Cocoa-Palooza

Tuesday, July 30th, 2024

KITCHEN circa 7:30am—Head Chef Mary Jane Stamper’s New Orleans Dixieland playlist bombards the cool morning air, imbuing the bustling cocoa scene with a Mardi Gras fervor. Campers by the dozen anxiously wait in the line for cocoa, animatedly chatting in small groups, while others examine chess puzzles, play cards, or aimlessly roam the kitchen in search of mischief. The crew of early riser adult staff peer grimly through coffee mug steam at the unfolding sugar-fueled frenzy.

“If you’re happy and you know it, hit the gritty!” sings Ty, 12, of the Scarlet Tipi to some newfound friends in the cocoa line. I inquire him for his first impressions. “Tipi skits were pretty cool. I fell on the stage for a laugh. I didn’t injure myself, but it didn’t feel good! On the orientation tour I was impressed by the Costume Barn. I definitely want to check out that and clowning.”

“Spare change! Spare change!” drone the group of boys, waving their empty mugs at Ty, prying his attention. He joins them and they all turn to the next person joining the line. “Spare change! Spare change!”

“Are you guys pretending to be Grateful Dead fans?” asks Waterfront Director Kitty Green of the sarcastic panhandlers. “What you’re supposed to say is ‘I need a miracle’.” I ask her how the morning is going. “Pretty smooth,” she says. “There were 78 kids in the cocoa line at 6:58am—more than half of Camp!”

“Camp is the best,” says Lucas, 12, also from Scarlet. “I was here last session and stayed over the session break. We watched a bunch of shows and got to eat buffet style. There’s a bunch of new people here now, so I get to show them the ropes. Some kids that are brand new, they don’t want to be here, but once classes start today, that’ll change.”

“The Blue Tipi skit was funny,” says Mandela, 11, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “They were in a graveyard scaring each other and then at the end they said, ‘We’re the Boo Tipi’.”

I move up the line to a different crew of squirrelly children.

“Camp is very fun,” reports Khloe, 11, of the Orange Tipi. “Dinner was spectacular; there’s no way it could have been any better. It was better than Round Table! I love being with all my friends. Every time I see them they dap me up. By the way, it’s my sister’s birthday!”

People with birthdays at Camp are traditionally pied in the face with a plate of whipped cream. I ask Khloe’s sister if she is prepared for this.

“I don’t know, it’s my first time,” says Ana, 13, of the Flame Tipi. “If I do get pied, I hope it just goes on my nose because you can’t really break out there. I’m excited to try aerials, especially silks. I think the tricks you can do on them are really cool.”

I continue into the eating area where several chess puzzles are arranged on the long buffet table.

“You have to make it so that none of the eight queens are attacking each other,” says Umbe, 10, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “Tipi Skit Night was fun but long. My favorite was the one where they pushed each other over and fell on the stage.”

“Camp is good,” says Joffré, 10, also from Ultraviolet. “I like the creativity they put in it and I like how they let you walk around and pick what you want to do. There was a lot of stuff that looked fun to do, and all the counselors were very encouraging.”

“I like the skit night,” says Ava, 7, of the Lime Tipi. “The Blue one was the best; I like to scare people and they were scaring their counselors. The cocoa is really good. I like it with marshmallows. I was looking forward to doing silks because I went to a day camp at the Circus Center in San Francisco and I did silks there.”

Now 8:30am, I stash my notes and head off to prepare for our pre-breakfast song circle. Today we will be singing “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, and a version of “Baby I Need Your Lovin'” by the Four Tops where the verses are replaced by improvised motivational speeches.

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Backstage Passes

Monday, July 29th, 2024

BACKSTAGE circa 9:00pm—Stars can now be seen in most of the sky, or what is visible through the canopy. Isolated pockets of artificial lights cast eerie up-lit shadows on the surrounding oaks. The circular arrangement of Camp’s fifteen tipi structures is mostly dark and deserted as campers and staff enjoy evening program at the adjacent Rainbow Theater.

“Green Tipi to the stage,” announces Camper Advocate Lexi Takaki over the PA. Walk-on music resounds through the campus as the campers of Green Tipi scurry from the audience to the backstage of the outdoor venue. As they await with their counselors to make a grand entrance the music fades the crowd quiets to whispers, allowing the chorus of crickets to temporarily surge to the forefront. In a moment they have slipped through the curtains to perform their tipi skit, an exercise in rudimentary stagecraft meant to give everyone the chance to introduce themselves to all of Camp.

A fire is coaxed to life at the central fire pit by two counselors assisted by a reclining commentator.

“They have this saying about starting a fire in Alaska—any way you can!” quips Juggling Instructor, Memo Gosnell from his seat by the young fire. “Campus orientation went good this evening. I was at my post at the Juggling Cart. For each group I ended with my joke, ‘Why did the camper cross the road? To get to the Aerials Site!’ Get it? Because that’s the next stop on the orientation tour.”

All of Camp’s tipis are named after different colors. Though counselors may create punny name modifications session by session, the main color names stay consistent in terms of record keeping and logistics. This session we took an unprecedented step in deciding to resurrect “Turquoise”, a by-gone tipi name, and use it in lieu of “Sky Blue”. I ask Memo what he thinks of the title change.

“There was a nice ring to ‘T-Q-Sky-Blue’, but I support the change,’ he says.”

