Once I submitted those hateful papers, and after I shook off the flu with a good night's rest, I felt my whole demeanor brighten, and the rest of my stay at camp was thoroughly rejuvenating and carefree.
Although I let Spring Break pass at a fairly relaxed pace, I nevertheless managed to cram it full of wonderful experiences and exploits. I took advantage of the sunny days by going canoeing and teaching myself the J-stroke, and I also badgered Jim into letting me go sailing on his Kent Ranger 26. When we finally did, he said it was the first time he had ever sailed it, and it was the first time he had sailed a boat that he owned since about 1995.
When Andy Hoyle, Anthony, and Daniel came, we had a rowing lesson in choppy water, which was good practice - I think I now have feathering down. I also did odd jobs like chopping wood (something I had never done before), digging up a tree stump, cleaning Folton Creek Cabin, and so on. And with Andy's help, I also made a lot of progress in restoring the old Camp Parsons sign that went at the end of the pier.
When Andy Hoyle, Anthony, and Daniel came, we had a rowing lesson in choppy water, which was good practice - I think I now have feathering down. I also did odd jobs like chopping wood (something I had never done before), digging up a tree stump, cleaning Folton Creek Cabin, and so on. And with Andy's help, I also made a lot of progress in restoring the old Camp Parsons sign that went at the end of the pier.
What I've really enjoyed about this week, and what I enjoy about being at camp in general, is that I learn something new practically every hour that I'm there. It's a way for me to compensate for the many skills I never had a chance to learn as a child. I spent most of my younger days with my head buried in books, so although I can easily spout out esoteric facts like what languages are spoken in Belgium, I never learned practical things like what the difference was between a table saw and a chop saw. I also never had a reason to swing a maul (why would you build a fire in Hawaii? It was 85 degrees outside), so I never even knew that such a thing existed. And rowing just isn't done in the Islands, so until this past summer, it was completely alien to me. So it seems like every time I do something at camp, I'm quite literally experiencing it for the first time in my life.
I've done about as much with the camp's sailboats as I can do without spending money, but alas, money must be spent, so now comes the delicate task of figuring out how much Ken will let me spend. So far I've ordered a new $40 rudder pin for one of the Zumas, and I ordered a new drain screw for the Holder 12. But I'm certain that we'll discover many more little expenditures that must be made once we test-rig all of the boats. With luck, the test-rigging will occur next month, and everything will be ordered in time for camp.
The biggest headache so far has been the new mast section for the Hobie 21. We bought one used for $100 in Sarasota, FL, and it's all boxed and ready to go - it's just a matter of shipping it to Seattle. FedEx wants $550, but that's just not going to happen. Things started moving forward when Mike enlisted Tom Roger's help. As an Alaska Airlines pilot, he flies between Orlando and Seattle, so he can have it put on his plane for practically nothing. But the trick is getting it from Sarasota, where it was boxed three weeks ago, to the Alaska Airlines cargo center at Orlando Int'l Airport, where it must be delivered in person. Tom tried to enlist his pilot friend who lives in Tampa to pick it up, but this friend is flying all the time and hasn't had the chance to trek down to Bradenton. Plus, I found out today that Tom's father-in-law passed away recently, so he's understandably focusing exclusively on his family for the time being. All is not lost, however - I just got permission from Mike to have the mast shipped via FedEx to Max Frisch in St. Cloud, FL, and then have Max drive it to Orlando when Tom is ready for it. Once I get an address from Max, I'm going to make the shipping arrangements.
Al Hutchison has graciously offered to pay for the new vinyl names for the sailboats. They are drawn from the names of the olden-day ferries that used to convey scouts to Camp Parsons. They are as follows:
Ranger 20: TYEE SCOUT
Hobie 21: SKOOKUM
Hobie 16: TILIKUM
Harpoon: ROOSEVELT
C-15: ADVENTUROUS
Flying Junior: KINGSTON
Flying Junior: CARLISLE
Flying Junior: REEVES
Flying Junior: MANITOU
Lido 14: TWANA
Holder 12: ROLLING HITCH
Laser: HYAK
Laser: HYAK
Zuma: FORTUNA
Zuma: CONCORDIA
Zuma: ATLANTA
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