This author profile represents a collective of people contributing to articles and blog posts on the Rockbrook Summer Camp Site. These authors include camp directors, counselors, adventure staff members, camp moms, and other volunteers, each providing their unique perspective and thoughts on life at camp.
Our streak of amazingly perfect weather has continued. As other places are suffering from a heat wave, we are still enjoying low temperatures in the 60s in the morning and 80s in the afternoon. Just down the mountain in south Carolina, it’s more than 10 degrees warmer. It’s no wonder that camps were built here in the mountains. They were a welcome relief from the summer heat back when there was no air conditioning. It’s been particularly nice these past two weeks with sunny skies and low humidity. It’s made being outside extra delightful!
A month or so ago, I was interviewed by the editor of a local magazine about camp. Now, the article has just been published: “Multiple Benefits of Summer Camp,” by Randee Brown in WNC Business. If you’ve read the Rockbrook blog over the years, you know I have a lot to say on this topic! For example, this article is a good summary of the top ten benefits. In the interview, I tried to convey how camp can be understood as “fun that matters.” Camp is much more than just entertainment or diversion. It’s formative too. The parents with children who go to camp already know this because they see it in how much their kids grow from the experience. Here’s the article if you’d like to take a look.
This past weekend we held an all-camp dance in the gym for our evening activity. The counselors and campers put on fancy clothes and costumes, and with great dance-pop numbers blasting from the sound system, had a great time zooming around arm in arm, jumping up and down to the beat, and joining in more choreographed dance numbers. The counselors had just as much fun as the campers. When folks needed to take a break and cool off —all that dancing can make you sweaty! —there was a good crowd hanging out just outside. A few played gagaball and tetherball too. Everyone really enjoyed being together and celebrating like this.
As we enter the last week of camp, there’s still lots to do and to look forward to. A highlight will be the banquet, but before that, we’ll savor our time together and enjoy the activities. At this point in the session, that’s really what we matters most. It’s being with the people, not doing the specific things, that we are cherishing. This becomes even more true when it’s time for the closing campfire, the Spirit Fire. Again, it’s the friendships formed at camp that really matter because they strengthen each of individually at the same time. Such good stuff!
The arrival of cabin day is exciting for everyone because it means switching up our schedule for the afternoon and doing something special with our cabin groups. It can also mean an entire age group (Juniors, Middlers, or Seniors) playing a game together, or taking a trip together.
The Seniors gathered on the landsports field for a crazy event of relays and games they called “Splash.” Each cabin group played a series of mini-games like a spoon-and-egg (though with ping-pong balls) relay, a challenge to draw a counselor, a wacky “acting” walk relay, and a wild costume relay. You can see in the photos that the costumes were over the top, especially when one person from each group had to put on all of the costumes at once for a final fashion show. Good silly fun! The last event was a challenge to protect a water balloon from breaking by building a protective case of some sort. They were given simple materials like a piece of cardboard, a strip of tape, and a few rubber bands or string, and then told to “design something that will keep your water balloon from breaking.” Working together, the groups came up with very creative solutions.
Three cabins of Juniors took a trip down the road to visit a local flower and berry farm. For these kids, the fun began right away. Just riding on the bus, singing the songs along the way, is enough to get excited. When they arrived at the farm and saw the beautifully tended rows of flowers, they were thrilled to romp about exploring. The farm also has resident bunnies and chickens that the girls could pet and hug. You might think hugging a chicken would be unpleasant, or petting a bunny somehow worrisome, but these girls loved it. They also picked flowers and brought back beautiful bouquets to decorate their dining hall tables. The outing also included a detour over to Dolly’s Dairy Bar, everyone’s favorite ice cream stand. It’s great fun to step up to the window and order your favorite flavor in a cup or cone. Dolly’s has unique flavors named after many of the local area summer camps. A popular choice with the campers is the bright blue “Chosatonga Cheer,” but also the very rich “Rockbrook Chocolate Illusion.”
The Senior girls had another surprise for them after dinner— an evening trip to Sliding Rock! With all six buses and vans loaded, we arrived at the famous spot in the Pisgah National forest where Looking Glass Creek flows over a smooth rock dome. For decades, it’s been a thrill to sit down in the creek at the top and slide down for a “refreshing” dunk at the bottom. Rockbrook has been taking campers there for easily 50 years.