“I forgot there was ever a TQ,” admits Art Instructor Lastarla Barker, adjusting the geometry of the fire logs. “I guess having Blue and Sky Blue was kind of redundant. I was at the Art Grove for orientation tour. There were a lot of campers excited to paint this session, and even one finger-knitter!”

“It feels good to be back,” says Diabolo Instructor Brian Bell, depositing an armful of logs near the fire pit for later use. “I’m still recovering from the loss of Sunset Tipi; it was my first. I guess the return of TQ is funny. I like the idea of a rotating tipi name.”

As the show wears on, various counselors and campers begin to visit the bathrooms opposite the Tipi Circle from the Theater, causing them to pass by my fireside perch.

“The Flame Tipi one was pretty funny,” says Teen Staff Addison of the tipi skits. “Sha’him kept on saying ‘That’s fire’ and then the whole crowd would call back ‘No, that’s Flame!'”

“There seems to be lots of excitement for stilts,” says Stilts Instructor Nova Platt. “I was in TQ when I was 12 so I’m glad it’s back. I can’t believe the summer is almost over. I’m excited to get back to my real shower and my real bed, but I’m gonna miss these kids like heck.”

“I think Tipi Skit Night is a really important opportunity for kids to start the process of being brainwashed into our Winnarainbow order,” says Songwriting Instructor Natalie Garms. “Having Sky Blue in that part of the circle didn’t even make sense. What goes in between blue and green? Turquoise! It’s so simple.”

“Ever since Turquoise came back, this whole place has been turned on its head,” says James, 11, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “I don’t even recognize the Tipi Circle anymore. It looks bigger since the last time I was here. Honestly, Sky Blue was a good one, probably my favorite after Lime, but Turquoise is pretty good too. I just wish they had replaced a worse color like Green.”

“Our tipi skit went pretty good,” continues James. “We did a skit where instead of being the U.V. Tipi, we were the U-Haul Tipi, and we all were carrying boxes. The skit matches our tipi sign, but I don’t think the counselors painted it. I think it just came like that.”

As we discuss Ultraviolet’s clever if not a little lazy tipi sign, Lexi invokes Wavy Gravy’s signature line of nighttime dismissal, “Brush ’em if you got ’em!” launching 150-odd flashlight-wielding maniacs into the night. Not intent on being blinded or trampled I take my speedy leave.

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

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Adult in the Room

Saturday, July 27th, 2024

CHESS GROVE circa 5:00pm—Post-show euphoria has super-charged the exchange of hugs and farewells among the Camp public as our Session ‘C’ campers prepare for departure. Their grown-ups stand by, toting duffle bags or snapping photos on their smartphones. Usually a haven for quiet, intellectual contemplation, the Chess Grove has been transformed into a bustling marketplace for Camp-branded merchandise. I’ve positioned myself here to solicit some feedback from customers during their wait in line.

“Thank you for the blog,” said Amanda from Brooklyn. “We enjoyed reading about all the creative exploits.”

“Y’all rocked it,” added Adley, also from Brooklyn. “Besides seeing my daughter in the dance show, my favorite part was seeing Camp alive as a group. The ‘Camp Town Road’ song had a lot of energy. You could tell the kids were having fun while doing it.”

“Stilts were amazing,” said Sara from Humboldt. “It was quite the surprise to see my girls up on tall stilts!”

“The poetry was… poetic,” observed Kester, from Berkeley.

“The show was fantastic,” said Jeff from Oakland. “I loved the clowning act, especially the act with the broom. It was really full of life. It’s so sweet to be back; it brings tears to my eyes.”

“I have a bias toward clowning because of this one here,” said Anne from Berkeley, hugging a child, presumably hers. “But the whole show was awesome. I thought the tightropers were agile and amazing. This is his third time and it’s always a highlight of the year, a real self-esteem booster.”

“The songs at the end of the show always bring me to tears,” said Mark from Alameda. “I liked the DEVO number, and the hat and melodica were a nice touch. The house band was really strong—what do musicians say—really tight.”

“Poetry was deep—deep as the ocean!” said Samantha from Alameda.

“We came to the Session ‘B’ show too, and this one was even better,” said Paul from Alameda. “Poetry was a knock-out.”

“The poetry was very impressive,” agreed Margot from Palo Alto. “You could tell it came straight from the heart.”

“Tears in my eyes, but filled with joy,” said Ella from Alameda. “Seeing Rueben on stilts was amazing.”

“The singing at the end always gets me, especially the ‘We are the children of Camp Winnarainbow’ song,” said Gabby from Oakland. “I always try really hard not to cry, and I’m never successful.”

“I love the old-school vibe of the ending with ‘Camp Town Road’,” said Boots from Oakland. “It reminded me of a football movie where everyone has had fights with each other, but now they’ve made up and they’re in it together. I was also really surprised by the poetry. At first I thought, ‘Was this written before, by someone else, and they’re just reading it?’ It’s amazing to have that moment where you see, yes, their brains work the same as ours, they have the same wants that we have.”

“Camp is awesome!” said Mora from Pinole.

“It’s quite an achievement, very unique” said Oscar from Palo Alto. “The people coming in on stilts against the drumming was powerful. It set the stage, so to speak. It had the same color palette as when I saw the Dead at Stanford circa 1985.”

