I really great friend of Mark's put together this great website for our company here in town. Please take the time to check it out!! Claude: We really appreicate all the hard work and the laughs!!
www.autotechbakersfield.com
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Camp Keep Ocean January 25-27
I spent three crazy, fun-filled days with 100 6th graders at Camp Keep Ocean. This is a field trip beyond field trips. It is an outdoor science classroom. We started our adventure on a 2+ hour bus ride to Los Osos, California, right along the Central coast of California. Let's just say the bus ride alone was an adventure. I sat and wondered if the parents pumped their kids up with sugar before the trip.
I VOLUNTEERED to be a camp counselor so that I may experience this trip with Megan. I was "in charge" of 12-6th grade-pre-teen girls! :) We represented the Sea Stars Trailer! Go Sea Stars!! A few of the girls stood out amongst the rest! I had a group of 3 girls that called themselves the 3 Muskateers! Throughout the 3 days, they were the ones that talked a lot and just wouldn't stop. They were told to be quiet on a few occasions! I had one little girl that this was her first time away from home and was very, very quiet! I had another one that just wanted to be by my side the WHOLE trip and talk about whatever came up! Megan and her best friend, Katie were in my trailer along with a few more wonderful, well-mannered, beautiful girls!
For months the kids were looking forward to this trip. They have been studying the ecosystems that they were actually going to partake in. They were going to go on a hands-on adventure and walk through their text books.
When we arrived, they started in on our day. We were given our trailers! Which had No electricity, which meant NO HEATERS and NO LIGHTS! Flashlights only! :) The girls found their bunks, dumped their stuff and headed for the dome for lunch. The dome and the camp fire were the meeting places for our group to get the information for the day/evening!
After lunch, we went on our first hike..... 2.5 miles up and over the sand dunes to the coastal waters. Our guide for the day was Penny. She was such a full of life guide who truly enjoyed her job and sharing with the girls! She had fun running up and down the sand dunes just like the girls! The girls had a great time and we were able to walk along the coastline and view some sea life. But, the forthcoming storm made the waves enormous which kept us from getting too close to the ocean.
Each night after dinner, we played a game and then ventured out to the camp fire. We learned about the Native Americans Indians that lived in the region and learned/sang silly camp fire songs. This was one of my favorite times of the day!
On Tuesday morning, I woke to the sound of rain on the trailer roof! Looked at my clock and it said 5am! The conch shell was to sound at 7am. I laid on the cot wondering what the day would unfold for a rainy day schedule! After breakfast, we were informed that the day would continue as planned....rain or shine! UGH! I know, bad attitude, raining outside, jumpy girls, bad combination. We were told to dress and get ready for our hike! I thought "HIKE?" - me the city girl! I dressed as "Dry" as possible and put on my best smile for the morning hike!
The bus took us down the road to a 2.75 mile hike up the canyon and down to the stream! We all unloaded at the park entrance....looked up the mountain.....and stood in the rain. Inside I was screaming saying.....NO WAYYYYYY am I going to do this! Then I looked at the girls and then thought to myself and realized I probably will NEVER do this again......Just go for it! It's just water, right? So, off we went...up, up, up the mountain in pouring down rain, muddy trails and animals all around us! What an adventure.....we experienced minor's lettuce, which the girls were able to eat on the trail. We learned about what and how the Native Americans used the resources that were on the trail to live and survive! The trail took us down by the fresh water stream which flowed into the ocean. The girls were showed how the indians used different rocks to use as war paint for their faces! From the stream we headed back from the mountains, back to the park entrance and the rain NEVER let up! By the end of the trail, I was soaked from my thighs down, boots completed drenched but I had a smile on my face. I survived the hiking trail in the rain!
We loaded the bus, wet, tired and hungry!
After our arrival back at camp, we devoured our lunch and the announcement was made that we had a choice....stay at camp or head out AGAIN in the rain for the next hike. I sat for a minute, looked at my girls and was wondering what they were going to choose. It was truly up to them. They didn't hesitate....they wanted to go out again! So, we stayed in our wet clothes and hopped on the bus again....heading to the tide pools!
As we hopped off the bus on our next hike....the rain had slowed to a drizzle....and the oceans were calming down a bit. With a brief walk on the trail, we found ourselves down at the tide pools.....HUGE tide pools! We saw sea urchins, eels, sea snails, star fish, barnacles, etc. The guides let the kids roam free and they touched, laughed, smiled, smelled, watched and really enjoyed their outdoor classroom experience.
Back to camp we headed, I was REALLY looking forward to my one hour of counselor FREE TIME which was to include a HOT SHOWER! But, as it happened, the house turned more into 30 min! Due to the fact that we had to have a counselor meeting FIRST! Another counselor and I were trying to get out of that meeting...we were already in the shower area and ready to go when another counselor came and got us.....DARN IT! I did get my HOT shower but not long enough. I had to get dried, dressed and ready to get my 12 girls in and out of the shower in 15 minutes!! RIIIGGHHHTTTTT!!! Well, we almost made it! LOL
The rest of the day went as scheduled....free time for the kids, hot tea for me, dinner, games and campfire! Lights out at 9pm. My sanity was saved each evening with the great Christmas present my husband got me....MY KINDLE. I was able to relax and read before turning in for the night! Please note that our trailer was so cold at night. I slept in my clothes with a sleeping bag and blanket to keep warm. :) Fun???
