Camp

Did you ever go to camp as a child? I went as a camper several times and as a counselor once.
Camp was one of my favorite summer experiences of being a teenager. The memories are quite abundant. Tonight, I was sharing some of the memories of the year that I was a counselor at a camp called Camp Potawatomie. This one does not qualify as the great camp experience, btw.
It was a camp for elementary aged children (1st - 6th). Looking back, I can't imagine sending my child to this place at the age she is right now. It was like a real-life Survivor experience.

It had NO ELECTRICITY in most of the cabins (NONE in my cabin). Our cabins were however, complete with bats, spiders, and an occassional night-time visit from LARGE racoons. The ages of children in my cabin were 6 & 7. It was July and the hottest portion of July. It was over 100 degrees every day we were there. So hot that during game time, they would douse the kids with water to keep them cool. NO A/C--no electricity = no A/C.
Oh yes, did I mention that we only had the opportunity to take a shower ONE time that entire week? It was the day that we got to visit a pool in the local town. YIKES!
We had to go to bed at 9 pm. That was quite a cramp in my style because I never had a bedtime and certainly didn't have a 9 pm bedtime as a 17 year old. Well, I'm not from a city the size of Chicago, however I'm not a country girl either. It was quite obvious when night fell and I would lie there on the mattress with my entire body covered with a STUFFY sleeping bag. Believe me, I wanted to sweat rather than have bats fly over my face. You could hear them fly around the cabin. We counted eleven of them one night--by shining our flashlight around the cabin.
The noise that started up at nightfall was a new one to me. It sounded like grown men guffawing. I found out that it was bullfrogs croaking in the swampy area. It made it hard to sleep. My bed was by the door. It was a screen door that DID NOT latch. These very round racoons would come to the door. My heart would pound out of my chest. These things probably weighed more than the campers in my cabin. They could and would come into the cabin. Luckily for us, there wasn't any food out to entice them to come visit.

I know this seems unbelievable, but it is totally true and I could have people vouch that it was real and happened. Just wait until I tell you about the rest of Camp Pottyonatree (that's what we called it). The next post will entail the restroom accommodations as well as the fine dining. I bet you can't wait to hear the posh details!
This forever marred my view on camping or roughing it--NOT MY THING! The nights consisted of hoping I could fall asleep and praying that I would make it to the day we could go home. MISERY!