Thanks for reading along this session! Have a safe journey home and as always,

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Highlight Reel

Friday, July 26th, 2024

TIPI CIRCLE circa 4:00pm—Cool breezes temper the heat of the afternoon sunbeams which cast a crisp Dalmatian shade pattern on the dusty earth. Sounds of a small live band broadcast over the Rainbow Theater’s PA as the songwriting class pupils practice their creations. Today is the last full day of Camp, and tonight is the final rehearsal before our Big Show. I’ve positioned myself here in this high foot traffic zone to ask passersby the simple question, “What was your highlight of Session ‘C’ 2024?”

“The teen creek walks were super fun,” said Teen Staff Carmelo. “It was nice to have some ‘teen time’. We picked blackberries and Zappo pulled a gopher snake out of a bush. Being in the creek you’re surrounded by beautiful scenery and big trees. It’s a time for bonding and experiencing the beauty of nature. As teen staff we do a lot of jobs, so it’s good to have strong bonds with your fellow teens.”

“It was low-key goated when I was giving people hair tinsel,” said Teen Staff Aya.

“I think my highlight was just making new friends,” said Vince, 12, of the Sky Blue Tipi. “I made friends with everyone in my tipi so now have somewhere between nine and twelve new friends!”

“Having my daughter Sala get up on silks was magical,” said Medical Director Yakira Teitel. “She’s so small and strong and she always wants to fly. I loved doing aerials when I was a kid at Camp. Sahara Moon was my teacher. It’s been so long but I still remember the feeling of flying. Taking aerials as a kid, I learned how to be graceful in movement, how to value the experience of exhilaration, and the importance of timing. Seeing Sala do it all these years later is totally a vicarious thrill. Camp is still magic after all these years.”

“My highlight was learning how to do silks,” said Charlie, 9, of the Gold Tipi. “You can basically hang upside-down and do amazingly cool flips. Some tricks: Man on the Moon, Cleopatra, and Faux Rebecca. You can do drops or build up momentum by swinging on your stomach and then it feels like I’m a sparrow on the wind. The silks are nice and soft but you can get a silk burn if you slide down too fast.”

“Definitely, the labyrinth was my highlight,” said Lincoln, 14, of the Scarlet Tipi. “I got to relax for one time in my life. There was no technology, worry-free, and talking about hippy spiritual stuff. Riley said something about how laughter is important. The sage smells pretty cool. The experience was very enlightening and calm. If you don’t like the labyrinth, you’re geekin’. Get with that labyrinth program!”

“I have to say the first Fire Circle night was great,” said Tilly, 14, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “I was chilling with my friends and we were all laughing. I remember José told these stories about someone stealing his baseball cards, and then the kid’s dad said, ‘Don’t ever take advantage of someone younger than you!’ I think Fire Circle brings people together. On stage, there’s a separation. Around the fire it feels more like a community. This is my third year and I’ve realized it’s not just Camp you look forward to, it’s the people that make it up.”

“Getting better at unicycling was my highlight,” said Simon, 12, of the Maroon Tipi. “I can ride off the bar now! It feels like I’m a swan gliding on a glassy lake. When I crash or fall off, it’s a moment to reflect on how to improve. I mostly taught myself during free time. The more hours I put in, the more I improved. The community at Camp is really supportive; when you fall down—physically or metaphorically—they pick you back up.”

“Puppets was my highlight; I worked very hard on it,” said Calvin, 10, of the Orange Tipi. “Mine is a white sock with a rainbow star jacket and very long, pink, purple and blue hair. Also it has a red guitar. The guitar broke today, but I’ll fix it tomorrow. That’s the lesson of puppets. Even if things break, you gotta try again.”

“I have two highlights,” admitted Sunny, 12, of the Red Tipi. “First, when I was at the platform at the lake I was so scared to jump off. It was so high up that my brain just wouldn’t let me. But my friends kept telling me I could do it until finally I believed them. I just closed my eyes and ran off. That moment after jumping, before hitting the water, I felt so happy, triumphant to have overcome my fears.”

“My second highlight was my tipi winning Adventure Night,” continued Sunny. “When they were announcing they said Gold and Lime in 4th, Maroon in 3rd, and Flame in 2nd—we figured that we must have gotten 5th or lower. We thought for sure Scarlet Tipi would be number one. But then they said ‘Red Tipi’ and I couldn’t believe it! Nylah and I just looked at each other and screamed. For our prize we got a box of 12 cans of root beer and we finally got to drink it tonight at dinner. Victory never tasted so sweet! A lot of crazy stuff happened this session, but we all came together and got through it, and we had a lot of fun along the way.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Making Waves

Thursday, July 25th, 2024

LAKE VERONICA circa 2:30pm—The sun glitters off the black jewel of water, set in a jade layer of lily pads which trace the triangular perimeter. Dragonflies dart in between cattail stalks while bumblebees graze on a patch of wild pennyroyal. The impressive afternoon heat has necessitated a brief swim to revitalize my outlook on life. Fresh from the water, I sit dripping at a small picnic table near the shoreline, commiserating with lifeguards and the first round of lake shuttle children. My goal today is to discern the public’s attitude toward Camp’s two main water features: Lake Veronica vs. Streeter Creek.

“Lake to death!” exclaimed Lifeguard AnnaLee. “I like jumping in the water and swimming. You can’t do that at the creek. Also the lake has lovely bumble bees while the creek has creepy carpenter wasps.”

