Our Resident Dragon

Friday, July 18^th, 2025

TROLL PATROL circa 4:30pm—Waters milky with silt reflect yellow sunlight and, where shadowed, wobbly upside-down snapshots of the green foliage. Ridges of round river stones protrude from the muddy bed in strange patterns, the footprints of winter torrents. On the eastern bank a grove of bay trees reaches out of an expansive blackberry patch. Here on the western bank, tall oaks and pines stretch their limbs over a sandy shore where a large group of teen staff have made their perch. All around, sandaled campers busy themselves with the various industries available at Streeter Creek.

“We’re making a dam to make the creek bigger,” says Henry, 11, Blue Tipi. “The idea was to block it so it gets bigger, and we can have more play area. So far it hasn’t worked yet. The sand doesn’t hold. You need to use a mixture of sand, mud, rocks, and leaves. The creek still flows no matter what. Water always finds a way.”

“It’s cool to see how the water seeps through; it’s very satisfying,” says Valentin, 12, Orange Tipi, also helping with the dam project. “As soon as you plug a hole, another crack appears. I love that you can come down here, hang out, make stuff, and there’s water. Most people find the water really fun and relaxing. I know I do!”

“The mud makes your skin really glowy,” says Jillian, 11, Turquoise Tipi, her face covered in creek mud. “After doing a mask, your skin is all shiny. In order to get clean, you have to smother yourself in dirt; It’s called skin care. The creek is a peaceful place. You shouldn’t splash or be loud. If you’re stressed out, you should come here and get in the water, even if you only get in up to your waist.”

“I started doing masks at the creek two years ago,” says Livia, 10, Turquoise Tipi. “Now that I’m in my double digits, it’s important to take care of my complexion. The vibe is very calm. When the sun shines, you can really feel it on your skin. The creek is a must. Don’t skip it!”

“I missed afternoon stilts, so I came here to complain with my friend,” jokes Amayah, 14, Rainbow Tipi. “I like to come here for the birds, the trees, the crickets. It’s a peaceful energy, good vibes. I think the teen staff come here so they can congregate and not get split up. They love to chill here.”

“I’m just chilling with Amayah,” says Eva, 13, Rainbow Tipi. “The creek is my go-to spot when I want to chill. Today I’m just catching tadpoles and yapping. Here’s one now!”

She dips her cupped hands in the water, but the tadpole slips away.

“The creek is peaceful but playful, even more so than downtown Camp,” continues Eva. “It’s more natural. The nature is untouched.”

“It’s an essential part of my routine, definitely,” says Liz, 14, Rainbow Tipi. “It’s just so peaceful down here. Oh, there’s another one!”

Liz tries her hand at catching the tadpole and after a false start is successful. She holds the baby frogling up for a moment before releasing it back to the water.”

“I like the creek because it’s not dusty,” says Teen Staff Jojo, 16, Maroon Tipi. “It’s about connection, ebb and flow, community. I’m not gonna swim but I like to feel around with my toes. My advice is when you come to the creek, observe the vibe upon entry. So at the creek, so in life.”

“I had a henna appointment with Hannah,” says Teen Staff Carmelo, 16, Indigo Tipi, brandishing his new arm art. “I got a fish, which makes sense because we’re in water. Where there’s fish, there’s water. I’ve noticed the blackberries are coming in nicely. There’s always something to see at the creek. It’s a verdant oasis.”

“It’s like ten degrees cooler down here,” says Teen Staff Aya, 16, Purple Tipi. “I lived in Reno for like ten years, and this creek is the complete opposite. For example, there’s no slot machines, there’s no pavement, and there’s no sheriff comedy shows.”

“I just came to cool my feet,” says Dance Instructor Emma Dewey. “The creek is an interesting tension between life and destruction. The water supports life, but it also erodes the land, exposing these tree roots. It’s our resident Camp dragon. In Chinese folklore, ‘dragon’ is kind of a misinterpretation; they’re water-based beings primarily. They don’t have wings, but they sometimes fly to fulfill their celestial purpose. They’re composite creatures, made of parts of different animals of the land. Camp’s creek dragon is definitely part deer, part lizard, part snake, and part water-skeeter.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session C 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

Rainbow Connections

Thursday, July 17^th, 2025

COSTUME BARN circa 7:30pm—Sunbeams cut through at a nearly horizontal angle, casting stark shadows on the maze of clothing racks that comprise the Costume Barn. A dozen or so campers scurry back and forth, searching for the perfect attire for tonight’s talent show, the Tornado of Talent. Some hold dresses to their fronts to quickly gauge size while others fiddle with ties and other accessories. A number of counselors aid campers in the application of face paint and safety pins.

