Requesting Prayers

This is the first week of full-fledged counselor training. Though I haven't yet had the opportunity to officially meet the troops (I think I'll get to tomorrow), I know that they are already hard at work preparing their minds and hearts to receive week after week of eager campers this summer. I also know that the week is the culmination of many months of planning on the part of Abby Cain, our stellar Program Director. I think the entire summer staff could use any prayers and/or positive thoughts you can spare to bolster them for this major undertaking. We are so grateful for all of the energy and and care they are investing in making it a great experience for everyone. I promise this won't be the last you hear about the 2010 crew, by the way. There's lots to come, so stay tuned and do your best to stay cool (it's hot out there!).

Puppies Up 4 Adoption

These cuties showed up at camp last week, looking skinny and sad. But the McGhee family took them in, fed them, and cleaned them up and now they need a happy new home. Though adopting two puppies is a tall order, we would like to see them go together. Please tell anyone you think may be interested. Shelly says they have been very gentle with all of her kids.

Anchors Aweigh!

Isn't it fascinating that the trucking industry has maintained so much language from ocean transport? Shipping...docks...etc? Okay, I've lost you before I've begun. Let's start over:

This week we shipped nearly 500 clean-up kits from our Disaster Assistance Center to Kentucky to aid in the flood relief effort taking place there. Here's what the kits looked like, palleted, shrink-wrapped (I keep wanting to say "saran-wrapped") and ready to go!

The Disaster Assistance Center (or DAC--pronounced "dack" to go along with our "cab" and "tab" and "jaymo") is the product of a multi-faceted partnership between fair Ferncliff, PDA, and Church World Service. It serves as, among other things, a receiving and distribution center for CWS Gift of the Heart Kits. The clean-up bucket is one of the handful of types of kits church congregations and civic groups from all over the US make and ship to the DAC (or to the Maryland warehouse, depending which is closer). The kits then get inspected, re-packaged, loaded onto pallets, saran wrapped (hehe), and eventually shipped to wherever in the world people have been affected by disasters (natural or manmade). To find out more about CWS Kits visit their website. 


Bonus:
So..my computer died a slow and painful death this weekend, and I was particularly gloomy at work on Monday, what with everything being thrown out of whack because I couldn't compute. So David Gill--being the brilliantkindandconsiderate father-in-law and camp director that he is--decided that a lesson in driving the forklift is just what the doctor ordered. That, or he wanted to make sure someone else knows how to operate it just in case (winkwink). And let me tell you. What a pick-me-up!

Stills, or Playing With My New Camera

Happy Anniversary, Jeff and Nadine!

Meet Jeff: 

I just met Jeff today, because he came by camp to replace the board he is holding in his hand with this new board on the railing at the old tabernacle:

Was it old or defunct? you might ask. Is he a railing replacement specialist? No. He is nothing more or less than a man willing to be unashamedly sentimental in the name of love. 

Today is the five-year anniversary of his marriage to his wife, Nadine, and because the traditional gift for the fifth anniversary is something made of wood he decided to make for Nadine a picture frame using this piece of railing. As you may already suspect, the former location of this weathered, old 2x4 holds a special meaning for the couple. It was at this very spot that Jeff mustered the courage to ask Nadine for her phone number at a church picnic. She handed over her digits and the rest is history. 

 This is the photo Jeff is planning to frame with his gift. 

Sorry it's blurry. So it goes with photos of photos.

Thus they began their life together at Ferncliff, and Ferncliff has seen them through a number of family milestones in the years since; Jeff and Nadine were both baptized here--as was Jonah (much later)--and it was at the couple's joint baptism ceremony that Jeff chose to propose. So it seems just as Ferncliff visitors and campers learn to love one another as Jesus asked us to, they can also lay a foundation for a life of happiness as life partners, parents, and friends. The Ferncliff staff is honored to have been such an integral part of your path, and we hope to continue to be. Happy Anniversary!!


[Nadine, be proud of your husband. He was forced to tell this story multiple times and he endured more than a few "ahhhwwww"s to be able to give you his gift.]
 

Paddle Battle

This morning we had a special treat here at camp. A class of senior physics students from Joe T. Robinson High School used one of our lakes to test out their final class projects: self-made watercrafts built exclusively with duct tape, cardboard, and liquid nails. These budding engineers were divided into two teams to see which could make a prototype that would a) float, b) move through water, and c) do so faster than their competition. Here's the play-by-play:

 The teams arrived and unloaded their impressive boats. Team 1's entry (pictured in foreground) went with a compact design and a very minimalist color scheme of red, black, and silver. Team 2 (entry pictured background) embraced a more experimental shape and look. Their long, narrow boat featured two side seats near the rear, so that the aerial view was a cross shape. Their hull was bright blue with multi-colored waves (or flames?) and a bright yellow USA proclaiming their national loyalty. 

Everyone waited in anxious anticipation for the big race. Would they float? Would they fly? No one new for sure...

A whistle and they're off!

Team 2 is looking tough, but it's still anyone's race...

After the turn-around Team 2 increases their already considerable lead.

Things are starting to look pretty bad for Team 1, but they're cheering section was not giving up without a fight. Go! Go! You can do it!

