Chapter Two: Bugs and Bears
After the girls made up their beds, they changed into their Camp Wildwood shirts, and then took Emma’s totes full of food to the main lodge for storage. They were pleased to find that the main lodge had a large kitchen, fully stocked, with the capacity to cook meals for large crowds.
“Let’s take a look around the camp,” Kacey suggested, and the others agreed.
They walked toward the lake and found a long, sturdy wooden dock. They went up on the dock, where canoes and some larger row boats were tied to it. On the other side of the dock was a long, sandy beach. Red and white buoys bobbed in the water, marking the area where swimming was allowed.
The lake was at least two miles across, and several miles long. There were two large islands off in the distance. A gentle breeze ruffled the surface of the lake. In the distance, they spotted a sailboat skating over the water’s surface, slicing through the waves. It leaned precariously to one side, and then tilted up as the boat changed direction.
“That looks like fun!” Emma remarked.
“Yeah, maybe Justin will take you out for a boat ride,” Ava suggested.
Emma made a face at her, “I’m sure Justin has better things to do.”
“It never hurts to try,” Ava replied.
Emma shook her head and sighed, “After what happened on our ski trip last Christmas, I don’t think I want to date any more strange guys.”
Kacey giggled and said, “Yeah, you sure know how to pick them, Emma!”
“Do I! How was I to know the guy was a kidnapper? He seemed normal... like Justin...who’s probably an ax murderer or something.”
They all laughed at that idea, and headed back to shore.
They explored all the trails around the lodge. One led to an open field used for games. Another led to a building that housed the bathrooms and showers. A third trail led up through the woods to a large circular area that had seats made of logs, and a wooden platform on one side. A sign posted on a tree near the platform read, “Amphitheater”.
“What’s this?” asked Emma.
“It’s like an open auditorium. They probably use it for shows or meetings,” Kacey explained.
By following more trails they found a playground, a cabin where the maintenance office was located, and a large corral and small barn. Inside the barn they found four horses in stalls feeding on hay. A teenage girl was stuffing hay into the troughs.
“Hi,” she greeted, “Are you girls new here?”
“Yeah, this is our first time here. We’re counselors,” Kacey replied. She introduced herself and her friends.
“I’m Deena. I take care of these beauties. I also help the kids when we go horseback riding.”
“That sounds like fun!” Ava exclaimed.
“Oh, do you ride?” asked Deena.
“Not recently, but I used to ride back in high school.”
“Well, you girls are welcome to go riding with me when we’re not busy. Just come here anytime, and I’m usually around.”
“Thanks, we will! Nice to meet you, Deena,” Kacey replied and after petting the horses, they headed back to the main lodge. Near the lodge, they found the infirmary where first aid and medical care was administered by the nurse on duty.
There was another small building where the camp offices were located. Here they met the camp director, Mr. Shilling. He was a happy, smiling, older man with glasses perched on his large nose. He wore a camp T-shirt and a baseball cap. He was pleased to meet the girls, and welcomed them to Camp Wildwood.
“If you need anything, just let me know. By the way, cell phones don’t work too well up here, but you can use my desk phone any time you need to. Just dial 9 to get an outside line.”
The girls thanked him and headed over to the main lodge.
They spent an hour looking at the displays hanging on the walls of the main lodge. Some displays were butterfly collections, and others were wild flower and leaf collections. One showed various types of rope knots, and a few others were examples of crafts that campers had made. A large poster displayed the camp creed, ‘Do everything with joy, respect, and kindness to all’.
Soon, other counselors and camp workers filtered in to the lodge and began taking seats at the picnic tables. The girls met several other counselors, including a girl named Tasha, who told them she would be their tent mate.
“You’re staying in Hawk’s Nest, too? That’s great!” Kacey smiled.
Emma told her, “I brought tons of great snacks, but I couldn’t keep them in our tent because of the bears.”
“Well, maybe we can sneak over here at the night and stuff ourselves in the kitchen!” Tasha suggested.
“That sounds like fun!” Emma agreed, happy that she had found someone who liked bedtime snacks as much as she did.
The room became noisy with people talking, but settled down once the food was served. Plates of hot dogs, bags potato chips, bowls of salad, and plates of hot corn on the cob were placed on each table. Everyone helped themselves to the food and drinks.
