Camp Newaygo Zoo

Some of you may not know this, but Camp doesn't usually house animals year round.  Lacy is here full time (that champ), but the chickens, tarantula, rabbits and turtles go home when the counselors do in the fall.  Sad, I know.

But this year that's changed - we have SONIC!  The hedgehog.  I was going to give you three guesses but it would have been too easy.  Sonic (who, coincidentally, is a girl) belongs to Jalisa and keeps us company in the office.  She sleeps during the day, but she gets quite noisy on her wheel at night (how do I know this, you ask?  Weddings tend to last well into the wee hours).  Her stomach is the size of a marble so she doesn't eat much, but so far we've learned that she hates cherry tomatoes and loves pepperoni.

Jalisa has also recently acquired a cat named Nala.  She posted a video on Facebook of Nala going crazy over a lazer pointer.  My cat - her name is French Fry, Kitty, Hey or Quit It, depending on my mood - is nowhere near as playful but twice as cuddly.  Seriously, she must have been a monkey in a past life for all that she climbs on me.  I am not a tree!

So there you have it folks.  All girl animals for an all girls camp. Lacy is no longer the lonely critter guarding the place.  You'll have to come visit us this fall and winter to see our newest additions.  (Which may be growing soon - I'll keep you posted!)

Happy Camping!

The Great Sinus War

This week has been a little tough on all of us due to what I am now dubbing "The Great Sinus War."  Jalisa and I fought valiently, but alas, we were struck down by our foe.  My battle went something like this:

And then like this.

And then I gave it to Jalisa - hers was a sneak attack.  We are recovering with the help of our knights in shining armor, Kleenex and Nasonex.  What brave soldiers.

In other news, G3 is going strong and our corporate/private events are in full swing.  The colors are already starting to change on the trees around camp.  Very exciting!

Progressive Paddle

In case you did not make it to our fourth annual Progressive Paddle,  let me catch you up on the fun things you missed!

We had a total of 25 people attend the paddle this year, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  We launched promptly at 2 o'clock, heading towards the tunnel leading to Kimball Lake.  Bob and Nina Fox met us with their pontoon boat, handing out cheese skewers.  The kayakers took a quick tour around Kimball while they snacked, admiring the nice homefronts and beach properties.

After the appetizer we all went to the home of Jack and Bobbie Watkins near the boat launch on Pickerel.  Their home is done up all in wood with spiral staircases leading up and downstairs.  We ate penne pasta with tomato sauce and sauteed italian sausage with veggies.  It was very tasty.

Our last stop was to Gary and Marilyn Barrett's, the Kastle Inn.  We got to look through all of the suites - Sunfish, Sunflower, Apple, and Birdhouse - and sit in their comfy adirondacks while we ate pumpkin cakes and rocky road bars.

Overall it was a lovely afternoon on the waters of Pickerel and Kimball Lakes.  Next year we are changing up the routine, so we will keep you posted.

Happy Camping!

Where did the summer go?

Hello once again Newaygo Sisters!  Summer is officially over, and I finally have time to sit down and write a blog entry.  I bet you have all been wondering what has been going on here at Camp Newaygo this summer.  Well, here are a few highlights:

Marshmallow paint wars = more fun than paintball
Lots of trees came down around camp after a couple big storms, but suprisingly none of them hit anything.  Phew!
The girls rocked out while learning some sweet break dancing moves
Lora the Elephant came to visit!
Jalisa got a pet hedgehog named....you guessed it, Sonic
Camp got two new overnight sites - Teeter and Totter - off the drive to Cliff House
The LITs unveiled a new rest area for the Wakonda Girls called Wapasaki
Camp got a new maintenance cart, graciously donated by Sue Barthold - "the Twister"
Camp Craft is up and running in the new barn!

Wow!  And that's not even half of it.  I'd say 2012 was a great success.  We can't wait to do it again next year!

Up next is G3 - Go Outside, Get Environmental, Go Green!  We just had Grant Elementary schools, and this year we have been able to expand it to schools outside our county.  Progressive Paddle is also this weekend, and we have more weddings coming up as well.  I'll keep you posted.

Happy Camping!