Tonight we arrived with our crew of lifeguards, and almost 90 people who were ready to slide. It can be a little shocking when you first sit down in the water, but the sound of loud rushing water mixed with the cheers of the other girls makes it all too exciting. Soon the water is pushing you down the rock accelerating to the splash pool below. We allow the campers to slide 2 at a time making it even more of a scream-inducing blast.
Then it was a stop at Dolly’s for the Seniors too! Since this ice cream stand is located at the entrance to the Forest, it’s just natural to stop on the way back to camp. So we plan for it! It’s also a nice way to warm up, in a way, after the chill of Sliding Rock. The ice cream acts like a recharge, soon inspiring everyone to sing camp songs… as loud as possible. It’s enthusiastic camp pride, mixed with a little zing from the sugary, creamy goodness of the ice cream. Altogether, it’s a perfect combination to end a wonderful night.
Sometimes a theme can make a big difference. Today that theme made many things at camp pink. From what we wore, to the decorations in the dining hall, to what we ate, pink was the dominant color of the day. Everyone was wearing rose-colored glasses, or was it rose colored everything? At times it was a little glamorous and at others a completely carefree lifestyle full of fabulous opportunities. Overall camp felt like a dreamworld. Can you guess the theme? Yes, today was Barbie day! And it was a full-on celebration!
The day started with— surprise! —PINK oatmeal, pink yogurt and raspberries with the usual cereal and granola options. The dining hall was a feast of pink because the counselors and many of the campers were already representing their best Barbie pink outfits and accessories. The HUPS led the dining hall singing Barbie songs. Soon, we all found ourselves adding “Hi, Barbie!” to our greetings and conversations, always with a cheerful upbeat tone.
A highlight of the morning was the surprise muffin flavor. Yep, Barbie Muffins! They were vanilla raspberry muffins with pink sugar on top. They were completely delicious, and of course a big hit with everyone.
The pink continued all day as different Barbies could be spotted enjoying camp activities. We saw a Rockstar Barbie, Spring Bouquet Barbie, Publicity Tour Barbie, a Bridal Barbie, a Western Barbie, and a creative “Weird Barbie.” And of course, there were a few Kens to round out the fabulous crew. It turns out Barbie knows how to rock climb, ride a horse, shoot an arrow, and throw a pot on the potter’s wheel. Who knew? But here at Rockbrook, that’s not too surprising. These Barbies are powerful!
We transformed dinner into an outdoor BARBIE-cue, eating our pasta and hotdog buffet out on the Hill. There were plenty of options to satisfy every Barbie’s taste. A delightful dessert wrapped up the meal: “Barbie dirt.” These were pink pudding cups with Oreo crumbles and a gummy worm in each cup. Eating on the Hill is a cherished Rockbrook tradition. It’s another chance for all of us, all ages, to enjoy simply being together. Tonight in the beautiful golden hour light, amongst all those Barbies, it was whimsical and fun.
After dinner the campers found more Barbie-themed activities. There was a Barbie Fashion Show, a platform for campers to showcase their creative costumes. Another option was to build Barbie Dream Houses for forest fairies. This involved using sticks, moss and (pink!) painted rocks to construct miniature masterpieces. Finally, we held a Barbie Karaoke extravaganza in the dining hall. With a projector to display the lyrics and a sign-up sheet to select songs, the evening became a sing-a-long party. Campers belted out tunes from the Barbie movie alongside hits by Taylor Swift.
It was a great camp day, steeped in pink, and “totally awesome!”
We follow a different schedule on Sundays at camp. To everyone’s delight, it begins with a later wakeup bell, allowing a little extra rest after the busy week. The girls come to breakfast in their pajamas if they want to, and love finding a box of freshly delivered Krispy Kreme donuts on their table as an added treat. The songs are sung a little quieter as everyone slowly opens up to the day. Back in the cabin, everyone then changes into their camp uniforms readying for the flag raising ceremony and Chapel gathering.
Everyone looked sharp dressed in their red and white uniforms lining up in the sunshine. The Hi-Up (10th grade) campers serve as the color guard. They file up to the flagpole on the hill and raise both the American flag and a special Rockbrook flag commemorating the camp’s Centennial in 2021. Then, in silence, everyone walks to a special amphitheater in the woods where we hold our chapel programs.
