It’s a normal day at Camp Tall Timbers. Children are playing, birds are chirping, nothing out of the ordinary. Like normal, everyone gathers around the office porch for some candy from Granny. Out of nowhere, three oompa-loompas working for the evil Willy Wonka stole all the candy for the camp. But CTT campers are not the type of people to not get up after falling down. They went to every candy factory in camp and completed tasks to get candy back to Granny before the oompa-loompas could steal it. Whether it be the near-impossible task of putting a volleyball onto a golf hole or eating Jell-O with no hands, we all persevered and delivered candy back to Granny leaving her very happy at the end of the night.
Lunchtime is special on Tuesday. While all meals at CTT are fun whether it is the traditional Girls’ Side chant or the counselors breaking out into a medley of Disney songs as they did yesterday, there is something special about Taco Tuesday. When the lunchtime bell rings, campers and counselors alike funnel through the cafeteria with mouths watering for a tasty CTT taco. After receiving their food, the fun does not stop; we go to what is traditionally the salad bar, but on Tuesdays, becomes a cornucopia of options for making one of the best meals camp has to offer. Though biggest taco-making and fastest eating contests don’t sound like much, Taco Tuesday is one of the most anticipated days of the CTT week.
What is great about the first few days of camp is that some try activities for the first time and fall in love, and others who having been playing sports or climbing since they were nine are perfecting their skills. Charlotte Bell shot a gun for the first time. Following in her brother’s footsteps, Corinne Polk-Trauman learned her first guitar chords as did Hannah Stitely and Julia Perline. Building on their skills, Jasmine Whims and Matt Kasoff made it up the new climbing wall. Brendan Arnold, Adam Fiergang, and Justin Smedley shot bullseyes. Ian Osterman won a game in tennis. Josh Arnold found a deer skull, which while not an activity we offer, is still an accomplishment. Melorie Jenkins won red light/green light in horses and in riflery, Jake Sanders, John Barnes, and Robert Bell shot soda cans.
Today, Boys’ Leagues commences with all of boys’ side being split into four teams to compete for the rest of the session in sports and the CTTFFL begins the draft as well. The older campers partake in a leadership program, which, starting today, focuses on taking a larger responsibility role at camp from learning teamwork skills to building a cornhole set for camp to use forever. Tonight is Cabin Activity Night where the cabins and tent groups get to bond at an area of camp and build on the friendships that will last a lifetime. It’s time for another great day!