I encounter a quintet who have dressed as individual colors of the rainbow for a skit they prepared.

“It was Indigo who had the idea originally,” says Gisele, 10, Yellow Tipi. “At first, we weren’t gonna do it, but then at the last minute we said, ‘What the heck!’ I’m going as the color yellow because it was the last color left over, and I’m not picky like that. For me, the rainbow represents how everyone is different.”

“There were two colors left and I didn’t want to be yellow so I picked green,” says Jasper, 7, Lime Tipi. “I like green because there’s lots of stuff that’s green: trees, cars, bushes, trash cans. Our friend dressed as red isn’t in the photo because she was unicycling or something.”

“I used to like green, but now I’m in a blue phase,” says Indigo, 9, Yellow Tipi. “I just like blue because it’s a dark color. I usually like darker colors. For our skit we have the three primary colors come out first, and then the secondary colors pop out from hiding and we form a full rainbow. I thought of this idea for an act last year, right when I was driving away from camp. It’s fun to do a group project, and when I was six, my favorite thing to paint was rainbows.”

“My favorite color is pink, so I picked the closest thing I could get: purple,” says Ariana, 7, Yellow Tipi. “I like how the purple can be light like violet, or mixed with blue to make a cooler purple. Lots of times purple reminds me of flowers.”

“I like that it takes two colors to make orange,” says Jacque, 10, Gold Tipi. “It’s kind of like me because I like to do two things at once. For example, I like to make friendship bracelets while watching TV. Orange is a powerful color; it’s like the mixture of the sun and blood. I think the rainbow shows us different personalities. Red is tough, orange is tough but soft, and yellow is always smiling and laughing. Green is crazy but chillin’, blue is super chill, and purple is chill but strong.”

I make my way to the Tipi Circle where people mill about in the dramatic sunlight of early evening. Two banjo players commiserate on a fire circle bench while nearby a pair of fully costumed campers discuss their upcoming karaoke performance.

“I’m singing ‘Hot To Go’ by Chappel Roan with Eloise,” says Carly, 10, Yellow Tipi. “I just like to sing along. My favorite song in the song circles is ‘Camp Town Road’. It has a nice beat and it tells you all about Camp. I really want to see what the other people are doing for Tornado. I’m kind of scared to sing, but this is a good place to practice. I need to practice in front of a big crowd, and the people here are really nice.”

RAINBOW THEATER circa 9:30—“Why are there so many songs about rainbows,” sings a camper on stage, covering the 1979 Muppets hit “Rainbow Connection”. The audience hangs on each word, some quietly singing along with the performance. The massive lighting rig illuminates the stage to the point where they may as well be a planet in space.

“Thank you Mattias and thank you Zora in a frog hat!” hails Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner at the conclusion of the song, prompting a second round of applause. “This next act has the most intriguing name: ‘Love? No.’ What a title! It’s not my personal opinion, it’s just the name of the act,” quips Riley, dressed as emcee character Sal Dente, an homage to one of Wavy Gravy’s favorite emcee characters, Al Dente. “Please make Quill feel welcome with ‘Love? No’!”

The crowd cheers as Quill enters to share an original poem. Suddenly my view is obstructed by Performance Coordinator José Garcia.

“We need you to tune a banjo,” he whispers, full of the intensity of a show-runner mid-show. I slip backstage to find the out-of-tune culprit.

“It’s pretty in tune, I just wanted someone to double-check,” says Ivand, 15, Rainbow Tipi. We step aside to a bench near the fire circle where I produce my tuner. “I’m pretty excited, but mostly I’m nervous,” she confesses. “Tonight, I’m performing ‘Fearless’ by Pink Floyd. As a baby my dad would sing ‘Nobody Home’, and some of my early memories are hearing Pink Floyd around the house or watching Live at Pompei.”

“I’m pretty used to performing on stage, but I still get nervous; I don’t think that ever goes away,” continues Ivand. “I love hearing all the voices here. They’re nervous but brave, like me. It’s nice to see.”

The banjo is in mandolin tuning, which throws me off for a second, but soon we are all dialed in. I steal back to the theater to enjoy the last few acts of the show.

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session C 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

Awe and Wonder

Wednesday, July 16^th, 2025

TIPI CIRCLE circa 8:30pm—A campfire burns, mixing the aroma of smoke with that of bug spray. The fire is surrounded by a cylinder of rocks and mortar, which itself is surrounded by a disk of dusty earth, the stage for tonight’s Fire Circle. The evening is sure to be filled with songs and poems offered by campers and counselors alike.