At Rockbrook, what we call “chapel” is not a religious ceremony. Instead, it is a community gathering where we can slow down and reflect a bit on some of the core positive values we share. Each chapel revolves around a theme, and consists of songs, poems, and usually a story read by Sarah. We want all of the campers and staff, no matter what their family religious background to feel comfortable at our “chapel.” The campers themselves select the readings and songs, and Sarah invites campers to speak about what the theme of the gathering means to them. Past themes have been community, generosity, happiness, respect, and friendship, for example. Lately, “chapel” has been understood as an acronym for “Celebration of Happiness, Adventure, Peace, Earth and Love.”
Today’s theme was “Nature.” A few campers took turns telling the group what Nature meant to them while they are here at camp. Sarah read the children’s book “Outside In” by Deborah Underwood. One junior performed an original song about the beauty of nature. Some seniors mentioned how nice it was to be away from their technology and enjoy time outdoors. One senior particularly stressed the importance of taking care of the environment. They practiced “noticing” too, where everyone paused and tried to notice something amazing in the natural world around them. This is one of the great things about camp— there’s always something remarkable to notice, if you just pause and pay attention.
We devoted the afternoon to an all-camp activity held down on the Carrier House lawn— a fun Renaissance fair. This was an event with multiple activities all happening at once allowing the campers to flit from one to the other however they were inspired. The festivities included a “Wench’s Tavern” that served warm soft pretzels and kettle corn.
Campers could make elaborate flower crowns. A “Tomfoolery” station invited girls to juggling, ribbon dancing and hula hooping. We played games: a burlap sack race (“The Burlap Bounce”), cornhole (“The King’s Kernels”), and a hidden table shuffle game with goblets (“Bamboozled”). Campers also scoured the area searching for golden doubloons they could cash in for prizes.
Other activities included visiting a mysterious fortune teller named Madam Brunhilde. She would dispense cryptic advice like “There’s a muffin in your future” or “Beware of fuzzy creatures whose name starts with ‘F’,” a weakly veiled reference to Felix our camp dog. We had an inflatable bungee challenge for those feeling energetic and we organized a human Maypole complete with colorful ribbons. With popular music remixed to a medieval twist playing and a mischievous Jester romping about, it was a scene of colorful merriment.
The whole event was surprisingly more fun when we found ourselves in a steady summer rainstorm. Since there was no thunder or lightning, we carried on and embraced the feeling of being wet while playing. Following our chapel theme, we drew ourselves closer to Nature, laughing and dancing among the raindrops. It was actually glorious! The rain amplified the merriment, making the whole event more delightful. And when the rain subsided and the sun emerged, we felt like it was a true celebration.
The surprise everyone was waiting for was finally revealed last night. Planned from the very first day of camp, this was a well-kept secret all session long. The CA campers (9th graders) presented their banquet, an all-camp party to celebrate the session and our time together at camp. What’s kept a secret is the theme of the party. Only the CAs and their counselors know the theme— until the event happens.
Based on the theme, the CA girls decorate the inside of the dining hall, dress in costume, serve particular food, perform skits and choreographed group dances, and play special music. So what was the theme this session? It was a “slumber party” banquet!
Imagine going to a huge slumber party of 160 girls all in the same room. That’s what we had at this banquet. The CAs all dressed as party guests in pajamas and slippers, while their counselors dressed as “moms” in velour tracksuit loungewear. All of the campers first removed their shoes before entering the “bedroom” where the sleepover would take place. On floor-to-ceiling paper panels, the CAs had painted all sorts of things to make the dining hall look like a bedroom set up for a slumber party. They painted balloons, bedroom furniture, a TV with Netflix, a diary, a telephone, an invitation, board games, sleeping bags, slippers, nail polish bottles, a book shelf, a closet of clothes hanging, eye masks, pajamas, a lava lamp, and Polaroid photos. These colorful wall decorations, plus the streamers, fairy lights and party hats made the whole scene fun and festive.
For food, they served Rick’s homemade pizza as the main “movie night” entrée. They had popcorn too, of course. And with a nod to the moms, they also served carrot and celery sticks. They gave each camper a small can of soda to drink and for dessert offered ice cream sandwiches, adding to the candy treats scattered across the tables.
In addition to playing a few classic slumber party games like Charades, painting nails, and Telephone, some interesting drama unfolded when one of the campers went “missing” during a game of hide and seek. Where was Virginia!? A little later someone dressed as a ghost appeared at the party to scare everyone as a prank! And it was Virginia! The velour tracksuit moms got in on the fun too when they performed a dance number for everyone. At one point a counselor dressed as a pizza delivery guy arrived to announce the main course of the meal.
