As the sun pierced through the morning fog, campers rolled out of bed and meandered to the tuck. A tasty breakfast of french toast sticks was on the menu this morning, and I don’t think anyone had any complaints about that! With bellies full, we announced our presence to the heavens just like we do every day, with our morning yell. Now we can start the day…

 

In chapel, we heard a cautionary tale about jumping off of bunk beds from counselor Seth B. Along with his warning, he used the story as a metaphor for how God rescues us from the worst situations, even when we put ourselves there. 

 

Following chapel and cabin clean-up, it was time for another exciting day of activities and trips! 

Hayden D, Beau I, Tyler J, Jack S, Ben W, and Will W, ventured over to Curtis Creek to catch some fish! Great times were had by all, and many fish were reeled in! Our other trip combines two of our adventure activities here at Timberlake, climbing, and backpacking. The fellas, Will B, Freddy V, Richard B, Ford B, Peter Q, and Grady R, spent their day scrambling up some of Western NC’s finest rock faces. Tonight they are swapping stories around the fire and pitching their tents before another morning of climbing tomorrow. What an adventure! 

 

While trips are an epic part of camp, that doesn’t mean we don’t have our own adventures here on property every day! Louis W and Aaron W both moved one step closer to their kayaking bronze bar by mastering the side by side rescue, a crucial skill for any kayaker. Joe L put in some serious work on his mountain biking skills and should have that bronze bar by the end of the week!

 

After a morning full of fun, it was time to refuel for an equally epic afternoon. We raced down to the tuck for a welcomed feast of club sandwiches, chips, broccoli soup, baked potatoes and blueberry salad! I can confirm it was delicious. We also heard the news of cleanest cabin of the day… Greybeard! In other announcements, the Golden Eagles won our previous evening’s activity, battle ball. But fear not Black Bears, for redemption is just a few hours away… After filling our bellies, we gotta let that food settle. Rest time was a welcomed break before a full afternoon. 

 

Free time brought with it a slew of activities. Junior camp enjoyed a free swim on this bright and sunny afternoon, trade post was enjoyed by all, and we even had a friendly fencing tournament against our sister camp, Merri-Mac! I have good word that our guys competed with real integrity and brought home a W for Timberlake. 

After free time it was off to 3rd and 4th period activities! In swimming, Hays S earned his silver bar! Those swimming bars are no joke so big props to Hays for earning that. In other silver bar news, Boone R is on his last phase of silver requirements for airsoft, one of our most popular activities. Over on the archery range, also a highly requested activity, Evan L completed a bronze grouping! Way to go Evan! 

 

Activities wrapped up this afternoon with a cooling shower of rain. The summer storms that can roll over the mountains here in Western North Carolina never cease to amaze me. We might get a little wet, but the rainbows that usually follow are a sight to behold. After the rain passed we tromped down the hill to the dining hall for some dinner. Our kitchen staff does an excellent job of keeping us filled up and ready for action all day every day. Tonight, they prepared a wonderful feast of roast pork, cheesy potatoes, house salad, and warm dinner rolls. We topped it off with some rice krispy treats and boy oh boy was it exactly what we needed after such an epic day. Moments ago, our Sultan of Fun, Archie D, donned the famous red helmet and proclaimed MISSION IMPOSSIBLE as our game for this evening. As the Sultan Emeritus, I can safely say that this is one of the best big games here at camp and one I always looked forward to watching/running.  As I type, your boys are out there fighting for their tribes, trying to capture those bases and claim victory. 

 

And so another day winds down here at Timberlake. Tune in tomorrow to find out who won Mission Impossible and all the great adventures that are yet to come!

Until next time,

 

Winston Horn

Program Director

Proud Golden Eagle

Hotty Toddy