“So you think, so you think you can tell,” sing two teenage campers, one strumming a deep four-string banjo.

The disk of dust is surrounded by large wooden benches, laden with campers. The campers are surrounded by counselors who stand or sit in camping chairs. The collective audience sings along with the fishbowl part of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”.

The audience is surrounded by an even larger disk of earth covered in woodchips, the living room carpet of Camp’s Tipi Circle. The woodchips are surrounded by fifteen tipis whose open oval doors yawn toward the fire, completing an energetic loop, a torus of communal activity and belonging.

The tipis are surrounded by large tree trunks which eerily recede into the growing darkness. High above, three times taller than our tipis, the canopy looms in bushy blobs. The pulsating sounds of crickets emanate from the creekside brush.

The banjo twangs out the final riff and the audience applauds.

“Can we please have Flame Tipi gather by the Costume Barn,” says MESH Lead Hannah Fritz. As parallel programming tonight, half of the tipi groups will be treated to a labyrinth-walking ceremony, presided by Winnarainbow Founders Wavy Gravy and Jahanara Romney. As Flame Tipi gathers, the previous tipi group returns and rejoins the audience.

Earlier today I spent some time among the denizens of Winnarainbow to collect performance reviews of last night’s Teacher Talent Night.

“The best one was the dubstep juggling act,” said Anna Marie, 13, Scarlet Tipi. “There was so much going on, my senses were dazzled. Everyone was in funky costumes, and the music was funky too. It was very crazy, bright, and fun. Everyone here is so free and open. It’s a very safe space.”

“Mostly the best act was that one—what’s it called—aerials,” said Lyric, 9, Indigo Tipi. “It was so classified, like, it was very good. They went all the way to the top and then all the way down. I don’t know how they did it. I want to learn how to do that.”

“Stilts and unicycle was really cool,” said Matthew, 11, Blue Tipi. “At one point a unicycler went under a stilter, and they actually fit quite nicely. My first thought was, ‘I want to do that!’ I like Teacher Talent night because the tricks are more advanced. It was action packed!”

“Teacher Talent Night was a smashing success,” said Stilts Instructor Maya Blackshaw Nichols, who helped as a spotter. “It can be hard to create an act that’s more than just walking on stilts, but we collaborated with unicycles to create a parade feeling. Lucas rode his unicycle underneath Nova on stilts, which was highly entertaining. The rest of the show was so good—Peace Choir, Experimento. By the end I was crying.”

“The best act would definitely be aerials,” said Clara, 8½, Yellow Tipi. “It’s kind of crazy how people can wrap stuff around their legs and arms and fly around in the sky. I already know one aerials trick, Man on the Moon, but this session I want to learn Music Box. That’s where you wrap the silks around your legs. It’s called Music Box because you look like a little fairy that’s on top of a music box. The whole night was impressively filled with talent.”

“The best act was Experimento with puppets and clowns,” said Procyon, 12, Flame Tipi. “It started with Memo in the center falling asleep in a chair, and then these puppet waves popped up carried by clowns like he was in a dream. There were jugglers; so much was going on. It was a mystical ambience. I was filled with awe and wonder. Overall, it was a pretty fun night.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session C 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

No Need for Overwhelm

Tuesday, July 15^th, 2025

CHESS GROVE circa 3:30pm—A gentle breeze is lulling the warm afternoon into a sort of dream state. The bay trees stingily shed their leaves one or two at a time, sprinkling flashes of yellow against the verdant backdrop. A pair of adults grimace over a tense chess game while a pair of campers at a neighboring table assemble bracelets from a large beading kit.

“I never remember en passant,” laments Filmographer Jordan Romney, pouring over his chess position.

“Some people call it the infield fly rule of chess,” recalls Juggling Instructor Memo Gosnell, analyzing from the opposite side. “I don’t know much about baseball, but that sounds right to me.”

“We can make you one, JP!” offers Callum, 14, Purple Tipi. “Just pick some colors and I’ll put it together,” the say, gesturing at the bounty of color-sorted pony beads.

“Camp has its mechanics; it slowly breaks down and gets looser, and then we tighten it up,” muses Quill, 13, Purple Tipi. “I was here last session and I noticed that things got relaxed in the middle, but then getting ready for the Big Show made it much more structured. Camp is like a clock where all the parts are broken, but there’s a smiley face on the inside.”

“I’m familiar with a lot of my tipi mates from past years,” says Callum. “I feel like learning juggling unlocked a new part of my brain; it’s a new way to think about timing. At Camp there’s no need for overwhelm. You can find joy in classes and take time for yourself. Here you go!”