Megan gave me a hard time this night in the trailer. Overall, we enjoyed the trip together and I kept my distance so that she could enjoy her time with her classmates. But, this night, she tested the waters.....as the girls were settling down, she was going slower then usual and giving me grief. I stood up....used my big girl voice and said...."Megan, if you don't start listening I will embarrass you here and now in front of all your friends!" The girls all turned and looked at Megan to see what she was going to do......lo and behold....she quieted down and that was that!
At around 2am, I was awoken by one of my girls having a asthma attack. By procedure, I had to get dressed, walk her over to the teacher trailer, wake up a teacher, then the three of us had to walk to the first aid trailer to get the medicine from the locked filing cabinet. :) The cool night air woke me up really fast. We found the meds and the girl felt much better. We made our way back to our trailer and as I settled down back on my cot and warmed up I realized that wake up call was going to be at 630am. Hard to fall back to sleep with that on your mind. 630a came way to quickly!
The girls woke and had to get ready and pack before the day started. We got our trailers arranged and headed to breakfast one more time. During the breakfast, annoucements were made that the girls had to clean the trailers from top to bottom and had inspections throughout to make sure that it was ready for the next group of campers. My girls were the first of the girls to accomplish this task. I was so proud! With the trailer cleaned and our bags placed in the loading area, we were instructed to go to the campfire. After everyone arrived, we were told that we had time for ONE MORE HIKE!! This time our group went back to the sand dunes but instead of going up and over, we were heading to the top of a rather LARGE sand dune! We headed out and arrived at the top with the most spectacular view of Morro Bay! It was a great place to just "BE!" The guide had the girls sit in a circle and they talked about what was the best part of there 3 days at Camp Keep! One of the girls that the moment touching thing to say....she looked around the circle....and said...the most memorable thing was that she met "the quiet girl" for the first time and made a new friend....that she didn't even know that the "quiet girl" went to our school. In response, the "quiet girl" said she had been at the school since Kindergarten. I welled up with tears!
We ended our 3 days with a quiet lunch back at the dome and good byes to all the guides. The bus ride was a quiet one...filled with tired kids and counselors! All I could think of was getting home to my family and my spa!! LOL :)
As I think back to those 3 days, I cannot believe I hiked more than 7+ miles in 3 days, rain or shine. Made memories, learned a lot of stuff about the ocean and spent some quality time with a whole bunch of 6th graders plus my daughter, Megan! :) When it was said and done....I was happy to return home to my house!
I VOLUNTEERED to be a camp counselor so that I may experience this trip with Megan. I was "in charge" of 12-6th grade-pre-teen girls! :) We represented the Sea Stars Trailer! Go Sea Stars!! A few of the girls stood out amongst the rest! I had a group of 3 girls that called themselves the 3 Muskateers! Throughout the 3 days, they were the ones that talked a lot and just wouldn't stop. They were told to be quiet on a few occasions! I had one little girl that this was her first time away from home and was very, very quiet! I had another one that just wanted to be by my side the WHOLE trip and talk about whatever came up! Megan and her best friend, Katie were in my trailer along with a few more wonderful, well-mannered, beautiful girls!
For months the kids were looking forward to this trip. They have been studying the ecosystems that they were actually going to partake in. They were going to go on a hands-on adventure and walk through their text books.
When we arrived, they started in on our day. We were given our trailers! Which had No electricity, which meant NO HEATERS and NO LIGHTS! Flashlights only! :) The girls found their bunks, dumped their stuff and headed for the dome for lunch. The dome and the camp fire were the meeting places for our group to get the information for the day/evening!
After lunch, we went on our first hike..... 2.5 miles up and over the sand dunes to the coastal waters. Our guide for the day was Penny. She was such a full of life guide who truly enjoyed her job and sharing with the girls! She had fun running up and down the sand dunes just like the girls! The girls had a great time and we were able to walk along the coastline and view some sea life. But, the forthcoming storm made the waves enormous which kept us from getting too close to the ocean.
Each night after dinner, we played a game and then ventured out to the camp fire. We learned about the Native Americans Indians that lived in the region and learned/sang silly camp fire songs. This was one of my favorite times of the day!
On Tuesday morning, I woke to the sound of rain on the trailer roof! Looked at my clock and it said 5am! The conch shell was to sound at 7am. I laid on the cot wondering what the day would unfold for a rainy day schedule! After breakfast, we were informed that the day would continue as planned....rain or shine! UGH! I know, bad attitude, raining outside, jumpy girls, bad combination. We were told to dress and get ready for our hike! I thought "HIKE?" - me the city girl! I dressed as "Dry" as possible and put on my best smile for the morning hike!