“The creek is superior with its emerald pools of flowing water,” said Lifeguard Lucien Geltman-Lamb. “I love to skip rocks and at the creek there’s an unlimited supply of good, flat stones. The lake all pebbles.”

“Lake! A hundred times lake!” shouted Rio, 10, of the Orange Tipi. “It’s bigger, you can go under water, there’s lifeguards, and there’s a diving—I mean a ‘jumping off feet-first’ board. Also there’s wrist rockets at the lake. You can’t argue with wrist rockets.”

“Lake, duh,” said Lucas, 12, of the Scarlet Tipi. “It’s bigger, better, bolder, brighter, and all the beautiful ‘B’-words. Also the lake has pennyroyal growing. It smells good and there’s a cool song about it. If there was a battle between lake-heads and creeklings, I would be manning a catapult full of lake mud and pebbles.”

“The lake gets a bad rap for being muddy, but that’s just at the shoreline,” said Jonah, 12, of the Blue Tipi. “If you swim out like ten feet it’s totally clear. I’m lake all the way.”

…

STREETER CREEK circa 3:30pm—Ample tree shade casts soft patches on the verdant hollow of the bustling creek bed. Cool mud and sand define the shallow banks which transition to a mosaic of river stones near and beneath the water. Upstream, the western stretch is dominated by a rowdy group of laughing, splashing girls who have stirred a thick cloud of silt with their frantic movements. Downstream, the eastern crowd is more subdued and contemplative, picking blackberries, skipping rocks, or simply reclining in half-submerged metal folding chairs. Here I continue today’s divisive opinion survey.

“The lake is better because there’s more activities and challenges, and plus you get snack delivered,” said Margie, 10, of the Yellow Tipi.

“The creek is closer and not as hot,” said Teen Staff Sha’him. “There’s clay down the way and sometimes they do a spa day with nail polish.”

“The creek is better because I can touch the bottom,” said Sala, 4.

“The creek is better because there’s less rules, and rules make things less fun,” said Eva, 10, of the Yellow Tipi. “The creek is more in the woods so there’s more nature like frogs and stuff.”

“Creek all the way,” said Moon, 9, also from Yellow. “There’s blackberries! Who wants to pick blackberries?” she asks, skipping away toward the creek’s briar patch.

“I like the creek because it’s nearby and accessible,” said Iona, 12, of the Rainbow Tipi. “I like how chill it is. I just went on a creek walk with my friends and we all did clay masks.”

“Definitely the lake, mostly because of the platform,” said Liev, 12, of the Indigo Tipi. “I’d say I spend 75% of my time at the lake jumping off the platform. We play this game where when we jump, the lifeguard says the name of an animal and you have to make the sound of the animal before you hit the water. Or they’ll say a song lyric and you have to finish it. The lake just has more to offer than the creek. ‘Don’t sit and bake, go to the lake!'”

“I’ve never been to the lake, and ignorance is bliss,” said Oscar, 14, of the Scarlet Tipi. “The key to the creek is you have to go at the right time when there’s not a big crowd. I like to stick my feet in the water and let the fish nibble the dead skin off my toes.”

“The lake is way better,” said Dalila, 10, of the Yellow Tipi. “There may be animals in the lake, but you can’t see them. Out of sight, out of mind. In the lake there’s a crashed school bus—no one died—I think they all jumped out of the windows before it crashed in. Sitting in the creek you feel like an ice pop, one of those weird organic ones that tastes like grass. In the lake there’s a layer of warm water. Makes me feel like a warmed-over apple fritter.”

“There’s much more room at the lake,” noted Dominic. “Both places can get crowded on a hot day. My favorite thing at the lake is wrist rockets. I’ll go swimming if I feel hot, or else I’ll just dip my feet in. The lifeguards are extremely nice and not mean at all.”

“I don’t go to either, but if I had to pick, I’d say the creek,” said Parker, 12, of the Sky Blue Tipi. “Sometimes me and my friends make paste by rubbing wet rocks together. It can be used for writing and painting. It was probably invented by people thousands of years ago for makeup. You can make different colors by using different colors of rocks. So far we’ve make brown, cyan, and red. Tomorrow we’ll try to make a whole rainbow.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

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Money Is Everything

Wednesday, July 24th, 2024

CAMP OFFICE circa 10:00pm—The dust has finally begun to settle after a harrowing evening of fun activities. From 8pm to 9, all of Camp was embroiled in the camp-wide game known as Adventure Night, aka Camp Winna-Board-Game, aka Hungry Hungry Settlers of Winna-Mopoly. Campers were charged with participating in random activity sites to earn fake money, money which could be spent to roll giant dice. Each tipi was assigned a large object game piece, such as a unicycle or art easel, which they moved around a flour-drawn track circumnavigating the Tipi Circle according to dice rolls. Alternatively, campers could spend money at the Camp Map to rename areas of Camp.

“I got hit by 25 paper airplanes, but I didn’t get bruised, only paper cuts,” said Waterfront Honcho Annika Crowley. “Standing on the stilt bench helped some campers with achieving good distance, but it made retrieval more time-consuming.”

“We would do special limited-time offers where we would up the prize amount for like 60 seconds,” added Counselor Lilah Cottrill.

“The higher the stakes got, the closer the campers would try to get to the hoop,” said Lifeguard Whitney Royall. “It got to the point that they were just swarming all around and pummeling us with their paper planes. It was a planing frenzy.”

