E.P's, road kill & banter

We have just entered week 3 of summer 07 at Muskoka Woods, and I have to say that the place is as crazy as I had expected it to be. It was very weird going from Rec Staff of 25 people to a staff of 308. Plus a job that is hands on outside all day to running a store. The staff are really good and are great craic and now that we are in week 3 are up and running and I’m not asked a thousand questions every shift! You really do need to see this place to believe it its just go from 7.30am to 11.15pm.

Other things that I’m involved in is running the J2 bible study every Thursday morning and I meet with 3 staff members every week to see how they are doing and help them in any way that I can, as well as helping out with some activates. Leadership also have to go on night watch throughout the summer to make sure kids are not coming out of their cabins at night, this job I love, running around chasing kids on golf carts in the middle of the night and once they are caught making up a suitable punishment for them the only down side to this job is getting up for work the next morning!

There are now approx 30 people here from Northern Ireland we have 2 Exodus teams volunteering; we are slowly starting to take over. It’s great having them about but it’s also nice being the original. Another lot will arrive next Friday night.

It turns out I am on the camp insurance since the start of spring and didn’t realize it until I was suddenly asked to drive to Toronto! After explaining the fact that the furthest I have driven outside of camp was Rosseau [2 mins down the road] it would be better if I didn’t! But I did drive the van into Huntsville with some of the Northern Irish to do our laundry the driving was pretty good and I am confident in doing a spot more driving. On our way home in a time span of approx 30-45 seconds I dodged a cat then a Raccoon, a bat flew into my window and I hit a rabbit! What are the chances I ask?!

Over the past week we have had these amazing thunder and lightening storms with torrential rain. They have been pretty sweet, during one of them we got in Caitlin’s car and drove down to the lake and watched it. The huge forks of lighting were pretty sweet. We also drove home in one 2 nights ago which was pretty freaky esp when it seems like lighting was hitting the road in front of us!

Here’s to Northern Irish banter, creepo on Sara’s bed, crashing a party, signing up to run the Toronto half marathon for Muskoka Woods in Sept [more info to follow], "Why do I even talk?!", Jack Bauer vs Chuck Norris week, “I’m not saying, but I’m just saying…” , health care center banter visits, going bear watching, Dole grapefruit sparklers, 5.7, the family of Raccoons, our daily vitamin c intake, SUPER SATURDAY!!! [Super Saturday is the day the kids go and arrive there is always a great buzz about the place, we have themes, huge barbeques, stacks of fresh pineapple and strawberry’s and baked goods and stalls – good times], to jacking a golf cart key, party of five, going out on the speed boats, to long awkward hugs!, getting up early, Hazelwood bant, E.P’s [E.P is an emergency procedure, if I kid does not turn up for skills after 20 mins air horns are sounded and all 308 run and search an area of camp they are assigned to look for the missing guest. So within a certain time the entire camp will be searched include the lake. If we don’t find the guest within a certain time frame we move into stage 2 and then 3 which involves people getting on scuba gear and diving in the lake.] Tom hating E.P’s because he has to wade through the marsh!!, Lindsay coming to visit, and to going to Florida in 10 days!!

Pictures: Top the view of the lake from golf, the rest are of 'Muskoka Woods Trading Company' where I work- yeah I am in charge!