Callum hands me my new bracelet and the pair rush off to be in time for 4 o’clock stilts class. I drift over to the adjacent Art Grove which has populated during my impromptu jewelry appointment. A small portable speaker fuzzes out some moody, esoteric indie music for the enjoyment of the dozen-odd artists.

“It’s kinda like an upside-down landscape,” says Sofia, 10, Gold Tipi. “I was inspired by—I actually have no idea. Sometimes I just like to paint without a plan. Camp is great, as always. The sandwiches today were really good—better than Subway! This session I’m mostly going to do unicycling. Once I get ‘unified’ I’ll ride my unicycle everywhere I go!”

RAINBOW THEATER circa 8:30pm—“Let’s outline her beautiful, bulbous head,” says a faux Bob Ross, painting a live subject on stage, eliciting giggles from the audience. “And now the arms. Arms are one of my favorite things to paint!”

The first hints of darkness are edging into Camp as the horizon glows golden. Still plenty light out, the Rainbow Stage appears only slightly more luminous than its natural surroundings. Oaks tower over the scene, their splaying limbs covered in a furry coat of reddish moss. More acts cycle through the stage—Juggling, American Sign Language, Songwriting. Tonight the campers are more enthralled and less fidgety than last night. Drama Instructor Kushi Beauchamp has donned the guise of Marty McFly the Mosquito in service of performing emcee duties for tonight’s Teacher Talent show.

“Give it up for the songwriters!” lauds ‘Marty’. “Now, I have to address something that happened earlier. So I’m a mosquito, and someone brought up bug spray. It happens all the time. But I actually feel bad for the guy who invented bug spray. You know why?”

“WHY?” chime the campers.

“Because he had to start from… scratch!”

The joke draws a good laugh and Kushi continues introducing the acts, one by one. Improv, Drama, Peace Choir—wait! Peace Choir is my class! I was enjoying the show so much I almost missed my cue. I rush backstage to grab my guitar and gather the singers. Looking over to Performance Coordinator José Garcia I send him a thumbs-up to signal our relative readiness.

Tomorrow we’ll see how we did.

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session C 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

Better Than Good

Monday, July 14^th, 2025

RAINBOW THEATER circa 9:30pm—“Hi, I’m Rose, and I’m collecting bugs,” says Singing Instructor Rose Goyette from center stage to a crowd of excited, squirming campers. She steps to the side, gesturing toward a teenager who has entered the stage from behind the large metal rainbow.

“Hi, my name is AnnaLee, and I’m a cool caterpillar,” says the teen. She too steps to the side as a young camper emerges.

“I’m Sophia, I’m an aphid, and this is my leaf,” says the camper, holding up some sort of green stuffy. More and more campers enter the stage in this fashion, declaring their bugginess and subsequently joining the stage right clump—a ladybug, a fly, a Junebug.

A camper then hops into view enveloped in a sleeping bag, giggling at her own antics.

“I’m Yoshiko, and I’m a worm!” she proclaims.

The final camper takes center stage and pauses for dramatic effect.

“I am the only bug that no one can catch: a butterfly!” The display elicits a smattering of claps and wooo’s. The group then fans out into a line for the big reveal.

“And we are… the Gold Bold Bug Catcher Tipi!” they chime in broken unison.

“Alright, let’s give six big claps for our six-legged friends from the Gold Tipi!” says Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner as transition music begins playing over the PA. Tonight Riley is performing the emcee function for Camp’s traditional opening night entertainment, Tipi Skit Night.

“Okay, can I get another volunteer to pick the next slug?” he asks. Over a dozen hands shoot up. “Yes, you there.” A camper approaches Riley and reaches blindly into a Seussian hat filled with plastic banana slugs, selecting one. “Can you please read the slug into the microphone?”

“Red Tipi,” says the camper.

Chappel Roan’s “Hot To Go” is queued up, causing the already squirmy crowd to explode with dancing and singing. As the chorus comes in, every child starts performing the prescribed arm movements. The song is faded out as Red Tipi begins their skit. Three counselors sit on the edge of the stage, all pretending to read from a large picture book.

“Once upon a time there was an awesome Tipi who drank lots of water,” recites Singing Instructor Val Le. Suddenly a camper pops their head into view from atop the metal rainbow. In quick succession, the eight-or-so campers introduce themselves from this lofty perch. “And they all lived happily ever after, because they were the well read TIPI!” The punny punchline elicits a mixture of groans and giggles.

