Breaking News!

...by the time you read this, I will hopefully have arrived safely in New York City! Surprise!

I don't think it will be this sunny and snow-free, but you get the idea.

Or maybe it's not a surprise. I've probably already told you, or maybe you heard some other way, I don't know. But if by some chance you don't know why I'm flying from West to East coast a week before Christmas, read on...

I met my world-traveling friend Steve through treeplanting last Spring, and he has connections with the Times Square Salvation Army. Last year he spent a couple weeks in NYC volunteering for them, and this year he is heading up a team of Christmastime bell-ringers. The SA is giving the team room and board at their Times Square location in exchange for their volunteer hours, and free time is spent tourist-ing!

The first time Steve mentioned it, I didn't think much of it because I have never volunteered for the Salvation Army before, and I am not involved with religious organizations in general (one exception being Camp Homewood, because it's awesome). However the more he posted on Facebook looking for volunteers, the more the idea grew and took root in my brain.

I love seeing new places, but as a student it can be difficult to find the time and money to travel. I was fortunate enough to land a short-term catering job earlier this semester which gave me a bit of flexibility in the travel funds, and this opportunity to visit New York begins right at the end of exam time and before Christmas. Additionally, bell-ringing is a simple thing that makes a big difference in funding the SA programs for those in need, and I am grateful to be able to incorporate a way to give back and do something meaningful while traveling. Everything seemed to come together to make this trip possible, and I knew I would regret passing it up...so I took it, despite some fears and reservations about wearing the red apron :)

I will write more on the bell-ringing aspect later, and hopefully post some photos while I'm in NYC. I don't know how much time I will be spending on the internet since my time there is short enough as it is, but I will definitely do a couple posts for you when I get home!

The Necessary Update

I am home!

July was crazy and hectic and had unreliable internet and cell service. That is my excuse for not posting anything during that month. Maybe I will upload some photos later, and describe July adventures in more detail.

I was sad to leave, but my poor sleep-deprived body was ready for a break, so spending a week on the Shuswap Lake afterwards was THE PERFECT way to recover. We had amazing weather, the water was super warm, and it was wonderful to spend time with family! I read more books than was probably healthy for such a short time, napped whenever I felt like it, and ate delicious and easy to prepare food. I also spent time baking in the sun (I went from ghostly-white camp cook, to tanned and relaxed retiree), playing some feisty rounds of badminton, and leading the rellies in some intense games of "Mafia".

After I returned home, I could finally settle down and unpack and start to plan my summer adventures! I had aspirations to visit Vancouver Island friends, a week of cooking at the Woodsman camp, and outlet shopping in Seattle. AND THEN...I was in a car accident (yes...again), and my poor Samantha was crunched and written off. To say I am mighty tired of this sort of excitement in my life would be somewhat of an understatement.

So, instead of living the summer roadtrip dream, I have been at home...recuperating from a fresh case of whiplash, getting a few errands done, reconnecting with friends I haven't seen in months, and snuggling my Lokust! All in all, its not a completely bad way to spend a summer, just not what I had planned.

Classes begin in just over a week! I can hardly believe it. This semester I will be officially a "full time" student, although I can hardly pretend it is a very full course load. However I am excited for each of my courses...I will be taking Poli-Sci, Anthropology, and the second half of Into to Psych. I may also pick up a part time job if the right opportunity comes up. Because I'm picky like that. And I worked my butt off this summer so that I could focus more time on school this year instead of being all over the place. We'll see.

As much as I love school, I am feeling ready for a change of scene. Some Facebook friends have been posting their travel photos lately. Its making my feet itch...

Summer Memories

The only time you will EVER catch me in Western wear.

A "Calgary Stampede" theme Staff Retreat, complete with corn dogs, karaoke, and riflery contest.

We don't have TV at Woodsman, so we just watch slugs.

The Great Slug Escape. I found a slug in our plastic tote of oatmeal. How did he get in? We watched and waited, and finally the full-sized slug squeezed through a hole the thickness of a pencil, near the lid.

There was also a slug in my tent at one point, that slimed the entire ceiling and walls...got in through a one inch unzipped portion of the zipper. The slugs have been after me all summer, actually!

The Mud Pit. A Pit of Mud. With People in it. The Best.

Little tiny frogs. Literally the size of my thumbnail, if not smaller. They were swarming the camp by the last week.

Rainy Days. Ankle-deep Mud. Bare Feet.

Being on a lake and enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

Sunny days and salmon berries.