“Adventure Night went pretty good; we got third,” reported Donald, 12, of the Maroon Tipi. “Mostly the hardest part was running around between all the different sites. For the ro-sham-bo site I had an informant tell me what to throw. It was a successful strategy. The aerials one was fun too. Swinging over the lava it felt like I was in that movie Jumanji. We didn’t win but we worked hard with friendship and that’s what counts.”

“It was lit,” said Trevor, 14, of the Purple Tipi. “I got kicked out of ring toss for ‘being too good’. I did some side quests from Wizard Harmony, just brain-rot stuff like mewing and hitting the gritty. I could tell my Tipi wasn’t trying to win to just had fun with it. I started hoarding money and then I gambled it all on a ro-sham-bo game with Teen Staff Glade. I won with rock and doubled our money! Remember kids, always gamble!.”

“We decided not to rename anything and just work on getting dice rolls,” said Julianna, 9, of the Green Tipi. “I did the paper planes, rock stacking, and some quests. My advice is go as fast as you can and be good at the games. I didn’t care if we won, just if we had fun, which we did.”

“Our strategy was to have everyone in our tipi go to a different site, and then have one person, a ‘runner’, go around and collect the money,” said Sula, 14, of the Flame Tipi. “The goal is to find a site you’re really good at, and then just make as much money as possible. I mostly did wizard quests and rock stacking and a little limbo. It was pretty fun, but I was sad when it ended. It should have been longer.”

“The goal of Adventure Night is to test your limits and try new things,” said Teen Staff Star. “I was a limbo troll and I made the campers limbo into the troll tavern to find my lost reading glasses. They all ventured further than they thought they could. We kept lowering the bar until they were under their own hip height!”

“Honestly, the obstacle course was the best; it was so easy and fun,” said Veva, 12, of the Rainbow Tipi. “Our strategy was just to be fast, be the fastest you can be, and don’t entertain conversation with anyone. Talk is time, time is money, and money is everything!”

FINAL RESULTS:
4th: Lime Tipi & Gold Tipi team, double-honorable mention
3rd: Maroon Tipi, honorable mention
2nd: Flame Tipi, box of 18 bags of chips
1st: Red Tipi, 12 A&W root beers

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Color Theories

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024

TIPI CIRCLE circa 7:30pm—Faint, wispy clouds slowly rotate in the ovoid canopy opening. The sun lazily metes out its rays horizontally like spilled orange juice on a long table. Campers amble or commiserate in the pleasant evening air. A fierce group examination of Magic The Gathering Cards takes place on a nearby bench. Diablos are spun, a pair of sprinters sprint by. The Rainbow Theater’s PA system rumbles to life as counselors sound-check for tonight’s show, the aptly-named Weirdo Talent Night. The show will begin around 8 o-clock, but for now the business of free time is entertainment enough.

“You can’t describe a color!” blurts out Simón, 10, of the Orange Tipi, chaotically crash-landing into the seat of a nearby chair. “Describe this color!” he demands, pinching the shoulders of his royal purple T-shirt.

“Halfway between an eggplant and a radish,” I venture.

Set aback, but not nearly defeated, he refines his demand, “Make up a new color!”

“Ultra-orange,” I say.

“Humans can’t see ultra-orange!” he laments at the top of his lungs.

“Yes they can,” replies Nora, 10, of the Green Tipi, cooly entering the conversation. “It’s a very hard process,” she explains. “You have to hold your breath, and then you have to shake your head a little, like a shiver.”

Nora demonstrates, staring intensely into the air and shuttering like a wind-up toy. Simón mirrors her movements, nearly losing his balance.

“See? I Can see it!” Nora exclaims.

“We can see ultra-oraaange!” yells Simón, trailing off as both he and Nora fritter off into the distance with their new-found ability.

The conch blows, calling campers to the Theater. I look up to notice the orange juice sunbeams have faded to a milky ambience. After a brief flurry of running and shouting, all of Camp is assembled, leaving the Tipi Circle eerily uninhabited.

“Can MJ use your guitar?” asks Performance Coordinator Bayla Jaffe, holding a pencil and presumably the show’s running order. I retrieve my dreadnought Martin from its hiding place and return to my backstage perch.

“I am an old woman,” begins Kitchen Manager MJ Stamper, covering John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” in her raunchy alto.

Sitting in the abandoned Tipi Circle, I’m forced to reckon with a decorative element I often take for granted: tipi signs. At the beginning of every session, counselors and teens spend dozens of minutes crafting colorful signs out of cardboard and acrylic paint. This is done so that we can distinguish between Camp’s 15 tipis, which, though named after colors of the rainbow, are all in fact the exact color of dusty canvas. I’ll take this opportunity of diffuse lighting to do a quick roundup of this session’s tipi signs. I asked our resident art historian Jack Crawford to provide her analysis:

“Tipi signs: this pun-laden tradition provides an opportunity to assess the artistic skills of the Camp Winnarainbow staff. This session’s offerings showcase a host of paint handling techniques; UV and Scarlet’s signs demonstrate a quite free handling of paint and almost Expressionist gesturality. A vehicle motif is present in a number of signs this session, most notably in Scarlet and Orange tipi’s renderings of cars; props to Scarlet tipi for the application of foreshortening. While Sky Blue’s banjo and Indigo’s intricate graffiti inscription signs are clear standouts, Purple’s lack of sign is perhaps the biggest statement. In its singularity, the absent sign nevertheless achieves the sign’s function, denoting the tipi and articulating its point of view.“