Before Riley can even ask for a new slug selector, twenty campers shoot their hands up, many literally jumping out of their seats in the hopes of being chosen. This rhythm of stilted acting, ravenous slug selection, and pop-music transitions will continue until each of Camp’s fifteen tipi groups have had a chance to introduce themselves. Slightly before the end of the program arrives, I surreptitiously make my way over to the toothbrushing zone where I wait to collect my daily quota of camper quotations.

“Camp is really good because I like coming here again,” says Lily, 10, Gold Tipi. “I’m excited to my friend, Juliana. What I liked best about today was the skits. Our skit went good. I don’t think anyone messed up. I’d definitely recommend this camp.”

“Microwaving limes was a funny topic,” recalls Felix, 11, Blue Tipi. “Touring around was nice to have a refresher. The new lighting system is really cool, the way the lights can make the rainbow look like any color, it can make different moods.”

“Today was pretty nice, pretty decent,” estimates Eloise, 9, Yellow Tipi. “Some of the tipi skits were funny, but I don’t remember which ones. This session I want to try silks, and I’m also going to try to keep my slice of the tipi cleaner than last year.”

“It’s funny how hard it is to remember your name when you’re on stage,” points out Lifeguard Milo Costello. “Some of the tipis who were trying to go as fast as possible, the kids kept forgetting their own names, and that was pretty hilarious.”

“Our skit was a ‘W’,” says Teen Staff Ash, 15, Indigo Tipi. “The tipi skits were fire. Ours was not the most fire, but we did okay.”

“Camp is better than good,” says Cav, 10, Yellow Tipi. “This is my favorite place on Earth. Everyone is laughing, having fun, and doing their own thing. This session I’m gonna try and do stilts, improv, clowning—everything! I’m always prepared with emergency mustaches,” he says, producing a small pouch full of differently shaped lip wigs, and demonstrating his favorite.

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session C 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

The Real World Again

Saturday, July 12^th, 2025

GREEN ROOM circa 4:30pm—The weather often seems to get slightly hotter for Big Show, as if the sun moves in a little closer for a better look at our performances. Today’s show is also running quite long, compounding the situation. I like to think of these times of discomfort as opportunities to be extra professional with our showmanship, and the campers are doing exactly that, poised backstage for their entrances or making final costume adjustments in the Costume Barn. Here in the Green Room, several dozen children are participating in the age-old performer tradition of staring dead-eyed at a television screen.

“Clowning on stage, Experimento on deck, and Monster Cycle in the hole!” announces Camper Advocate Lexi Takaki, briefly pausing the television. In response to this announcement, a smattering of campers stand up and jog away toward the Tipi Circle, aka backstage, to prepare for their acts. Lexi presses play. I make my way around the periphery of the Green Room crowd to garner some final quotations.

“It was a really good oldest-camper year,” says Aydin, 14, Ultraviolet Tipi. “I’m definitely coming back for Teen Staff if I can. Last night we had an oldest camper ceremony at the Labyrinth. It was dark and the stars were out. The vibes were chill but also sad because this was our last year as campers. We held hands in a circle and walked the Labyrinth.”

“This session I learned how to juggle clubs from Eden,” continues Aydin. “It took me like three days, but now I have a pretty solid pattern. Next year I’ll learn how to pass. I had an amazing tipi and the vibes were awesome.”

“The first week was rough, but the second week was good,” says Ophelia, almost 13, Scarlet Tipi. “We had some drama in our tipi, but Joaquin helped us sort it out, and I wrote a ‘Sorry’ note to my friend. The Big Show is my highlight of the session. I like performing for a new audience. It feels more exciting. It’s like you’re in the world of Camp for two weeks, and then the parents come, and it becomes the real world again.”

“All campers backstage for the Camp Songs Finale!” announces Lexi, cutting my interviews short. I grab my guitar and gather with my fellow musicians, in the gravel just beyond downstage right. We are all hot, dehydrated, and covered in dirt, but ultimately excited to put on our three-song set. The first tune, Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard”, is a camper favorite. Nodding at Drummer Jeff Brown, he counts us off, rapping together his sticks.

“ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!”

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

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

PS
A bonus interview with Ginger’s toddler Robbie:
So, Robbie, how was this session for you? Did you get to do everything that you wanted to do, or are there still some dangling loose ends out there for next session?
“This chair broken.”
How old are you?
“Two.”
This session was notable for its bevy of classes and talented teaching staff. Was there any skill in particular that really resonated with you, or do you consider yourself more of a jack-of-all-trades?
“I just played those drums, and they’re cool.”
Now that this is your second year at Camp Winnarainbow, are there any areas of improvement that you’d care to identify?

“This chair’s starting to broke.”
Any final thoughts you’d like to leave our readers with as we close out Session B, 2025?
“I don’t have a tipi; I live in a house.”

