Friday, August 20, 2010

final night

Another summer comes to an end. In an hour the campers depart - every single one. Then the CITs. Then the staff will convene for a quick lunch, a final meeting, then to villages and cabins and lodges for a thorough cleaning (Family Camp starts tomorrow!). This evening, the staff banquet - good food (rumors are: very good), a few emotional speeches and farewells, and that's it. Some staff will leave for home or college or jobs from there; some will spend the night in camp. All will depart tomorrow morning (as will I). Too much happened last night for most folks to take notice: after rain, the sky cleared. It was still too damp to build final-night CQ fires. At 11:30/midnight, the directors delivered four boxes of pizza to each of the village staffs. By that time the pizza was cold, but no matter: this morning at breakfast they were still talking about how good it tasted, how good it was to see their directors show up with semi-illicit bounty at that unexpected time.

Earlier in the evening, as I walked around, bringing equipment back to where it belongs, stopping to say hello to a few folks I especially admire, I noticed that the sky had cleared in the area near Doubletop as one faces it from the area in front of the Administration Office. I took a grainy shot with my iPhone (not good with night shots). I like it. You can see the lights of Margetts Lodge, and, to the right, of Hayden Lodge. At the right edge a bright light attached to Smith Lodge. Atop, and somewhat to the right, is the front peak of Doubletop Mountain, the one you can see from here (the round hump under the row of clouds).

Tonight it's going to be 46 degrees. Three blankets. Hints of autumn.

Being able to see Doubletop at sunset has always been, to me, a good omen. Time to put this baby to bed. Sleep well, dear one.