Between scenes in these skits and the CAs delivering platters of food from the kitchen, everyone was up and dancing. It was an explosion of joy at times with the entire camp jumping up and down to a favorite song. That’s the feeling of a banquet. It’s incredibly fun, with friends all around, loud singing and dancing, and enough food and treats to fuel the energy.
These girls have grown so close over their time together at camp, it’s completely natural now to celebrate like this together. Toward the end of the banquet, emotions rise and even a few tears get mixed with the non-stop hugging. This makes it the best kind of party— one that brings you closer to your friends attending. The girls loved this banquet. It’s easy to see why!
My friend recently visited Rockbrook with her daughter, a prospective Rockbrook camper. They had a wonderful visit, and I wasn’t surprised when she described Rockbrook as “magical.” If you read the camp blog on a regular basis, you know that the magic of Rockbrook is a recurring theme. Over the past few years, there have been numerous posts on this topic: “A Magical Day at Summer Camp,” “The Magic of Moments,” and “Reliving the Magic,” just to name a few.
It seems it would be easy to understand the magic of Rockbrook if you’re on the inside. Campers, counselors, staff members, directors, and even the owners get to witness this magic on a daily basis. For those of us on the outside, however, it’s not as easy to wrap our heads around this idea of magic – especially if, like me, you’ve never had the opportunity to experience Rockbrook (or any other summer camp).
As I write this, my daughter is at Rockbrook for her third summer. I think maybe I am starting to understand a little more of what the Rockbrook magic is all about. Over the last couple of years, I have seen hundreds of photos of girls smiling and laughing as they participate in camp activities. As I see photo after photo of girls living out the Rockbrook principle of “be kind, be silly, be brave,” it’s impossible to miss all of the magical moments taking place at camp.
I pick up on a little bit more of that magic with every letter my daughter sends from camp. In a recent letter, she told us about the “polar plunge,” where at 8:05 AM one day, she would jump into a “freezing cold lake.” It may not sound very fun but when that lake happens to be at Rockbrook and you get to share the experience with your Rockbrook friends, it becomes something magical. The chance to earn a special bead (a fun Rockbrook tradition) only adds to the magic.
I’ve even been fortunate enough to witness some Rockbrook magic in person. If you ever visit Dolly’s (a Rockbrook favorite) on a summer evening, you may see a large group of campers enjoying ice cream after a trip to Sliding Rock. And if you’re lucky enough, you may be treated to a live performance featuring classic camp songs that have been passed down through generations of Rockbrook campers. As these girls sing at the top of their lungs without a care in the world, you can feel the magic in the air. And while some may disagree, I think it’s more magical than a Taylor Swift concert.
The magic of Rockbrook goes beyond the heart of a wooded mountain. When I pick my daughter up in a few days, I know she’ll be bringing some of that magic home with her. And maybe she, along with her fellow Rockbrook campers, will spread a little bit of Rockbrook magic into the world – because wouldn’t that be wonderful?
There are two historic log cabins at Rockbrook that are older than the camp and were moved here when the camp was established. Each has a stone fireplace, rustic wooden floors, and a shaded porch on one side. The “Goodwill” cabin is named after the estate in South Carolina where Nancy Carrier, the camp’s founder, was born. The other is called “Curosty” and is the home of our fiber arts activities, both Weaving and Needlecraft.
The Needlecraft activity meets on the back porch of the Curosty cabin, right next to Rockbrook creek and in the shade of a nearby hemlock, a beech tree and rhododendron bushes. With the creek sounds and summer breezes blowing through the shaded porch, the campers and needlecraft instructors sit around a red painted table sewing, stitching, cutting fabrics, knitting and crocheting yarns. For more than 100 years, this has been a place for creative expression using threads, yarns, and ribbons.
Sara Green, one of the Needlecraft specialists this summer, describes this porch as “a truly magical and inspiring place where creativity flourishes, friendships are formed, and campers have the freedom to explore their artistic passions.” She explains how they take an expressive art approach. “On the porch, we embrace an expressive approach to needlecraft. This allows each camper to discover her own artistic voice and create projects that are meaningful to them.”