LINKS:

Session B 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

Loose Ends

Friday, July 11^th, 2025

CHESS GROVE circa 3pm—I move my pawn to c5, to Niko’s surprise. “No one at my level knows c5,” he remarks, scratching his chin and staring intently at the pieces. I’m currently on a mission to avenge Chess Instructor Memo who was bested by Niko earlier this session. He’s proving to be a formidable opponent, opening with a solid London System. Memo emerges from the kitchen with two pitchers, one with ice water for the kids, and one with ice coffee for us adults. This exactly the advantage I need to win this game.

Capoeira Instructor Mniska Lamb pulls up in the Lake Shuttle, reminding me of a prior commitment at the Lake. Niko and I agree to adjourn our game, and I run to gather my tools. The last full day of Camp has arrived and seems to be speeding by.

LAKE VERONICA circa 3:45pm—“We’ll be done with our dominoes game in just a minute,” says Lifeguard Lucien Lamb. “Five seconds for each move!”

“I’m trying to count!” laments a camper, holding two handfuls of dominoes.

Lucien tires of waiting and tosses down his dominoes. We begin making our way up the hill.

“I was gonna win anyway!” chides Lifeguard Milo.

If you remember from Sunday’s Lake Lore post, Lucien and I were on a quest to find his grandfather Tinker’s initials in the concrete piers of the bygone waterslide. By chance, Mniska, Lucien’s dad—another of Tinker’s progeny—is driving the Lake Shuttle today, so he tags along for the excursion.

“Here’s the potential ‘JERRY’,” I say, pointing to a concrete pier with the letters E-R-R-Y visible through the dirt. Tinker’s government name was Jerry, so this might be the one.

Kneeling onto my kneepads I produce my wire brush and begin scraping away. I uncover an upper horizontal line with a downward vertical stem. It’s a promising start for a J, but as I continue downwards, the stem doesn’t turn at all. I wipe the last dirt away to reveal an unequivocal ‘T’.

The three of us burst into laughter while one camper looks on in confusion.

“Who’s Terry?” exclaims Lucien.

“I have no idea,” says Mniska. “But Tinker did sometimes go by ‘Blue Bead’.”

With this new information, Lucien and I continue search, but the beating sun doesn’t allow for much progress. Not desiring an episode of heatstroke I quickly dunk myself in the water and head back to Camp.

BACKSTAGE circa 9pm—Tonight’s evening program is the final dress rehearsal before Saturday’s Big Show. Campers who are about to go on stage mingle in the Tipi Circle with matching costumes. I’m using my backstage access to find how campers are feeling about the progress they made in their chosen disciplines this session.

“I didn’t get around to doing stilts last year, so this year I really went for it, and now I’m gonna be in the stilt parade,” says Stella, 13, Orange Tipi. “Next year I’m going to focus on juggling. I know the basics already, but I want to learn some tricks and how to juggle clubs. I think that people can come back year after year and always have something new to learn every time.”

“I wanted to do unicycle, but I had to do stilts,” says Lily “Next year I’m going to do more unicycle. I also wish I could have gone to the Lake more. Camp is magical. It’s not all fancy-schmancy, but it’s fun. There’s no other place like this.”

“I didn’t get to try everything; Camp went by so fast!” says Sage, 14, Orange Tipi. “I focused on Experimento this year, and I also learned the basics of juggling. For my last day here I’m just gonna hang out with friends and exchange phone numbers. It’s really respectful here. I liked a lot of the counselors. This place is really great.”

“I never made it to the Lake,” admits Fox, 12, Scarlet Tipi. “There were just too many other things to do during free time. My new addiction/obsession is balancing a stick on my finger. One morning I was doing it in the cocoa line and Memo showed me how to do it better. Ever since then I’ve been doing it all the time. I would say about 60% of my free time has been spent on stick balancing.”

“I really like that there’s more nature here compared to some other Camps I’ve been to,” continues Fox. “Here you sleep in tipis and there’s no video games. I feel like I’m connecting with nature.”