During dinner, everyone chatted excitedly about the opening day of camp. As soon as everyone finished eating, Sandy stood up and blew a whistle. Everyone quieted down and waited for her to speak.
“Welcome everyone, to our first session of summer camp at Thunderhead. First, I want to tell you about some of the new upgrades we have here, and then Mr. Shillings, our camp director, will talk about your roles and responsibilities. If you have questions, please wait until he’s done and then he and I will answer them.”
The girls listened to Sandy describe the new additions to the camp: the new concrete ramp that was installed on the beach to help kids in wheelchairs get into the water, the new baseball and soccer equipment donated by a local business, and an air-conditioned cabin for kids with respiratory illnesses.
When she finished, everyone applauded the new upgrades. Mr. Shillings spoke about the purpose of the camp, which was to help every child have fun and leave with memories they would treasure forever. He informed the group that many of the children who come to Camp Wildwood return again for several years in a row.
“Your first responsibility is to ensure the safety of every child here at Camp Wildwood. Your second job is to help every child have a great time by being patient, helpful, and kind at all times. If you have problems with any of the children, please do not get angry with them. They have many problems they are dealing with, and sometimes they get frustrated. Instead, get Sandy or me to help. The child may need some time out with us, or a place to calm down.”
“You’ll each receive a schedule of your duties. We have experienced counselors to lead the activities and new counselors who will assist. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to come and see me. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have volunteered your services to help our kids. They may not always say it, but they truly do appreciate your efforts. Good luck and have a great time!”
Everyone applauded and cheered in response. The meeting was adjourned and everyone helped to clean up the tables before leaving.
Sandy handed out schedules to all of the counselors, and the three friends eagerly read them.
“Oh, cool!” Ava exclaimed, “In the mornings, I get to help Deena with the kids on horseback rides! Then in the afternoons, I teach camping skills for the first two days, the next three days I assist with archery, and then do an overnight camp out.”
“Look at my schedule,” Emma said, “I am doing outdoor cooking in the mornings, swimming in the afternoon, and...Oh, no...”
“What?” Jen and Kacey asked in concern.
Emma whined as she said, “I have to do an overnight camp-out with the kids, too! Do you think it will be in the woods where the bears and bugs are?”
Kacey laughed, “I doubt it! They won’t take the kids anywhere that isn’t safe. I have an overnight camp-out on the same nights that both of you do, so it looks like we’ll all be travelling together!
”
“What else are you doing?” asked Ava.
“I have arts and crafts in the morning, and in the afternoons, canoeing. That should be fun!”
The girls also noticed that everyone was scheduled to attend the nightly campfire sing-along and marshmallow roasting. Friday night there would be a talent show.
“Hey, look at this,” Ava said, reading her schedule, “Every counselor is expected to perform in the talent show, so get busy rehearsing your act!”
“Talent show?” Emma exclaimed, “But what if I don’t have any talent? Do I still have to perform?”
The other two nodded in unison.
“Don’t worry, Emma,” Kacey assured her, “We’ll do something together. It’ll be fun!”
Emma’s face crumpled as she said, “But I get stage fright! I can’t perform in front of an audience!”
Ava’s expression became earnest as she said, “You don’t really have a choice, Emma. We volunteered to serve here, and this is part of it. But we’ll help you every step of the way.”
“Yeah,” Kacey assured her, “It’ll be fun, I promise!”
Emma shook her head doubtfully, “If I’m lucky, I’ll get attacked by a bear on my camp-out, and then I won’t have to perform.”
On Saturday morning, the kids arrived in cars, vans, and even small buses. All the counselors and staff were there to greet the children and parents. Some kids came in wheelchairs, some with canes and braces. Others appeared perfectly healthy, but had some hidden condition such as a heart problem, diabetes, asthma, or some other illness. But all of the children seemed excited to attend Camp Wildwood.
One boy, however; was not very pleased about coming to camp. He followed the others into the main lodge for the opening festivities, but he never smiled or spoke to the others.
Bartley Brett was nine years old, and had never been to camp before. When his parents asked him if he’d like to go, he was pleased at first. As time passed, he realized that the reason why his parents wanted him to go to camp was so they could go away. When he tried to back out, his stepfather adamantly refused, and said, “I’ve already paid for it! If I cancel your registration now, I’ll lose my deposit! You’re going and that’s that!”
