Camp

Julianne loved Windermere. She had a friend who got on her nerves a little (but she still loves her) but she had a ball. Her camera is acting up and she didn't take a single picture, though! That's killing me! She rolls her eyes when I ask if she might want to ever work there. She still loves our Baptist Association's camp better. Bates Creek is much more primitive than Windermere. It's much, much smaller and is only used for a few weeks each summer so it doesn't have bells and whistles. It was my favorite place on the planet when I was in school. Our church here in the city doesn't use Bates Creek so Julianne goes with the church where I grew up or with my aunt's church. She didn't get to go last year. We had some bad storms and the camp had no electricity. Shortly after that there was another storm and the dining hall blew down (my brother, Ed, poured the floor for the new one this year). I love Bates Creek for sentimental reasons, too. My Grandad and a group of boys planted hundreds of pine trees back in the 60's and they are huge trees now. I went there first when I was eight. You're supposed to be nine, but my Nanie & Grandad were working at camp during Girls' Week and they took my cousin, Mary, and me with them. Mary was eight, too. We stayed in a cabin with girls we didn't know but we got to know them fast. It was FUN! Many years ago Grandad made up a story for the camp, The Legend of John Bates. It's a spooky story and it is still being told--with many twists that Grandad never thought of. The girls in our cabin told the story the first night we were there and scared everyone. The whole rest of the week was about scared girls seeing things in the trees and a LOT of screaming! There was nothing Grandad could say to convince those silly girls that there is no John Bates. I don't remember if Mary ever went back, but I did several years while I was in youth group. I sure miss those days. Julianne was saved when she got back from camp the first year that she went. She asked Grandad what she needed to do to be saved. He prayed with her. He baptized her a couple of weeks later. It was the last baptism that Grandad ever did. I love that Julianne loves camp so much. I love that she wants to just move in like I did. I hope she's still getting more out of it than just a good time.