This fabulous photo comes from Karin Turer ('88-'97), and here is Karin's story:This is from my summer as a VC of Woodwise (1996). I had a great, well-balanced staff, and amazing kids!
The night of this photo was one of my favorite instances of FV gumbo spirit, and it actually mirrors a night in my first summer (1988) that clearly had an impression on me. On the night in 1988, I was in Susky and we had an evening activity with Forest - I think a soccer game - which was rain-interrupted and turned into lots of mud fun with a finale of a greasy watermelon in the lake. I believe all of it was planned on the spur of the moment (even the watermelon? who knows???) and was a high point to the session.
Fast forward to 1996 - we'd spent the whole Sunday post-brunch packing up for our two-night overnight (over Wildcat, to Strauss, then to Pete's Pavilion I think) which we were supposed to leave for later that afternoon. Packing with Woodwise was always difficult because the kids are -fair enough- still in the no-equipment phase of life, and we didn't have enough out-trip packs to go around. So there was lots of cooperative kneeling on duffel bags to try to squeeze the zipper shut on a huge sleeping bag inside. Anyway, it was a long process and we were thrilled to get going.
Of course then - Boom! Huge, huge, thunderstorm - one of the biggest I remember - and we were delayed again. BUT - there was some really good mud forming! I don't know how we got started, but we were off! We got the kids in their skankiest clothing and got as dirty as possible, running through camp. Hodo dinners had been moved inside the dining hall, and we ran through yelling and chanting and who knows what else. It was awesome.
Finally we ran to the lake to jump in and joyfully de-mud. By a miracle, my brother was visiting for the day (he wasn't working that summer) and snapped this photo. The lighting was perfect, and here's my kids: Andrew ("little man" - who is now tall and an EE staff alum), Dan, Caitlin, Chelsea (who had been horribly homesick), Peter (who had a brother in MAC but had his great times at FV as well), Craig (on staff), me, Ryan, Laura W, Julia, Ayelet, Julia Rose, Phil, Avala, Ren, Rachel (on staff - we'd been campers together), and Jarret!
At another point in that session, we'd had a fancy cookout dinner and a "porch party" - Hird Lodge had a great porch and we brought a boom box out and we and the kids danced. So much fun! The next day at VC breakfast, Rob Lehman said to me, "I could hear your kids last night all the way from my house". Uh oh, I thought - I wasn't always the strongest at rules and order (and getting the kids to breakfast on time). I started to apologize, but Rob stopped me saying, "It was great - it was really clear that the kids were having the best time."
Yay - well, I was, too! Spending time mainly working in Woodwise and Sequoia was tougher on the social life - no periods off, weird schedules, out of camp a lot - but I seriously had the greatest times with the kids.
