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(Margie attended Alliquippa for seven summers, 1968-72, 75 and 78. In March 2004 she got together with her brother Diney -- also a camp alum -- and recalled many of the details of those summers long ago. A sample follows.) Taking the camp bus from Pikesville in 1968 and being scared to death because I knew no one, then getting camp after the getting to camp after the overnight ride and seeing Mott sitting on a stool in the kitchen slicing bologna. That was the last summer she was well enough to be at camp. She died shortly after that, she had been the camp director when mother attended camp in the late 1940's. Being in the Little Dorm -- it was the summer that The Hobbit was big in camp and we had the trolls in our room. That summer we sometimes awoke to someone playing ping pong on the screened porch. Feeding a rock to the troll while crossing the bridge on the road that went over the mountain-going to Sewall Beach the long way when you couldn't cross the river because of high tide. The summer that there was a hurricane/northeaster at the end of the summer, the Russian fishing trawler that pulled into our harbor -- it was quite a sight and they left us a tuna on the dock for the favor. Putting on the production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Trial By Jury" with the whole camp (it was so much fun--I still have the script. Wednesday evening trips to the movies in Small Point and the night it rained and thundered so hard that the lights went out and we got driven home. Most of the time we walked back to camp- The movie was "A Patch of Blue." Learning to water ski on the Casco Bay--if you can do that then anything else is easy. Learning to dig for clams, learning to fish and clean the fish-- this still amazes my daughters. Being paired with an older counselor for the annual tennis tournament and how nice they were-it made a 10 year old girl feel good. Being sung to sleep by Sally Gordon when I was in the Big Dorm and tormenting her for just one more song--there were 13 of us in there that summer-- and not always so well behaved. The horse saddle at the top of the rafters--sitting on that and not being afraid. Being terrified by the attic. The time that Don Manekin dressed up in the old timey divers suit for Ghost Story night and scared us all. The entire camp participating in making the new mast for the Bluenose, sanding and sealing-it was hard work but fruitful. The time the beam under the living room nearly collapsed from the weight of the kids jumping on the floor during evening activities. Waiting for mail to be placed in your slot in the wooden mailbox by the first floor bathroom-it always made your day when there was mail. Gardening with the "three fingered willy"--I still call it that to this day. The 4th of July that they shot off fireworks on Sewall Beach and it started a fire that all the male counselors and members of the Small Point community fought through the night to contain. Volleyball games with the mosquitos (sometimes you wished you had dish shift). Learning to sail, then getting the opportunity to crew with my brother and winning races. Taking overnight sailboat trips to islands, sleeping on the island and what an adventure that was. Trips to Wyman's store, the poor sisters that worked there clearly had a great sense of humor. Trips to West Point to buy the lobsters--going by motorboat and getting to buy penny candy while you where there. My brother Diney and Ted Vogel slicing the Sunday turkeys and tormenting Sydney Ramey with their music and quips at her. Taking my Senior Life test in the Bay -- burr it was cold but I felt such a sense of accomplishment after that. Learning to play backgammon, watching the older counselors play bridge. Watching the first man walk on the moon in July 1969 on a tiny black and white TV in the living room with the entire camp gathered around. From being one of the youngest children in camp in the summer of 1968 to being a counselor in the summer of 1978, it was a wild ride. |