Camp Wintaka 50 year reunion, WOW!!!

Flicker the light of the campfire, wind in the pines

Stars in the heavens, a moon that shines

A place where people gather, make friends of all kinds

A place where all men's troubles are always left behind

So give me the light of the campfire, warm and bright

and give me some friends to sing with, I'll be there all night

For love is for those who find it, I've found mine right here

Just you and me and the campfire and the songs we love to hear

da da, da da, da da, da da

So green are the valleys, sweet as the clover

gone are the cold winds, forever more

The roses now are blooming, the oceans so blue

The sun above is setting, upon our love so new

For love is like a warm fire, soft and low

And when you know your true love,

your heart will really know

For as the leaves are falling,

and friends begin to part,

These memories of the summer

will stay, in every heart

da da, da da, da da, da da

so give me the light of the campfire

warm and bright

and give me some friends to sing with

I'll be there all night

For love is for those who find it

I've found mine right here.

Just you and me and the campfire

and the songs, we love to hear

da da, da da, da da, da da

I stayed in these tents, kaloli.... i spent many hours looking off these stairs at the gorgeous view across the valley below

I went to Camp Wintaka in 1976, 77, 78... age 9, 10, 11... i was in kaloli, notch and sanyoda... three wonderful summers spent making lanyards and macaroni necklaces... canoeing in the lake, horse back riding and making friends to last a lifetime. I looked up to my C.I.T.'s (counselors in training) and my counselors as heroes... wanted so desperately to be like them. It is something i will never forget and spending time up at Camp Wintaka for the 50 year reunion was more amazing than i could have imagined. My last counselor "Figgy" was there as well as several other counselors I truly loved (Stormy for one).

My favorite little "event" of the weekend was finding the chapel still intact: here is my 1978 version, almost 30 years ago...

and today

and i am not even sure how to describe this, i feel so inept (if thats the right word) but Ruth aka "rascal" whom i had never met... who was my good buddy Pat's partner... was the most amazing revelation of the weekend. she was the superstar counselor whom everyone knew, someone who truly captured the essence of camp wintaka during that most extraordinary era( the camp ran all summer in the sixties and seventies with supersonic energy). she is lovely and genuine, youthful and sincere... someone i would have truly looked up to as a camper and who i found myself mesmerized by this weekend. i am so thankful to have taken the chance on that vascular account long ago in which i became better acquainted with pat and through her found ruth. you never know what you might stumble on in this roller coaster called life... but i truly found in ruth the magic i remember as a camper up at camp wintaka and i think she felt it too. thank you sooo much for coming ruth!

here is ruth in her camp shirt from the seventies

that's a big tree!

rascal with her buddies

the lake in the seventies

the lake is now a meadow... and no more

horses!!!

for ruth:

Who can sail where there is no wind

without oars to be rowing

who can sail far away from friends

without tears a flowin'

I can sail where there is no wind

without oars I'll be rowing

but i can't sail far away from friends

without tears a flowin'

Stay tuned for more about Camp Wintaka!