An epic close to the 1st half

It's hard to believe that some of our campers head home tomorrow.  Three and a half weeks might seem like a long time to be away from home, but once you get to camp, the time can really fly by. This week was full of camping trips, special events, campers trying their best to finish up awards and projects, and squeeze every last drop out of the summer. For those staying the full seven weeks, there is so much positive energy and Timanous spirit they can carry forward for our 2nd session camper arrivals on Monday.

As a fitting sendoff, we had an epic final evening of the 1st half. Right after dinner, we all gathered on the hill beneath the basketball court to watch the talent show. There were pianists (classical and jazz), jugglers, hula-hoopers, dancers, comedians, and singer-songwriters. One of the highlights was a trio of Crows who led all who wanted to join in an enthusiastic a capella rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody (yes, the full 6 minutes). We'll have to petition whoever votes for the Grammy's to make a trip up to Panther Pond next summer, there's some serious talent in the camper ranks!

Our progressive celebration evening continued down the hill under the big tent for our 1st half slideshow. While we had to move this from our traditional venue of Tattersall Hall, it was probably for the best given temps in the 80s and high humidity. With the sun dipping below the pines, the now friendly and familiar faces captured in the photos reflected back at camp from the tent above. From the opening days of camp, photos of every activity, down time with cabin mates, camping trips far and wide, and candid shots around camp, it was really meaningful to reflect on how much you can pack into even a half summer at Timanous.

Finally, we moved all the way down to Beginner's Beach to light the bonfire. It was awesome, as always! It was touch and go whether we would be able to fit this into the first half, given that you have to wait for the perfect stretch of weather to make sure the wood is dry enough to burn, but not too dry to create a fire hazard. Call it coincidence or call it fate, but the final night of the first half ended up being the perfect time to not only carry on this Timanous tradition, but also send off our 1st session campers in style.

As the closing of the slideshow said, we'll miss our campers who are going home tomorrow. We all hope the memories from 2021 will last a lifetime... or at least long enough to get them back to camp in 2022, maybe even for a full summer!