VERMONT - PITTSFORD

Today we got into the first day of camp life. The schedule goes something like this.
7.45 Dip (this is in the pond & only for the guys as it’s a skinny dip - the girls can go at 7.15)
8.00 Wake up bell
8.15 Waiter’s bell (set the tables etc.)
8.30 Breakfast bell
After breakfast we make any announcements (which includes each person telling what is going on in their activity and making it sound as exciting as possible - the bigger fool you make of yourself in your announcement, the better) & there is a reading - maybe a short story or that kind of thing. There is a lot of noise, chanting and table thumping that goes on.
Then the people on duty clean up the dining room and everyone else goes back to their cabin to clean it. This gets inspected every morning and you gets points from 0 up to 4 based on how clean it is & the top points gets to go out for ice cream at the end of the session (which is 3 weeks for the first one). As we have the new/young kids they are really keen to get 4. We have been sabotaged by another cabin & today one of our kids left his shoes in the middle of the floor but apart from that we have been getting 4’s.
9.30 Warning bell for first period
9.45 First period bell
10.45 Second period bell
11.45 Free time bell
12.15 Waiter’s bell for lunch
12.30 Lunch bell
After lunch there are more announcements and then we have a one hour rest period. If you can sleep that’s a great way to catch up but that’s if you are lucky. Everyone has to be in their cabins either resting, reading, writing letters or articles for the newsletter or doing something quiet.
2.30 Third period bell
3.45 Fourth period bell
4.30 Free time/staff free swim (which means no kids allowed in the pond)
5.15 Waiters bell for dinner
5.30 Dinner (very early I know but you kind of get used to it and it gives time for after dinner activities)
Then there is singing (well if you can call it that - maybe chanting is more appropriate) with lots of actions, thumping the table tops clapping, stomping and pretty much making as much noise as possible and any announcements.
6.15 The counselors run activities that we have chosen and worked at the staff meeting
7.00 More activities
8.00 Free time for the kids but often the 7pm activities are still going on.
8.30 The kids get ready for bed, have a story and lights out (well really torches out as there is no electricity in the cabins) by 9.30. This is for the younger kids - the older ones can stay up later.
There is a complicated system (well too complicated for an email) on looking after the kids after 9.30 but basically there are 2 nights you have free and the others you are on some kind of duty.
The schedule varies a bit on the weekend but basically that’s my day in a nutshell.
Where did that saying come from?
I mean really, what has a nutshell got to do with it?
Here are some great photos of the waterfront that the other Tracy took.