Sadly, Team 1's boat crumpled along with their hopes of leaving Ferncliff victorious. Everyone jumped ship except one stalwart paddler who braved it to the bitter end. 

It was an honorably-waged battle, and we salute the crews of both ships.

Thanks, Joe T. Senior Physics class! It was good to meet you. We're happy for you that it's "unofficially" your last day of high school, and we hope you have fun at Prom tomorrow night.

Spotted:

A freshly-painted pool mural (thanks to the recently-departed AmeriCorps Team). Swimming season here we come!

A (Mostly) Peaceful Weekend

We are feeling the calm before the proverbial storm of summer here at Ferncliff.

The Queen of Summer Camp, her highness Abby Cain, was in North Carolina all last week for the Annual Recreation Workshop, which left her cabin home vacant. Then, on Friday, our spring AmeriCorps team departed after eight intense weeks of work and play. They did an excellent job with the many projects they took on, and it was--as always--bittersweet to see them go. Because it was Mother's Day weekend, we hosted fewer groups than is common for this gorgeous season, so the camp quieted down and took a little rest.

Don't worry, though, it wasn't entirely uneventful. On Saturday, the McGhee family (the brood of our very own booking guru, Shelly) celebrated the birthdays of two of their own, Rachel and Matthew, with a cookout in the afternoon. They fished. They boated. They cooked-out. They played games. And then, when they had all the fun they could possibly take, they crashed. Or at least that's what the youngest McGhee did:

Don't you wish Mondays could be this peaceful?

Parental Anxiety

Perhaps you've heard that we have some new residents here at camp: five little goslings hatched about a week ago, now. Five fuzzy, tiny, stumbling, bumbling bundles of cuteness. Cute-irific-ness. Cute-tastic-ness. And they are yellow. Well, they were yellow, but now they're just yellow-ish. Here, have a look: 

Oh, you say you're having trouble seeing them? Sorry about that. How about now?

No? Still not getting a good view of the cute-a-licious-ness? Well maybe that's because these parent-geese are taking their job of protecting their brood very seriously. As soon as you get within 100 yards of them, the adults perk up. One of them takes an aggressive stance, ready to attack if necessary, while the other one herds the goslings toward the water, getting the whole team ready to push-off at a moment's notice. And push-off they do, single-file, one parent leading and one pulling up the rear, keeping any stragglers from, well, straggling. 

I get a little frustrated that they won't let me get closer. "I come in peace," I call to them. "I am your neighbor, and I mean you no harm!" But, alas, they can't see me as anything but a potential threat. It might help if I weren't always hauling the stroller (my office on wheels) and a chubby little baby who kicks and squeals with delight as we approach. However, I also find myself congratulating them for their steadfast vigilance. I'm sure it is the only way there are still five goslings, all safe and sound. So, since they won't let me get close enough to say it to them, I'll say it here: Good work, geese! Keep those little ones in line, and keep your eyes peeled for giant turtles, toddlers on wheels, and all other threatening creatures. 

A Proper Introduction

I'm hoping to keep the focus of this blog on Ferncliff happenings, but I thought it would be rude to just jump right in without a proper introduction. 

My first name is Ashley. I am a transplant to this area from Northeast Arkansas, and (when no one is listening) I'll admit that the Ouachitas are a much more beautiful place to live than are rice fields, which have an aesthetic appeal all their own. I am one half of a new volunteer couple, living here on-site, and we are to be responsible for hospitality and security duties after-hours and on weekends. I was an English major at UCA (some years ago), and I have also earned a master's degree in American Studies from the University of Iowa. That's just to say that I can't do much more than read and write and interpret, skills which I hope to put to use for Ferncliff by writing this blog. However, this isn't my first tour of duty here at camp; I was the Disaster Assistance Center Coordinator a few summers back, and I had a great time juggling mountains of kits and wagonloads of campers. I even got to pinch-hit as a counselor for Heart 4 Art Camp! These days I work for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, running the call center that is housed in Ferncliff's Main Office (I know, I know, what a commute!). I get to help volunteer teams from all over the US and Canada schedule their mission trips and join in the recovery of the Gulf Coast, Iowa, Georgia, and other sites in the wake of various natural disasters that have occurred in the recent past.

My last name is Gill. Yes, that's right. I am the daughter-in-law of Ferncliff's fearless leader, Rev. David Gill.  My husband, Joel, has been a Gill all of his life, and he inherited his father's love for the outdoors and for working with children. Joel is the Coordinator of the Arkansas Outdoor School programs at 4-H, just on the other side of the hill named Luke. We were married at Ferncliff--which, by the way, is completely against the rules--so it's an especially special place for us.

 

Photo by Waynette Traub

Our nine-month-old daughter Marjorie, who we call "Margie," has agreed to come along for the ride. She mostly hopes to feed the ducks every day and listen to her own echo in the tunnel. 

We feel incredibly fortunate to live at Ferncliff, and we are honored to have the chance to serve its many ministries in any way we can. Please stop us and introduce yourself the next time you're at camp!

But enough about me. Back to the blog!

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to the new blog featuring all things Ferncliff. My hope is that this little slice of the internet will be your window on what's going on at your favorite camp and conference center year-round. 

Stay tuned for posts on the day-to-day excitement that is life at camp!