RAINBOW:

MAROON:

SCARLET:

RED:

FLAME:

ORANGE:

GOLD:

YELLOW:

LIME:

GREEN:

SKY BLUE:

BLUE:

INDIGO:

PURPLE:

ULTRAVIOLET:

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Just Throwing It Out There

Monday, July 22nd, 2024

GRASSY KNOLL circa 8:30pm—The Stilt Field and Big Top swarm with fanatic campers who dance, juggle, or run with reckless abandon. The cool of the evening mixed with the fuel of dinner have created a sustained explosion of activity. The mania which was naturally present immediately after dinner was subsequently catalyzed by the onset of blaring pop music over the PA system, surely audible for miles around, and which will continue until after nightfall. Camp’s Dance Party is in full swing.

String lights hung about the stilt poles glow orange in the encroaching twilight. Juggling rings and diablos fly in every direction, hitting the ground spinning and bouncing off in unpredictable directions. A set of light-up juggling clubs are produced, dazzling rainbow tones as they rotate through intricate patterns. Campers take turns standing in the center, clubs whizzing inches away. I find myself perched on a log bench at the so-called Grassy Knoll, a good vantage, yes, but also the site of today’s topic: juggling. Earlier today I met with a sampling of Camp’s juggling community to learn more about this quintessential circus skill.

“I first heard about Camp in 2003 at the Pittsburg Juggling Club,” said Head of Juggling Memo Gosnell. “At the time I was teaching juggling at a home for abused and neglected children; I think that’s why I got the job! 20 years later I’ve been teaching juggling at Camp ever since—and I feel like I’m starting to get better. My main reasons for coming to Camp were to work on my kid skills and connect with other do-gooders, and that’s exactly what happened.”

“I’ve taken my juggling around the world,” added Memo. “I worked with street kids in Mexico City, kids of workers at La Chureca landfill in Nicaragua, and with families in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. In Haiti there was this big empty lot with lots of big rocks, so I started making a labyrinth, like the one here at Camp. The people were skeptical at first; they thought I might be experiencing heat stroke. But eventually lots of people joined in and it was a huge hit.”

“Juggling is inherently accepting,” said Memo. “We take everyone. Beginners are always welcome. You could even be in the act, even if you can only throw one ball. I heard a piece of trivia once that the collective noun for a group of jugglers is a ‘neverthriving’. But I think that might have been made up by a stilt walker; they’re always looking down on people.”

“I like how there’s a bunch of teachers because everyone has different tips,” said Roslyn, 12, of the Red Tipi. “I prefer ball juggling at this point; clubs and rings are too cumbersome. Right now I’m working on a reverse cascade. On the first day Deirdre helped me by correcting my form by bringing my hands lower and wider. Eventually I want to learn how to do clubs or four balls.”

“I like the teachers and their methods,” said Nylah, also from Red. “When I was learning one-ball, Deirdre said to scoop it like ice cream! This is my first time seriously juggling. I can do a cascade but sometimes I mess up; I’m still practicing. Practice makes perfect—I mean, it doesn’t actually make ‘perfect’, but it makes ‘pretty good’—it’s a lesson for life. There’s lots of applicable metaphors in juggling.”

“The secret of juggling is there is no secret,” said Juggling Instructor Theo Puleston. “You learn the technique, and then you practice until you build the muscle memory. There is a plateau new jugglers hit when trying to learn cascade. If you’re going to fall off regular practice, that’s where it happens. But if you can get over the threshold of learning cascade, the possibilities expand exponentially.”

“It’s soooooo fun,” said Rio, 10, of the Orange Tipi, actively spinning his diablo. “It’s fun to learn new tricks and the staff are really good at explaining. Like Kai just taught me this trick today.” He violently flings the diablo sticks around, creating an indiscernible flurry of motion. “It’s called an under-hand catch into a trampoline. It’s fun and really exciting to learn.”

“The juggling teachers are zero percent mean, one-hundred percent nice,” said Bean, 14, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “I dabble in juggling at home, but being at Camp has accelerated my skill acquisition. There’s so much equipment to play with and so much free time. I like how you can really see progress in real-time.”

“Every class is a journey,” said Juggling Instructor Deirdre Baker. “Juggling isn’t meant to be practiced for 50 minutes in a row. It’s like riding a rollercoaster ten times in a row with no breaks. It’s a challenging skill. You have to accept that you are going to fail over and over again, and you have to choose to pick those ball back up every time. There’s no freebies, no easy victories—this ain’t cloud swing. It’s the training montage from Rocky, if the montage was 50 minutes long.”

“I learned how to juggle at Camp from Memo,” recalled Deirdre. “It took me three years. When I finally got my pattern down, he wouldn’t give me a certificate until I could do it with my mouth closed. The best part of juggling is the community. It’s not one person, it’s about the fun we have together along the way.”

“Juggling is hard unless you do it every day,” said Teen Staff Pharaoh.

“It felt great to dust off the rust,” said Director Ginger Jackson-Gleich who performed in the Teacher Talent juggling act last Tuesday. “It was an honor to be on stage with our incredible juggling staff. I look forward to more juggling extravaganzas this summer. I learned how to juggle here at Camp when I was 9. My teacher was Jory John.”

