Monday, July 18th

Last night was a little too warm for our liking, it made it very hard to fall asleep! The first night can be tricky, campers and staff alike are getting used to their new surroundings and the heat did not help. However, campers were still excited for their first full day at Asto Wamah! 

After a filling breakfast of blueberry bread and cereal, campers returned to their cabins and worked together to clean their cabin. Every day, the nurse goes into every cabin and selects the cleanest cabin on Hilltop, Lakeside, and Seniors. The girls are extra diligent and every cabin looked fantastic today! Cabins 2, 5, and 8 won inspection today.

As it is the first day of classes, there were a lot of rules to go over. Swimmers found out who their teacher would be for the next two weeks and showed off their strokes! Boaters, canoers, and sailors alike sat on the logs as Lydia and Sam, our small craft directors, went over safety and how to properly put on a PFD (personal flotation device)! Afterwards, canoers practiced their technique in our shallow water - Aquarium. Sailors learned how to rig and de-rig their Sunfish while boaters went over parts of the boat. In Arts and Crafts today campers were introduced to our more creative staff members. Deb is our arts and crafts director, Carol is our basket maker, and Kevin is our nature expert. After the introductions, campers began their projects! Sports classes played Nuke 'Em, it is a great first day game because it is a good way to learn everyone's name. 

Ziti was served for lunch today! Campers enjoyed french bread and salad as side items, and dessert was vanilla pudding. After rest hour we finished our daily class schedule with 4th period. A small storm hit us this afternoon so all 4th period classes took place in the lodge. Luckily, it cleared quickly and we were able to resume a normal schedule for activity period. Campers were allowed to jump off the tower, go for a run, play badminton, or participate in Aquarium games. We had a lot of fun!

Dinner tonight was chicken melts, with a side of potato chips and applesauce. Chocolate cake was gobbled up for dessert.

Because our athletic field is still too wet to run on we are playing reverse scavenger hunt for our evening program tonight. For this game each girl brings one item of their to the lodge. Then will then use these items to plan out a skit as a cabin that fits the theme set by counselors. It is definitely a favorite game for our campers, they are VERY excited to participate.

Thankfully the rain cooled things down a little bit so tonight should be more comfortable for sleeping. Overall it was a great camp day today!

~Taylor and Shannon 

June Update

Dear Friends of Asto Wamah, June is finally here! That means that within the next 4 weeks, Asto Wamah will be in full swing for its 106th season.

We hope you are registered and looking forward to a week, two-weeks, or more at CAW, meeting new friends, experiencing new challenges and developing new appreciations and understandings.

The good news is that if you are not already registered there is still time to sign up and be a part of this enthusiastic and welcoming community. Applications can be downloaded from the website or call me at 860-649-8614 to learn of availability. If you are registered and have a friend who might enjoy our program, please invite him/her to come.

With each passing day, the grounds and buildings are becoming more and more ready for your arrival. The lake level is already unusually high. At this time, the LTs and Staff have completed CPR training along with First Aid. New supplies and equipment for all program areas are arriving daily. The 2015 shirts are here. They are long sleeved, black with a turquoise design featuring the white raft and tower. Delaney Reimers came up with the design and I am confident it will be popular.

Very soon, the storeroom, refrigerators and freezer will be bursting with food. The kitchen will be poised for action. Just before Coed begins, the staff will arrive for Staff Training. Then all that will be left will be the campers’ arrival.

Hoping you will be a part of the 2015 season of fun and adventure!

Always,

Nancy

May Update

Dear Fans of Asto Wamah, At long last, it’s now clear that spring is here. That means that summer cannot be far off. The days left until the start of the 106th season at Asto Wamah are flying by and we will soon be enjoying fun and adventure at Columbia Lake. All this is good news! To prove that spring has arrived, I have included some pictures taken on 4/30. (Keep in mind on 4/1 the A-Field was still 100% covered with snow.) Can you see the violets that are growing along a path, the marsh-marigolds and skunk cabbage at the Icky Water Bridge, the trillium (a maroon and green flower with 3 leaves and 3 petals) near Cabin 7 and the ferns just poking up out of the leaves? Each is a welcomed sign of spring!

FernTrilliumMarshmarigoldsViolets This wonderful weather has brought a flurry of activity to CAW. Last Saturday, thirty men, women and children raked mountains of leaves and cleaned every cabin and building. Camp looks awesome! We are ready for a new season with enthusiastic campers and a devoted staff. Hope a session at Asto Wamah is on your schedule this summer. There are openings in every session (not many in the all-boy 2-weeks) so there is still time to register. Tell a friend!

The month of May will be busy at camp. There will be 2 Saturday trainings for the new group of 15-year olds in our Leadership Training program. Additionally, Open Camp Day will be held on May 23rd from 3pm to 5 pm. This is a terrific opportunity for those new to Asto Wamah to tour the grounds and see bunkhouses, the Lodge, the waterfront, bathrooms, and the A-Field, Some of 2015’s staff will help with the tours and answer questions. I look forward to meeting new families and our first year campers. If you live nearby and would like to help by being a guide, please know that you are most welcome. There will be cookies and lemonade for all.

The end of your school year is right around the corner and I hope you are completing another milestone with success. Soon it will be time for swimming, boating, games on the field, arts and crafts, sailing and all the fun and friendships that are Asto Wamah. We look forward to your time at camp and the experiences we will share together. Stay well!

