Pine a Tree Post

On Monday, the ‘Uge embarked on what is always one of the best days of the session – Cayuga Day. The staff,at precisely 7:40 am,huddled in the middle of the village and woke the kids up by yelling that it was Cayuga Day, drawing quite a roar from the kids inside the cabins. It didn’t take long until the kids were dressed and outside, munching on their bagels and cereal for breakfast. After putting on bathing suits, the kids then trekked on over to the pool area where a slip and slide with booming music awaited them. The kids ran down the hill by the pool and dove onto a tarp covered in water and soap, sliding across it with huge smiles on their faces. After showering back in the village, the Cayugans then headed up to the flagpole to await the big yellow bus that would take them out of camp.

The first out of camp destination for the day was the Sugar Shack Blueberry Farm in Penn Yan for some incredible blueberry and raspberry picking. The berries were without a doubt the finest and ripest I have ever seen in my life, and the kids were in a fruity bliss unlike any other. After filling their pint baskets, the kids ate some Marks Pizza for lunch, and then hopped right back on the bus to get to the next destination, the Finger Lakes Race Track. There, the kids got to visit a horse adoption barn and pet and feed retired racehorses. Following that, we took the Cayugans to the actual track where we saw some amazing, highly competitive horse races. The Cayugans stared in awe from the grandstands as the horses galloped around the track, and the staff members passionately cheered on the horses. Overall, it was a highly successful and unbelievably fun trip to the horse track.

We then headed back to camp and went down to the O-Rec where Bruce’s Mobile Skating awaited us. This company brought a truck full of roller skates, and the kids all got to roller skate in the comfort of their own camp, a truly amazing experience. Music blasted from the O-Rec speakers, and the kids skated with their bunkmates and staff members on the O-Rec floor. While the kids skated, other staff members whipped up some homemade quesadillas and the party continued.

Following the skating, the Cayugans headed to the dining hall for some ice cream sundaes featuring the fruit they picked earlier in the day. It truly was a feast, and the Cayugans had big smiles and full tummies to round out the day.

What a Cayuga Day. We look forward to the final days of this July session.   

For now,

Alec Jacobson

Cayuga Unit Head