“Juggling class has been a delight,” said Juggling Instructor Eden Leeman. “There’s been so many lessons, for the kids and myself. I love figuring out which teaching techniques will work best for each kid. I try to spice up the class by having lots of water breaks and a variety of activities and workshops. You’ve got to break it up into sections in order to keep people’s attention.”

“I learned at Camp when I was 8 from Memo and Ellen Moses,” recalled Eden. “As soon as I learned I started teaching other people, friends, family. It’s about encouragement and accessibility. All kinds of juggling should be welcomed: numbers juggling, clown juggling, trick juggling, everything—but not diablo. Diablo is the hyper-active step-cousin of proper juggling.”

“Juggling is my favorite thing at Camp,” said Teen Staff Dreas. “It used to be unicycling, but in juggling I’ve found new horizons of challenges.”

“It is my opinion that every class should be juggling class, even aerials,” said Teen Staff Kai. “You can come to Camp if you don’t know how to juggle, but you can’t leave until you do!”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

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Labyrinth Lineage

Sunday, July 21st, 2024

LABYRINTH circa 9:00pm—The horizon beams a vivid salmon over the neighboring ridge. Crickets pulsate alongside the ocean-like whir of distant passing cars. Though quite dry, the grass still produces a faint, soothing smell. Massive oaks create a semicircle around the field where lives Camp’s Labyrinth. The field opens to the west where the pinpoint houselights of Hogville (see: Hog Farm Commune) nestle in the low hillside, just beyond the main easement. The Labyrinth itself is a circular monument composed of a single winding path defined by rocks and river sand. It is lavishly decorated with all manner of trinkets, flowers, and even a few young trees.

Last night during our evening fire circle, just about 24 hours ago, tipi groups were brought out one-at-a-time to walk the Labyrinth in the cool of sunset. Presiding over the ceremony were Camp’s founders Wavy Gravy and Jahanara Romney. Today I met with several Labyrinth-goers to document their encounters with Camp’s mainstay of mystical amusement.

“We were there at sunset, just after the sun went down,” said Zuri, 11, of the Maroon Tipi. “The sky was all orange and peach and pink—it was beautiful. Having my bare feet on the ground gave me this feeling—I’m not sure how to describe it—like ‘Wow. I’m part of this. I’m here.’ It was moving. I’m really surprised how calming it was. I even got a little teary. It was great to have that experience with our whole tipi walking the trail together.”

“It gave me calming feelings that I’ve never felt before,” said Cory, 11, also from Maroon. “Wavy and Jahanara said, ‘Welcome to the Labyrinth,’ and waved sage around us. I could feel the footsteps of many campers before me. I just had memories of my family and friends. It was one of the most calm things I’ve done in a while. The lines are made out of many objects such as crystals and antiques. The sand felt good and my friends were there. I’m definitely going back.”

“My first two years I thought the Labyrinth was cool, but this year it was more moving,” said Django, 11, also from Maroon. “The sunset, the candles, everything. Wavy and Jahanara were sitting there and Wavy told us how the Labyrinth was made by counselors and campers years ago. In the center scene there’s gems, dolls, and porcelain statues. I think one of them was Buddha.”

“It was relaxing and the sunset was pretty,” said Nori, 10, of the Green Tipi. “There were all different rocks: rose quartz, geodes, and regular rocks. Jahanara said to let your prayers go into the Labyrinth, like good things you want your family to have. It was amazing.”

“It made me feel strong, but also kind of miss my parents,” said Julianna, 9, also from Green. “I also had this feeling of feeling so lucky that I got to be here. Jahanara led us in a prayer, something that was from one religion but gets used in lots of religions that just goes to show that we can all be a good person.”

“All year I’ve been doodling the Labyrinth design on all my notebooks,” said Teen Staff AnnaLee. “I had this moment like, ‘Wow. I’m actually here.’ My campers liked it. It was a metaphysical reset. They’ve been running around crazy all session so it was good to have a calming activity for a change.”

“I love the Lab; the poem I read at the Fire Circle was about it,” said Bean, 14, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “I wrote it a couple days ago at a poetry class in the creek. It’s appropriate because geographically the creek connects the Labyrinth to Camp. Jahanara gave us not a prayer, but a spiritual blessing.”

“I don’t know I guess it was calm,” said Ash, 13, also from Ultraviolet. “We could see a lot of stars. Wavy and Jahanara told us stuff. It was like spiritual, I guess. The point of the Labyrinth is to reconnect maybe.”

“Wavy says to think of each step as a prayer for peace,” explained Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner who helped facilitate the evening. “When you think about it, with the Lab being 36 years old, and all those thousands of children each taking dozens of steps, it is charged with potentially millions of prayers for world peace. I think the children understand that on some level.”

“I consider it a high honor to be included in facilitating this ceremony,” continued Riley. “It’s a tricky balance to convey what I believe to be the spirit of Camp Winnarainbow distilled into a single ritual. Wavy talks about the figurines in the center: there’s spiritual totems alongside cartoon characters. It’s a statement about spiritual liberation and the sacredness of laughter. That dichotomy manifests itself constantly during the ceremony. Sage smoke wafts as Wavy cracks random jokes and kids scoot along in the half-dark, bumping into rocks or each other. A hippy ceremony is the perfect backdrop for a comedy of errors.”