Always,

Nancy

April Update

Dear Asto Wamah Followers, Well, we seem to be nearly done with this record breaking winter season. Snow still covers much of camp. The A-Field is about 100% covered, as you can see in the photo, but there are leaf patches appearing in the woods. Most paths are by now bare. Unbelieveably, the lake is still covered with ice. The first 6 or 8 feet closest to shore have melted, but the rest remains solid. Water is pouring under the Icy Water Bridge from the melting snow and springs in the woods. This is the time of year when each new day shows change. Spring is always an exciting time at camp.

This exceptionally cold and snowy winter has resulted in an almost total lack of activity during the past 2 months. Other than plowing and shoveling all other projects have been shut down. Now that it is possible to get around without snowshoes we are beginning to gear up for the opening routines of turning on the water, cleaning buildings, raking leaves, painting and staining buildings and all the other tasks needed to get camp ready for the new season.

So far 245 campers have registered for the summer sessions. No session is totally full so I am hoping that you will spread the word about Asto Wamah and the camping experience we offer. We would like to have a full camp and would appreciate any assistance you might offer to get us there.

We are most fortunate to have a complete staff of outstanding young adults hired and ready to work. Most are returning, having worked last summer. The rest are graduates of our 2014 Leadership Training program. All are excited to be a part of the team that will provide every camper with an awesome experience where friendships will be made, fun will be had, and independence will be gained. We are eager for the adventure and opportunities summer will bring at Asto Wamah.

Wishing you a healthy and happy April!

All best,

Nancy

Snow on A-Field

 

March Update

Dear Friends of Asto Wamah, Well, February may be the shortest month of the year, but to me it seemed to have lasted way too long. I do not ever remember so much snow. In addition to the snow, the lake is covered with more than two feet of ice. I look forward to both the ice and snow melting and the arrival of buds on the trees and the singing of birds. Mother Nature certainly has a way of getting our attention.

The photo for this month was taken from the lake, about half way to Frog Island. I wanted you to get an idea of the expanse of the whiteness. It is really very beautiful.

Waterfront in the Winter

Brochures were sent in early February and the forms have steadily been arriving. Our mail has been somewhat disrupted since the mailbox at the end of the camp road was knocked off its post during the plowing of the first storm. We still get our mail, just not as easily as before.   There are still openings in all sessions so if you have friends or neighbors who may be interested, please reassure them that there is room. We’d love to have them.

Despite the cold and snow, we are excited to be gearing up for our 106th season. Staff is falling into place with a large number of exceptional returnees. Supplies for the field, waterfront and archery are being ordered and arriving. Deb will soon be deciding on the materials needed for arts and crafts. The arrival of day light savings time this weekend is another reminder that summer is not far off.

Hope you have been well and are looking forward to your time at Asto Wamah this summer!

Always,

Nancy

February Update

Dear Friends of Asto Wamah, I hope that all is well in your world. I think of you and trust that you are enjoying this cold and now white winter. At least Colbie has brought the conditions for fun outside activities. Stay safe in all that you do.

For the past few months the landscape at camp has barely changed. Blizzard Colbie changed all of that! Before the snow, the lake was totally covered with probably 5 inches of the smoothest ice I have ever seen on Columbia Lake. The conditions were perfect for ice-skating.

All that ended with Colbie. I hope the pictures clearly and fully represent the whiteness and endlessness of the 20 inches of snow that fell on Jan. 27th. Walking beyond the plowed areas of the road and parking lot necessitate the use of snowshoes. Needless to say, moving through camp at this time is exhausting and difficult but the beauty of the snow cover is awesome.

The 2015 brochures will have already gone in the mail by the time this Blog is posted. If you have names and addresses of friends, relatives or neighbors who may be interested in attending camp this summer you can send me their contact information. You can use either c...@campastowamah.org or n...@gmail.com and I will mail out the brochure ASAP.

Hope a session at Asto Wamah will be a part of your summer plans. We would love to have you take part in this upcoming, exciting season at camp.

Don’t forget, camp enrollment is done on a first come first served basis so it is important that you get your application returned as quickly as you can.

Stay warm and safe. Remember, summer will be here before we know it!

Always,

Nancy

Snow-1 Snow-2 Snow-3 Snow-4

January 2015 Update

Dear Friends and Followers of Asto Wamah, Happy New Year!! I send you best wishes for a super new year ahead. May it bring us all peace and all that is good.

Well, 2014 ended on a positive note for Asto Wamah with the Reunion on the 26th. Although the turnout was somewhat smaller than usual we had lots of fun playing games and revisiting the summer experience we had all shared. Friends were reconnected and there was much good cheer.

So far this winter has been noteworthy for its lack of snow, ice and cold weather. There have been some cold days here and there, but overall the temperature has been mild and other than a covering of snow at Thanksgiving, the ground has remained brown and leaf covered. The exposed lakebed has been somewhat wet and soft (certainly not frozen) until recently.   I am just starting to see some small icy areas floating close to shore. Maybe by the next Blog, I will have pictures of snow and ice for you.

Now that January is here, it is time to begin planning for registration and staff hiring. The 2015 brochure is at the printers now. Within a week or two, we will work to prepare them for the February 1st mailing. Those hoping to work at camp this summer are already returning applications. Right now it seems as though June is far off but experience tells us that it will be here faster than we think. If you have not sent in the names and addresses of friends, relatives or neighbors who may be interested in attending camp this summer, there is still time. That information can also be delivered via the contact page on the website: www.campastowamah.org/contact.php.

Wishing you a wonderful January ahead. Stay well, be good, and Remember the Other Fellow!

Always,

Nancy