The bus took us down the road to a 2.75 mile hike up the canyon and down to the stream! We all unloaded at the park entrance....looked up the mountain.....and stood in the rain. Inside I was screaming saying.....NO WAYYYYYY am I going to do this! Then I looked at the girls and then thought to myself and realized I probably will NEVER do this again......Just go for it! It's just water, right? So, off we went...up, up, up the mountain in pouring down rain, muddy trails and animals all around us! What an adventure.....we experienced minor's lettuce, which the girls were able to eat on the trail. We learned about what and how the Native Americans used the resources that were on the trail to live and survive! The trail took us down by the fresh water stream which flowed into the ocean. The girls were showed how the indians used different rocks to use as war paint for their faces! From the stream we headed back from the mountains, back to the park entrance and the rain NEVER let up! By the end of the trail, I was soaked from my thighs down, boots completed drenched but I had a smile on my face. I survived the hiking trail in the rain!
We loaded the bus, wet, tired and hungry!
After our arrival back at camp, we devoured our lunch and the announcement was made that we had a choice....stay at camp or head out AGAIN in the rain for the next hike. I sat for a minute, looked at my girls and was wondering what they were going to choose. It was truly up to them. They didn't hesitate....they wanted to go out again! So, we stayed in our wet clothes and hopped on the bus again....heading to the tide pools!
As we hopped off the bus on our next hike....the rain had slowed to a drizzle....and the oceans were calming down a bit. With a brief walk on the trail, we found ourselves down at the tide pools.....HUGE tide pools! We saw sea urchins, eels, sea snails, star fish, barnacles, etc. The guides let the kids roam free and they touched, laughed, smiled, smelled, watched and really enjoyed their outdoor classroom experience.
Back to camp we headed, I was REALLY looking forward to my one hour of counselor FREE TIME which was to include a HOT SHOWER! But, as it happened, the house turned more into 30 min! Due to the fact that we had to have a counselor meeting FIRST! Another counselor and I were trying to get out of that meeting...we were already in the shower area and ready to go when another counselor came and got us.....DARN IT! I did get my HOT shower but not long enough. I had to get dried, dressed and ready to get my 12 girls in and out of the shower in 15 minutes!! RIIIGGHHHTTTTT!!! Well, we almost made it! LOL
The rest of the day went as scheduled....free time for the kids, hot tea for me, dinner, games and campfire! Lights out at 9pm. My sanity was saved each evening with the great Christmas present my husband got me....MY KINDLE. I was able to relax and read before turning in for the night! Please note that our trailer was so cold at night. I slept in my clothes with a sleeping bag and blanket to keep warm. :) Fun???
Megan gave me a hard time this night in the trailer. Overall, we enjoyed the trip together and I kept my distance so that she could enjoy her time with her classmates. But, this night, she tested the waters.....as the girls were settling down, she was going slower then usual and giving me grief. I stood up....used my big girl voice and said...."Megan, if you don't start listening I will embarrass you here and now in front of all your friends!" The girls all turned and looked at Megan to see what she was going to do......lo and behold....she quieted down and that was that!
At around 2am, I was awoken by one of my girls having a asthma attack. By procedure, I had to get dressed, walk her over to the teacher trailer, wake up a teacher, then the three of us had to walk to the first aid trailer to get the medicine from the locked filing cabinet. :) The cool night air woke me up really fast. We found the meds and the girl felt much better. We made our way back to our trailer and as I settled down back on my cot and warmed up I realized that wake up call was going to be at 630am. Hard to fall back to sleep with that on your mind. 630a came way to quickly!
The girls woke and had to get ready and pack before the day started. We got our trailers arranged and headed to breakfast one more time. During the breakfast, annoucements were made that the girls had to clean the trailers from top to bottom and had inspections throughout to make sure that it was ready for the next group of campers. My girls were the first of the girls to accomplish this task. I was so proud! With the trailer cleaned and our bags placed in the loading area, we were instructed to go to the campfire. After everyone arrived, we were told that we had time for ONE MORE HIKE!! This time our group went back to the sand dunes but instead of going up and over, we were heading to the top of a rather LARGE sand dune! We headed out and arrived at the top with the most spectacular view of Morro Bay! It was a great place to just "BE!" The guide had the girls sit in a circle and they talked about what was the best part of there 3 days at Camp Keep! One of the girls that the moment touching thing to say....she looked around the circle....and said...the most memorable thing was that she met "the quiet girl" for the first time and made a new friend....that she didn't even know that the "quiet girl" went to our school. In response, the "quiet girl" said she had been at the school since Kindergarten. I welled up with tears!
We ended our 3 days with a quiet lunch back at the dome and good byes to all the guides. The bus ride was a quiet one...filled with tired kids and counselors! All I could think of was getting home to my family and my spa!! LOL :)
As I think back to those 3 days, I cannot believe I hiked more than 7+ miles in 3 days, rain or shine. Made memories, learned a lot of stuff about the ocean and spent some quality time with a whole bunch of 6th graders plus my daughter, Megan! :) When it was said and done....I was happy to return home to my house!
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