“And for my next trick, a blackberry!” he bursted, leaping into the air and snatching a blackberry from a vine crawling up one of the Labyrinth’s trees. He consumed it instantly, savoring the taste with eyes closed. “When I think about performing at my best, I think of performing here at Camp. When I think about connecting with my friends, I think of my friends that I made here at Camp. And When I think about centering myself spiritually, I think about this Labyrinth.”

“Last night was a mixture of this and that, with a wisp of glory on the edge,” said Camp Founder Wavy Gravy. “People need to know that there is a box near the Labyrinth full of tree flesh (see: books) on the Labyrinth’s inception and history. If you take an afternoon stroll to this box, your knowledge will be ten-fold.”

“You need to say, ‘Go with your counselor,'” interjected Camp Founder Jahanara Romney.

“Yes, you must be with an adult if you want to go out there,” corrected Wavy. “Last night the weather was fine and the mood marvelous. The sunset was subtle and sweet. Upon our evacuation, the full moon lit the way back to our lair.”

“One of the things about the Labyrinth is that our dear friend Robert Greyrgass planted trees here to honor the four directions,” remembered Jahanara. “I think of him every time I go there.”

“Being at the Labyrinth changes how I feel inside, a hallmark of a sacred place,” she explained. “I feel a change in atmosphere and I become peaceful and loving. I appreciate the funny things—funny is not unimportant. I like when we can mix fun frivolousness with the serious and sacred. I always feel like some kids are just being polite, and some are actually receiving something from the ceremony. Last night there seemed to be many receivers.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

Photo credit: Zappo Diddio

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Labyrinth Poem
by Bean

I plant my feet in the ground trying to center myself,
But my mind wanders the universe,
Tiptoeing through questions and bathing in worried thoughts.
I push my feet into the sand,
Trying to make a lasting mark.
I want a symbol—a memento to make this moment last longer than I will.
I wonder if the first person ever who put their hand on a cave wall knew that their impact would change the world permanently?
Did they know I’m thinking about them right now?
Maybe in some aspect they did.
The wanted a mark showing that they were something, they were someone
As I make the trek back to camp I leave footsteps in the sand,
All the people behind me walk in them

It Don’t Mean a Thing

Saturday, July 20th, 2024

AERIALS SITE circa 4:00pm—The angular, aluminum cross-bracing of the aerials truss glints in the afternoon sunlight, cutting a sharp contrast to the surrounding canopy of oak and bay leaves. The structure traces the upper three sides of a rectangle, evoking some sort of wooly mammoth mouse trap. At two concrete piers it attaches to the earth with apple-sized nuts on candle-sized bolts. Supporting wire cables spread out from the top and diagonally downward in all directions. A throng of children have gathered in its mighty shadow in anticipation of today’s cloud swing workshop. Enter Aerials Instructor Djuna Barricklow.

“You start by putting your hands through these loops, palms to the sky,” she explains, demonstrating on the specially outfitted apparatus. “Then you sit on the ground, bring your knees up, and shoot your legs through.” In an instant she is magically seated upright on the padded rope which hangs slack from the upper corners of the truss. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears emanates from two mounted speakers on either side.

“I don’t think I’ll try it today,” admits Lily, 9, of the Green Tipi, carefully watching from the back of the group. “If I tilt back I feel like my stomach is going to come out of my nose! Maybe I’ll try tomorrow. The campers trying it today are really brave.”

Lily and I stand by, ready to interview campers as they disembark. The playlist advances:
“The Adults Are Talking”, The Strokes

“I’m scared but I’m going to try it anyways,” says Kai, 7, also from Green. “When they announced it at the kitchen I thought it was gonna be a little swing, but it’s way bigger in person. It looks fun and scary.”

“Lay My Love”, Brian Eno and John Cale

“I thought I would be scared but when I got on it, it was just like a big swing set,” says Django, 11, of the Maroon Tipi. “When I got to the top I felt tall—tall as Godzilla—with everybody looking up at me.”

“Blue Monday”, New Order

“I was nervous, like a six-out-of-ten, but I was also all excited,” says Paloma, 7, also from Green. “I was going so high I thought I might hit a tree branch! But I didn’t. I saw a crow while I was swinging and I said, ‘So this is how it feels to fly.'”

“Waterloo Sunset”, The Kinks

“I thought I might perish, or if not perish, experience something very painful,” says Atticus, 10, of the Gold Tipi. “Once I got on though, it was a vibe. I was scared of swings and rollercoasters before, but now I’m only scared of rollercoasters—and snakes.”

As the class wears on, Camp Director Ginger Jackson-Gleich drops by for a taste of cloud swing glory. The campers cheer her on as she accomplishes the peculiar mount.

“Don’t Lose Your Heart”, Joy Peters

“There’s lot’s of squeals, more than any other skill,” notes Djuna. “Having Ginger up there was a dream come true; even directors need to have fun. We’re playing my aerials playlist today, which anyone can find on Spotify. It’s 20 hours long, by the way. Look up ‘aerial site CWR by Djuna’. And look, the image is a vintage picture of a lady on a cloud swing!”

“Ashes to Ashes”, David Bowie

“As far as we know, it’s the biggest swing in Laytonville, and maybe even Mendocino County,” claims Aerials Instructor Bayla Jaffe. I ask her to explain the philosophy of the cloud swing, to which she replies, “Release your inhibitions, feel the rain on your skin; no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

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