The Rustic Kitchen

This is how we operate the food aspect of the Woodsman Camp:

This camp is on a Provincial park, and not accessible by car, so you have the option of an easy 30 minute hike, or a 5 minute boat ride. I have not hiked in yet this year, and I'm ok with that. I learned was taught how to drive the boat the day after I arrived, so that I would be able to do the supply runs. This involves taking a boat to the other side of the lake, hiding it in our "top secret" location in the reeds, driving the Beast (clunky 15-Passenger van that feels like it will blow up any second) 30 minutes to main camp,  loading up the necessary foodstuff from the main camp into the van (also picking up fresh laundry, ice, and any mail for staff and campers), zooming back out to the boat launch, loading up the boat, driving it to our dock, unloading it from the dock onto the wheelbarrow (or carrying by hand) down the trail to our cook tent, and then packing the food away into our huge cooler, or pantry shed. WHEW! I get tired just writing that out. It is a huge job involving a lot of heavy lifting, and that is why I'm glad the director always sends out a strong young lad to carry most of the stuff for me (they like to look all tough and He-Man-ish, so its win-win)! We usually do a these supply runs every 2 days. I have no pictures of that process because it is such a busy time!

The Cook Tent: where we eat (and where we live during the rainy days)

Because we don't have any real refrigeration, most of the food we order in is already precooked and prepared, to keep it as Foodsafe as possible. Our cooler is packed with fresh ice after every supply run, and I'm continually (pleasantly) surprised by how well it works! It gets pretty dang chilly in there!

I think it was originally used on a fishing boat!

Our pantry door is kept shut as much as possible, and most bulk foods are kept in rubbermaid containers, to reduce the chance of mice or other pests getting in there! There was only one breach or the walls that I know of...but that's another story for another time.

In previous years they only had a tent with zipper...I'm spoiled. 

Bleach has become my best friend. The first thing I do in the morning is wash down the workspace with hot bleach water. More than once I've seen muddy little pawprints (I suspect a mink) across the countertop in the morning.

The dish shelves and coffee/tea station...we're pretty fancy :) 

All the food waste goes into the garbage can. I hate to throw out perfectly good food, so we try and save what we can, but without refrigeration you have to be very careful about leftovers...unfortunately a lot of stuff does get tossed. Composting doesn't work out here (they tried last year, apparently, but the animals were getting into it) so now it all goes in the bin. After the bag is full, it goes in the big blue box until its carted out by boat, and thrown into the dumpster at main camp! Its a lot of work, but we try and do it regularly enough so that its never overwhelming (we learned this the hard way...all I'll say is, "Maggots"). Same for the recycling.

There's always a surprise waiting for you inside...

Dishwater, old coffee, juice, and other water-based waste gets thrown into the "slop pit". Its really disgusting over there, especially when it gets really full after a week of rain! I warn the dish crew about tossing cutlery/scrubbies/cloths out with the dishwater...because they will have to go fishing if that happens! The rule is you have to retrieve the old one before you get a new one. And believe me, when they are scrubbing baked-on grease off the bacon pan, they want steel wool!

You don't want to see the slop pit...trust me. Look instead upon our lovely sink.

All our water comes from a stream up on the hill, that eventually feeds into the lake. I've never been to the top, but apparently its quite a hike. There is a preliminary filter to catch leaves and such, and then the water runs down the pipe to our tank, where it goes through a much more intense filter which we change fairly often. The tank holds 165 liters, and we add 1/4 cup bleach to each full tank to kill off any Beaver Fever that might be lurking around. Depending on the camp, we might go through a tank a day, but we try and be pretty good about conserving our water.

You know the filter needs to be changed when it takes 2 hours to fill this thing.

This year Woodsman got a few upgrades, one being a propane hot water heater instead of the big old rusty "Missionary Pot" that was fueled by wood! I was so thankful for this lovely new addition...life was much easier this way.

Because this water was either going to be boiled or used for dishes, it didn't go through the same sanitation process as the drinking water from the main water tank. 

The propane stove was also replaced this year. The old stove was a beast with 2 settings: on or off. It could take hours to bake anything. I was lucky enough to have this new-to-us stove installed this summer...it works beautifully!

Oh the adventures I have had with this oven! 

At the very back of the Cook Tent you will find my Living Room. It was equipped with camp chairs, our "coffee table" rubbermaid tote, and basins for our nightly footbath.

Many a discussion and footbath has been had.

At the end of the day, when the pace finally slows, you might even find weary cooks sitting here.

My lovely assistant, Gil. 

Packed Up

Well, the summer has just about come to a close.

On Wednesday the entire Woodsman camp was packed up and shipped out. Homewood only has the lease on the provincial park for July and August, so basically everything has to go.

This is all that is left of the Cook Tent

It was a sad day...I really enjoyed my summer on the lake and I wasn't quite ready to leave my little Woodsman home, though I am quite worn out from all the work...

Everything is packed up.

This week is the final Family Camp back at the main Harbour camp, and I am just working on crew...doing dishes and such.

Boating everything out. 

Heading home soon. Where did the time go??

Life in the Woods

Here's a nice little picture-filled post for you all!

As you walk in, you see a couple of big army tents...this is where the kids sleep.

Moving along, you reach the Fire Pit. This is the main hub of activity. Whenever the director rings the triangle, everyone meets here for the next activity or announcement.

The Biffy. By the end of the summer, you ration your time here very strictly...

This is The Point, where all the swimming and fun happens. It also has a fire ring for nightly firesides.

Leech Beach is where our landing dock is located, as well as all the canoes and kayaks.

