday July 5th

Happy Wamah Wednesday! It was another beautiful day here at Columbia Lake. Breakfast this morning was waffles with peanut butter- a camp tradition. Classes are coming along nicely, the campers enjoyed playing hand ball on the field for sports class and sewing pillows in arts and crafts.

Meatballs in gravy, mashed potatoes, and corn were served for lunch and butterscotch pudding was a delicious end to the meal. After general swim and fourth period we had a special program. Two representatives from the Born to Be Wild Nature Center in Rhode Island came to educate us about birds of prey that are being rehabilitated. The brought an Eastern Screech Owl, an American Kestrel, a Barred Owl, a Peregrine Falcon, and a Great Horned Owl. The birds that were shown around were all injured and taken to the rehabilitation center where they are nursed back to health to be set free or if they can no longer live in the wild, they lead a happy and healthy life at the Nature Center. The birds were such a hit with both campers and counselors alike, the two representatives were extremely knowledgable and answered all questions that were asked of them. To learn more about the program we saw, check them out on Facebook or their website.

Wednesdays and Saturdays are the kitchen staff’s night off. During lunch, counselors took sandwich orders for their cabins. Options were turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, or mustard. Campers choose their preferred sandwich combo. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are offered as an alternative or in addition. Then, instead of gathering in the lodge for supper, cabins disperse throughout camp to have a picnic. Most of the other cabins sit by the water either on the docks or on the picnic tables by the shore.

Some cabins are still out enjoying their picnics and most are wrapping up and getting prepared for evening program. Tonight, we will play Garbage Collector on the A-Field. It's fast-paced game that's similar to handball but with a few twists.  It’s a great game for everyone, campers and counselors, to get involved in.

We are looking forward to another fun day tomorrow on Columbia Lake!

Tuesday August 4th

Happy Taco Tuesday! This morning started off with blueberry bread and cereal. After cleaning the cabin, campers headed to their first three classes of the day. Everyone is working hard on glass jar lanterns in arts and crafts and perfecting their strokes in swim classes.

Lunch today was chicken fingers, rice, and green beans. During rest hour, our 16 LT's (Leadership Trainees) were hard at work learning and practicing their lifeguarding skills. General swim was refreshing for both counselors and campers. Activities offered today included tower jumping, paddle boarding, Kan Jam, Apples to Apples, Nok Hockey Tournament, and Spike Ball.

Dinner tonight was build-your-own tacos! Dessert was lemon cake. Campers are getting ready to play Spies and Smugglers tonight. Right now they are playing games around camp and in their cabins. When the bell rings, we will all meet around the flagpole to learn how to play this exciting game that takes place throughout camp.

Tomorrow should be another beautiful day on the lake! As always, stay tuned for more updates.

Monday August 3rd

It has been an awesome first day of camp! Everyone made it through the first night and, at 8:00am, we all gathered around the flagpole for the raising of the flag and “Chicken Fat” (our morning exercise routine). Breakfast was cornbread and cereal. Afterwards, everyone headed back to their cabins to do some cleaning and organizing. Every day, the nurse comes around and inspects the cabins and chooses the neatest cabin from each section (hilltop, lakeside and seniors) as the winner. The next bell rings for camp duties. Every cabin is assigned a duty around camp. Some duties include bailing boats, sweeping the lodge, collecting trash and putting the dishes away. At 10:00am first period began and the campers rotated through three different classes until noon. Seniors went from sports to swimming to boating. Lakesiders went from swimming to sports to arts and crafts. And Hilltoppers went from arts and crafts to boating to swimming.

Lunch was baked ziti with baguettes and salad with vanilla pudding for dessert. After rest hour, everyone got in the water and enjoyed a general swim. From there, everyone did the class they didn’t get to do in the morning. Seniors went to arts and crafts, lakesiders went to boating and hilltoppers went to the field for sports.

Activity period offerings today included jumping off the tower, aquarium games, Nuke 'Em on the basketball court, spike ball, kan jam and telephone pictionary. Other campers made themselves busy using the rowboats and canoes or playing ping pong and knock hockey.

Dinner this evening was grilled cheese and tomato soup with chocolate cake for dessert. Now the girls are getting ready for evening program. Everyone needs to put on their sneakers and long pants to play my favorite camp game - Capture the Flag!

Stay tuned tomorrow for more details and be sure to follow us on Instagram @campastowamah for some photo updates!

Sunday August 2nd - First day of Second Girls

Good evening Birch Blog readers and welcome to the second session of girls camp! We had a very smooth start today; everyone arrived at camp this afternoon ready to have an awesome session! Once all the campers arrived, cabin counselors took their groups on a tour throughout camp. Stops included the archery range, ropes course, A Field, waterfront, bathrooms and lodge. Around 3pm, we all gathered in the Council Ring to do some introductions. Nancy welcomed everyone, went over camp expectations - the most important one being treat everyone and everything with respect, and introduced the staff.

Afterwards, all of  the new campers got in the water to get classified into a swimming level. We then all got in the water for a General Swim. Everyone had the chance to get in the water, play on kick boards and noodles and practice their swimming skills.

We just finished up dinner; every session we have hotdogs, tater tots and baked beans on the first night with brownies for dessert. Now, all the girls are back at their cabin putting on their sneakers. Evening program will be a camp wide game of dodgeball on the A Field.

Check back tomorrow and I'll fill you in on the details of our first full day!