“I wanted to do aerials this year, but instead I did unicycling, acrobatics, improvisation, songwriting and stilts,” says Max, 12, Scarlet Tipi. “In my four years here I’ve learned a lot of cool stuff—stuff that I could never dream of learning somewhere else. I think the things I’ve learned at Camp will help me with life, whether or not I come back again. I mean, sure, I might not need to ever unicycle in my real life, but Camp is more than that. I learned how to take feedback, how to improve, and how to have a good time. I’m gonna miss Winnarainbow.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session B 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

Creative Energy

Thursday, July 10^th, 2025

ART GROVE circa 4pm—Still pleasantly damp from a plunge in Lake Veronica, I stroll into the Art Grove, Camp’s hub for crafting and visual arts. The space is defined by a tarp floor, a large event shade, and an assortment of handmade furniture layered with decades of paint splotches and decoupaged magazine clippings. A portable speaker sits atop one such cabinet, contributing indie folk tunes into the studio atmosphere. Some distant forest fires have cast a haze on Camp today, slightly raising the temperature and lowering the energy. It’s a perfect opportunity to indulge in some nonstrenuous busywork such as the Art Grove has to offer.

“We’re making spell pouches,” declares Art Instructor Max Papes, gesturing at a tableful of curated supplies. “First, you pick the color of your fabric. This is important as each color is associated with a different energetic intention.”

“Ooh, I want to make one!” says Mina, 11, Maroon Tipi.

“Here’s the descriptions of the fabric colors,” says Max, sliding a document over to Mina. “Once you pick your fabric, then you get to fill it with different plants. We have bay leaves—those are good for manifesting—lichen, St. John’s-wort, pine, sparrow, wild mint, an a bunch of other choices.”

Mina opts for purple, calling in wisdom, influence, independence, power, and spirit.

“Here, have some black salt for extra protection,” advises Max.

“I was just chilling here and figured, ‘Why not?’,” says Mina, fiddling with a string that will be eventually used to close the pouch. “I’ll probably use it as a keychain. I don’t have any keys, but I like to put keychains on my backpack.”

At a nearby table, a group of crafters are fiddling with a different type of string altogether.

“We’re making friendship bracelets,” says Quinn, 13, Orange Tipi. “Basically you take these different color strings and braid it into pretty patterns. They’re called ‘friendship bracelets’ because you can give them to your friends and they last forever.”

As we chat, a new camper rushes into the Art Grove, making a beeline for the watercolors and a blank postcard.

“I was practicing at the Tightrope Site when I remembered I hadn’t finished my postcard,” says Paloma, 8, Maroon Tipi. “I’m gonna send it to my mom today. I’m gonna tell her I’m having a lot of fun—way more fun than last year.”

She dips an impractically large foam brush into the red section of the tray and begins working it on to the postcard with horizontal strokes. The postcard arches as it absorbs the watery paint.

“I’m painting a rainbow because this is a colorful place,” continues Paloma. “I like to use my hands to make things, and I like how the colors blend together.”

“The vibe of the Art Grove is vibey,” asserts Art Instructor Rose Moylan, tidying supplies as she moves about the space. “There’s lots of creative energy and no drama. Everybody has been making things up on their own. The morning class periods can be pretty serious, but in the afternoon my job is basically just to hand out scissors. So far today I’ve handed out four pairs. I’ve also noticed a lot of tape has gone missing.”

“Music is a key part of the Art Grove process,” adds Rose. “All the art teachers make up their own playlists to play during class. I made this playlist from all the clean songs on my Spotify. It’s nine hours long. The philosophy of the Art Grove is to wear shoes, stay out of the ‘ART TEACHERS ONLY’ cabinet, clean up after yourself, and to find inner peace.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session B 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

Enjoying the Chaos

Wednesday, July 9^th, 2025

PUPPET GROVE circa 11:30pm—A pervasive skunk smell lingers over the Camp Kitchen and its adjacent groves. Counselors chit-chat and munch cereal in the darkness. Occasional vehicles broadcast their transit down the 101 with eerie wooshes that echo through the forest. Everyone is pleasantly fatigued from an evening of dusty madness.

The festivities began around 7:45pm when I addressed an audience seated at the fire circle.

“Welcome to Tipi Clean-Up Night!” I announced to the campers. Some giggle knowingly while others stare nonplussed. “Does anybody know what TSP stands for? Tri-Sodium Phosphate. Say it with me!”

“Tri-Sodium Phosphate,” repeated the crown.

“We’re going to scrub the tipis, the woodchips, and every surface in Camp until it sparkles,” I continued. “We have buckets, rags, and plenty of non-potable water. The last ingredient is the Tri-Sodium Phosphate. Bring in the TSP!” I exclaimed, motioning to Drumming Instructor Jeff Brown. He entered the crowd with a worried expression.

“I thought you said it was for Thursday,” he confessed. “It’s not gonna be here until tomorrow. It’s too late for Amazon same-day.”

“No, it’s for today!” I said angrily. “I told you, ‘Wednesday’! How are we going to do Tipi Clean-Up Night?”

“I’m sorry, man. There’s nothing I can do,” he said, leaving the circle with arms raised in resignation.