“We start with basic techniques like threading needles, sewing seams, and crocheting chains. By practicing the basic skills and learning new stitches, campers gain confidence in their abilities and become more comfortable with the crafts. We encourage the campers to slow down into the craft… to let go of what the finished project will look like and any time restraints. This patient and mindful approach creates a supportive environment where campers can take their time to hone their skills, relax, and get comfortable in their chosen craft.
“In their own time, each camper’s creativity and desire for self-expression naturally emerges. Whether it’s through a bit of gritty frustration or focused mindful practice, we witness a noticeable shift. This is a magical time on the porch! Campers begin to envision and design their own projects, guided by their creative hearts and empowered by the support of the specialists. Campers that were persevering through the basic crochet stitches are soon designing their own clothes. Campers that have never threaded a needle are soon creating personalized embroidered gifts designed for loved ones at home and here at camp.
The porch becomes a place of laughter, learning, and meaningful experiences as the campers stitch their way through big ideas and challenges. There’s something incredibly special about taking raw materials and transforming them into a completed masterpiece. By letting go of a strict focus on the final product and allowing the process to guide them, the campers can embrace the beauty of artistic expression and feel the joy of creating something truly their own. This pride in their work can build a strong sense of accomplishment, and the knowledge that they can create something beautiful with their own hands. We hope this is a gift that stays with them for life.”
Sundays at Rockbrook slow down a bit. We paused our regular activity schedule to give us some time to reflect about camp life and to enjoy an afternoon all-camp event of some sort. It begins by letting everyone sleep an extra 30 minutes and come to breakfast in their pajamas. Cabin chores can be done later in the morning, so most everyone sleeps in and stumbles to breakfast in a warm sweatshirt over their pajamas.
By mid-morning, everyone dresses in their camp uniform (white shirt and shorts with a red tie for campers) and assembles around the flagpole on the hill for a short flag raising ceremony conducted by the Hi-Ups. They raise the flag and we all recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Today the weather was threatening rain in the morning, so instead of walking to the Chapel area located past the end of the lower line, we made our way to the gym for the ceremony.
“Chapel” is not a religious ceremony at Rockbrook, despite its traditional name. Instead, we understand it as a time for us to recognize some of the important values and concepts we all hold as a community. We’ve started to understand “chapel,” for this reason, as an acronym standing for “Celebration of Happiness, Adventure, Peace, Earth and Love.” In addition to these, past chapel themes have been Friendship, Honesty, Compassion, and Community, to name a few. These are all experiences that we find at camp and we can endorse no matter what a camper’s religious upbringing. The different age groups take turns selecting the theme for Chapel, and then designing the program of songs and speeches that address the theme. Sarah always contributes a few thoughts on the theme too. She usually does this by reading a children’s book, and then commenting on how the book speaks to the theme.
Today, the Juniors presented their theme: “Adventure.” They sang a few Disney songs about adventure and the bravery it often requires. Sarah read The Fossil Girl, a story about Mary Anning, who lived in England and discovered the world’s first complete fossil of an Ichthyosaurus when she was just 10 years old. It’s a true story of a young girl whose persistence and daring makes her success possible.
The day’s highlight came after rest hour when we held a Candy land themed Carnival down on our grassy landsports field. This all-camp event featured 2 water based inflatables, silly games, upbeat music and special food. The girls came dressed in their swimsuits, and in the bright sun of the afternoon, climbed an inflatable waterslide to splash into the pool at the bottom. The other was a wild two-person race obstacle course that ended in another pool. We had a lawn sprinkler going too, so anyone could cool off if they wanted.
There were several carnival games to play as well: a life-sized Candy Land game that involved “rolling” a giant die, tossing an inflated donut challenge, a beanbag toss game, a dance competition game, and a strange game that challenged players to use only their feet to unwrap a giant ball of candy encased in plastic wrap. In all of the games, there were small candy treats and small toys to win.
For food, we had a special treat made by Jenny’s Mini Donuts, a local food truck. Each person from each cabin group got to choose between cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar mini donuts. They were a huge hit!
Bare-footed and excited, the campers zoomed from game to game, cooling off in the water events, eating the candy they won, and dancing with their friends to the music. The girls cheered for each other on the obstacle course and laughed with every splash at the bottom of the water slide. It was an exciting event, really an ideal way to spend the afternoon at camp.
