Camp Towanda

No, it's not a restaurant, nor do they have especially good food or accommodations, but they do have my friends and my memories and my childhood...good and not so good, but always fun!

Michael and I spent this past weekend at my childhood sleep away camp, Camp Towanda, in Honesdale PA.  I was there every summer from 1972 through 1979.  My last year I was a waitress and to this day, it is still my most favorite job I ever had.

We arrived on Friday afternoon to appetizers and a keg of beer.  (Beer is not only highly unusual for camp, it's never been done in my time). So that was exciting.  Drinking out in the open :) instead of doing shots from a pint bottle of Southern Comfort, chasing it with warm water from a gross metal canteen at 2 am, in the rain, under an umbrella, sitting on the boys basketball court, knee to knee with my friend Howie (who passed away recently from cancer).  What a great memory, sad but so makes me smile at the same time. 

After we settled into our accommodations (girls bunk 9, in twin beds, with camp sheets, blankets, pillows and towels) we walked to the dining hall for flag lowering and dinner:  spaghetti, meatballs, sauce, frozen veggies (maybe canned), salad and bread-told you it wasn't exciting.  Later we walked and talked and hugged (well, I did) with all my friends.  We drank Patron on ice, had frozen Kit Kats and hot pretzels from the canteen.

Saturday at 8am, rise and shine for reveille (seriously) and flag raising and breakfast at 8:30:  runny eggs or over easy; pancakes, french toast, yogurt and coffee.  The rest of the day was more reminiscing and getting ready for Apache Relay.  It was an abbreviated version with no running (which sort of belies the point) but whatever.  Michael had to pop a balloon and I had to run the baton from girls basketball to beach volleyball.  Lunch was a BBQ with hot dogs, burgers, ribs, cole slaw, potato salad, veggie burgers, beans and of course, bug juice (sort of gross kool aid).

More appetizers later (shrimp cocktail too this time), more beer, less Patron and dinner was:  lemon chicken and rice with frozen/canned veggies and salad.  Very exciting.  Dessert was chocolate cake.

Singing around the campfire, making smores, back to the canteen and then crashing.  Friday night I hardly slept, Saturday night I was dead to the world.  What a day at camp can do for you!

Sunday am was the same breakfast, then saying goodbye, then taking home made turkey club sandwiches to go (best food of the weekend).

I am still smiling.