This is my home! Its perched on the top of a little ridge, and I like it a lot. There is just enough room inside for the air mattress (that deflates continuously), my huge suitcase and my laundry. Outside I keep a plastic tote for some other random stuff.

The path to the Point runs on one side of the ridge, and my "backyard" is on the other side. Its very private, quiet, and peaceful :)
My hammock was at the perfect height when it was strung, but over the weeks of good food, its begun to sag....at least I still have a sweet view of the lake!

Its a good life!

Coming Up: The Woodsman Kitchen

Welcome to Woodsman!

Well's been a while since my last update. So here it is, in a nutshell...
In the last 3/4 weeks, I have:

* read 4 books (Room -Emma Donoghue, My Sister's Keeper -Jodi Picoult, The Count of Monte Cristo -Alexandre Dumas, The Help -Kathryn Stockett)
*cooked for 4 camps (CIT, Jr Boys, Jr Girls, Family Camp)
*done 5 loads of laundry
*had maybe 5 hot showers
*become used to snakes slithering out from underfoot whenever I walk down the trails
*slept with earplugs almost every night so I don't hear all the wildlife partying outside
*gone to bed with the sun most nights
*woken up with the sun most mornings
*come to enjoy being the first one up and working in the peace and quiet for an hour or two
*worried about what I'm going to do in the Fall
*written in my journal a lot less than I wanted to
*learned to drive 2 different boats on the lake, and a large 15 passenger van on the sketchy winding gravel logging road
*been the Nagging Mom figure to the young un' counselors (aged 16-20...makes me feel like a geezer)
*used bleach and hand sanitizer more than at any other point in my life
*missed my family and friends
*watched the last Harry Potter movie, and enjoyed it a lot
*been freaked out by slugs, spiders, and a butt-load of crickets, on a regular basis
*begun a nightly foot-washing ritual because wearing sandals in the dirt/mud/water all the time makes things kinda nasty

And that's all I can think of right now. I will post some pictures of my lovely kitchen at a later date!

Woodsman Camp

I interrupt the regular programming here on RBF, to bring you greetings from Homewood! I've completed one week of helping out with the Counselor-In-Training camp (50 hungry teenagers!! ahhhh!!!) and my first week of real Head Chef-ing (for 40 hungry little boys and their ravenous counselors), and it rained 5 out of 7 days...yet still managed to be awesome. Even though I was waking up at 6am, and seemed to be working continuously through til 10pm, it is still somehow better than working an 8 hour shift at my "real" job. Go figure.
Today I relaxed and reccuperated, and tomorrow I head out for a week of (hopefully) sunshine and a total of 20 girls to feed (and one constantly starving male). It should be much easier!!

I just wanted to let you all know that I am surviving and thriving out here, and if anyone wants a little working holiday....I can find you a spot :)

Pictures to come at a later date. I realized yesterday that I hadn't taken a single photo since I got here, so I busted out the camera and snapped a few of the camp...but it looks totally rainy and depressing, so I'm going to wait for a sunny day.

Summer Has Officially Begun

Happy Canada Day everyone!
For those readers in this wonderful country, congrats on living in the best country on earth!
For those readers living in BC, congrats on choosing the best province in the best country on earth!
For those elsewhere, I'm sure where you live is pretty cool too. Can I come visit?

My Canada Day plans consist of having brunch with my favorite people in the world (the family!), and packing my bags, and loading my car with those packed bags. And tonight I will go to bed early. Because I have the nightlife of a 90-year-old woman. And I have to get up at 5am tomorrow. And drive all day...

Yes, its true! I got home on Tuesday evening, and I leave again on Saturday morning. (Originally I was going to leave Thursday morning...! But the jetlag and lack of organization changed my plans for me)

I am heading to one of the very best places in Canada (and therefore the world)...a little island called Quadra, which is 15 minutes from Campbell River, BC, which is on Vancouver Island. Its a full day trip, and includes 2 ferry rides. Yay ferries!

I got a summer "job" (I use the term loosely...first of all, its really on a volunteer basis, secondly...well, I'm spending the summer on a beautiful lake...that doesn't sound too bad to me) cooking at Camp Homewood's "Woodsman" camp. Basically, I''m in charge of making sure the kids & staff get fed 3 times a day, and I'll be working with a propane stove, and water from a spring...no electricity or any of that fancy schmancy stuff!
I'm so stoked!

The downside to this, is that I will not have my computer with me because,
a. the battery life lasts approx. a half hour.
b. there is no internet out there.

Fear not, Regis Readers. I have made provisions for you during this time of blogging drought! I forced my weary eyelids to stay open late last night so that I could write up a few posts for you. Unfortunately, its a very time-consuming hobby so I only got a few done, but I have scheduled them to come up every Saturday for the next month or so. I might be able to write up a few more on my days off as well, but I make no promises. August might be barren.

I did make sure to pump the next few posts absolutely FULL of pictures though. So you can look forward to that. And its not necessarily in chronological order. AND...I still expect comments ;)