If I had to define the gist of this blog, I’d say its goal is both to describe what happens at camp, and to explain why Rockbrook is what is, does what it does, and makes a difference for the people here. If you ask anyone who attends camp to convey what’s so special about it, they’re bound to struggle, and finally throw up their hands and say, “you just don’t get it.” I’ve been working at this task for almost 20 years, and I still feel there’s more to say. If discussing camp was a simple thing, you’d think I would have figured it out by now, but I haven’t! Sure, I have my theories, but they’re certainly incomplete.
Let me today interpret a few recent photos you’ve seen in the online gallery.
Muffins! You may have heard of our famous muffin break, that special time between morning activity periods (around 11am) when we serve a freshly baked muffin to all the campers and staff members. When the bell rings to change morning activities, everyone detours toward the dining hall porch where the Hi-Ups pass out the day’s muffin. Everyday it’s a surprise flavor too! It could be “cherry white chocolate,” “pumpkin chocolate chip,” “funfetti sprinkles,” or classic “blueberry,” for example. The baker sometimes creates amazing unique flavors, like when she made “key lime pie” muffins, and the legendary “cookie dough” muffins that where topped with a small dollop of cookie dough. Realizing that the girls could use a mid-morning snack, and loving fresh baked goods herself, Sarah invented the idea of muffin break. Ever since, and probably forever more, we all enjoy muffins at Rockbrook.
Woodworking! It’s our newest activity addition at Rockbrook and is quickly becoming one of the most popular. In the wood shop, located behind the lower pottery studio, the girls are measuring, cutting, shaping, gluing, drilling and sanding pieces of wood. They’re learning these basic woodworking skills while they make wooden journal covers, cutting boards, sculpted candle holders, or secret boxes. Along the way, they are using true woodworking tools like pull saws, block planes, chisels, rasps, tape measures, drills, and clamps. This is an activity that really empowers the girls and gives them a great sense of accomplishment when they have a finished project to take home. It’s a great example of camp proving to them they are more powerful than they think. No wonder it’s popular!
Gaga ball! You may not have heard of this group game, but it’s always a big attraction at camp. During any block of free time, there’ll be a dozen or more girls crowded around our gaga ball “pit.” The game is a form of dodgeball and was invented in Israel in the 1970s. All of the players start in the pit and then swat a small rubber ball around trying to hit other players with the ball. If hit, a player is “out” and must hop out and over the wall to wait until the game is over— when only one player remains. Each game only takes a few minutes to play, so even if you’re out, you’ll be back in to play another game shortly. One variation allows players who are out to reach over the wall and hit the ball. If they hit it and get someone else out of the game, they get to go back in. Gaga ball is a fast paced game that’s easy to learn and fun to play, especially with a large group.
Horseback riding! Rockbrook is known for its riding program and, as you might guess, attracts girls who love riding. This is why we have so much of it going on. During the 4 activity periods each day, we’ll have up to 6 different mounted lessons occurring simultaneously— girls on horses learning to walk their horse through a course, to find the right posting rhythm while trotting their horse, and to canter over cross rails and jumps. There are lessons for all skill levels. The girls learn to tack up their horses and how to take care of their stalls. For those really excited about horses, there is our “stable club” which gives girls a chance to work even more with the Rockbrook horses— washing them, feeding and watering them, and taking care of their feet. With 32 horses currently at the riding center, there’s always plenty to do…. and usually plenty of girls eager to help.
Rain! This afternoon, like many afternoons around here, we had a brief thunderstorm pass over camp. In a way, these are welcome breaks from the heat, but they can also include lightning. To help us be safe during these storms, we have a lightning warning system that automatically sends out a loud horn-like sound whenever lightning is detected near camp. The campers and staff know that when they hear this sound, they should immediately take shelter in a building. The lifeguards clear the lake. Riders dismount from their horses. Tennis players, and everyone outside, moves inside. This lightning system continually monitors the storm, and when there has been no additional lightning in the area for 20 minutes, sounds an “all clear” horn signaling everyone that it’s now OK to resume their regular activities. The system works great, usually giving us plenty of notice before a rainstorm is upon us. Today that storm lasted about 45 minutes, just long enough to play a quick card game in the dining hall or ballgame the gym before heading back out.
Camp is so many things. These blog posts can only give a hint as to its depth, just like the photo gallery can only capture a handful of brief moments among millions each day. There’s cool grey fog in the mornings and golden sunsets at dusk, but in between there are Rockbrook girls woven into the textures of camp life. It’s a full life, rich with new experiences, a good life, for sure.