Bartley decided that although he may have to go to camp this summer, he would make sure that no one would ever force him into going ever again. To accomplish this objective, he had brought along an arsenal of weapons and instruments of mayhem. His slingshot, squirt gun, and rubber snake were all cleverly hidden in his suitcase inside his socks and pockets.
Once everyone was settled down in the main lodge, Mr. Shillings gave everyone a welcome speech and introduced each of the people on the staff and all of the counselors. He explained the sleeping arrangements, the activity schedules, and rules of conduct. After his welcome, the campers were dismissed to go to their tents until lunch.
Each counselor was assigned a group of children to accompany to their tents. Like the Hawk’s Nest, the large tents were on wooden platforms and held four cots. The boys and girls stayed in separate tents. Kacey, Ava, and Emma led their groups to their tents and helped them to make up their cots, and to unpack some of their things. Kacey had four boys to assist: Bartley, who had asthma; Thomas, who was blind; Pedro, who had a heart condition; and Andrew, who was confined to a wheel chair.
After unpacking, Kacey took the children on a short tour of the camp. Soon, it was time for lunch, so they headed back to the main lodge. Counselors were also expected to help the children get the things they needed for lunch before serving themselves.
Kacey, Ava and Emma sat together. They each introduced their “team” to the others. Emma’s team was made up of four girls: Nakisha, Maria, Melanni, and Beth. Ava’s team was Eddie, Jefferson, Michael, and Joshua. Soon, all the children were talking with one another, and lunchtime went quickly.
After lunch, the counselors took the kids to their assigned activity for the afternoon. Kacey took her team to the dock for canoeing, and Emma brought her team to the beach for swimming. Ava led her team to the wooded campsite area where they would learn camping skills.
Kacey was grateful that there was another seasoned counselor there to teach the children how to paddle a canoe.
“Hi, everybody! My name is Jackson Adams, but everyone calls me Jack. I’m here to teach you how to safely paddle a canoe. But first, we need to talk about safety. Before getting into the canoe, you’ll put on a life vest. Everyone must always wear one, even if you’re a good swimmer.”
Jack had dark hair and an athletic physique, and looked to be about the same age as Kacey. By his tanned skin, she concluded that he spent a lot of time outdoors. After patiently explaining the safety rules, Jack told everyone to get on their life vests. Kacey helped the kids get the life vests on, and then assisted in handing out paddles. As soon as the kids got their paddles, Bartley challenged one of the other boys to join him in hand-to-hand paddle combat. They began clashing their paddles against each other. Kacey quickly separated the boys and made them sit down on the dock.
“No Ninja fighting with the paddles, boys!” she warned, “Sit behind one another like the others are doing so you can learn how to use the paddles correctly.”
Once all the kids were seated in a row along the edge of the dock, they were taught how to hold their paddles over the side of the dock, just as they would if they were in a canoe. Jack demonstrated the correct way to paddle, and Kacey helped the kids learn the correct moves.
Next, the kids learned how to get in and out of the canoe safely, since a canoe can easily tip over. Standing in the shallow water, Jack held the canoe steady while the kids stepped in one at a time and took a seat on one of the benches. Kacey handed them their paddles, and Jack told them to paddle correctly in the water while he held the canoe steady.
After practicing for a few minutes, the counselors boarded the canoes and helped the kids paddle a short distance along the shore. If the canoe began to tip, the counselor helped the kids to straighten it out.
They had a great time paddling their canoes in the shallow water for the next twenty minutes. They learned how to slow the canoes down, to stop, and to turn them in the opposite direction. Soon it was time to beach the canoes and head back to the main lodge for a snack.
As the campers scurried up toward the lodge, Jack spoke to Kacey.
“Hey, great job! I really appreciate your help!”
“Oh, you’re welcome,” she smiled.
He read her nametag and said, “Kacey? It’s nice to meet you. You seem to be real patient and helpful with the kids. Not all counselors have that knack.”
“Oh, thanks. You’re a great teacher, and the kids really love canoeing.”
“Most of them do. But from here on out, make sure they wear their bathing suits. Once we go out on the lake, we’re bound to have one or two spills. But don’t worry. They’ll learn how to turn the canoe over and get back in it. You’ll need to wear your swimsuit, too. You’ll probably be spending more time in the water than out of it.”
“Okay, I will. Thanks! See you tomorrow!”