“There’s no TSP! Tipi Clean-Up Night is ruined,” I exclaimed.

“Nooooo!” responded the older campers, playing along.

“I guess we’ll have to go with our back-up plan, Adventure Night!”

The crowd erupted in cheers, elated to not be cleaning tipis for the evening. I went on to explain the rules of our carnival-style game night. I then beckoned into the circle the prize brigade. Nine counselors entered the circle with large boxes of chips, candy and soda held high above their heads. The crowd went wild with pure sugar lust, scream-cheering for nearly a minute straight. I then set the camper horde loose on the evening with a blow of the conch.

The campers proceeded to rage around the campus for the next hour, clambering through obstacles courses and competing in various challenges to earn Winnarainbow dollars. Once it became too dark for running, I blew the conch again, summing everyone back to the fire circle. It was announced that the winners of the coveted junk food were Orange and Flame tipis. The crowd reacted with passionate yells, some of joy, most of dismay. To settle the mood, we then enjoyed a calming story from Camper Advocate Lexi Takaki. For the grand finale, campers were treated to a display of fire juggling from our elite juggling instructors.

After the festivities had concluded, I camped out near the toothbrushing zone to garner a few post-game analyses.

“Something my dad says is, ‘Comparison is the killer of joy,” relayed Matthew, 10¾, Turquoise Tipi. “I enjoyed the activities, but the competitive element was frustrating. I don’t understand how my tipi didn’t win! We didn’t even make the top four! I think some of the sites were a scam.”

“My favorite site was limbo,” continued Matthew. “It kept going lower until I was literally lying on the ground. Then they put the limbo stick all the way on the ground, so I just lifted it up myself and squirmed under it. They didn’t say that it was against the rules! All in all, it’s just a game and the rewards don’t matter.”

“My job was collecting money from my tipi-mates and waiting in line to roll the dice,” said Eve, 14, Rainbow Tipi. “We did a team strategy, but we didn’t win. We won in spirit, though. I think I made my sprained ankle worse, but it was worth it. The Side Quest Wizard was cool. I had to serenade people with my favorite songs for my side quest. I sang the National Anthem and ‘Lunch’ by Billie Eilish because that’s all I could think of in the moment.”

“There was a Grim Reaper trying to tag everyone,” said Soleil, 10, Maroon Tipi. “If you got tagged you had to go to the Theater until your friends would tag you out. My favorite site was the spider web; it required a lot of skill. I went through once and got fifteen dollars. The obstacle course at the Aerials Site was fun—more fun than a roller coaster!”

“It was really fun,” said Kaia, 12, Scarlet Tipi. “It was exciting to be playing alongside all my friends. Some of our tipi was spending money on dice rolls, while some were spending money on renaming parts of Camp. We were kind of all over the place. I did limbo a lot because it paid pretty well, and crate ball was super fun too. The whole point is teamwork, having fun, and enjoying the chaos.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session B 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

Teamwork

Tuesday, July 8^th, 2025

FIRE CIRCLE circa 9:30pm—Most of the camping chairs are in use at the Rainbow Theater, but I’m able to find a comically small child’s chair that was left behind here at the fire. I delicately squat into the seat, my knees nearly poking into my armpits. Tonight is Weirdo Talent Night, an evening where counselors display their zaniest skills. For example, Drumming Instructor Jeff Brown used his stage time to catch thrown marshmallows in his mouth—at least a dozen by my count. It’s a nice contrast to Teacher Talent Night, which is strictly meant to display teachable skills to the campers.

I’ve slipped away from the audience to warm by the fire while I wait for my own act later in the show. A trio of counselors are already here performing night watch fire-tending duties, all quite comfortably seated in adult-sized camping chairs.

“This session is pretty chill,” says Songwriting Instructor Vashaun Harris. “My tipi staff and I work well together. I’m not prepared for the end of the session, but I am looking forward to a day off. One thing I like to do at night is reflect on the day, and on how I can be a better counselor tomorrow. You have to enjoy Camp, make memories, and then give those experiences to campers so they can have the same fun you did.”

“Beau broke my chair, so Shakon has adopted it as a place to put his things,” alleges Singing Instructor Charlie Penfield. “It was a hammock chair. Everybody sat in it during staff training. Then Shakon threw it on the ground.”

“Yeah but it was already broken at that point,” clarifies Vashaun, defending Shakon.

“It collapses every time I try to sit in it,” adds Stilt Instructor Allie Kramer. “I’ve tried like ten times, and it keeps collapsing.”

“Every time I see it, Shakon and I argue about it; it’s causing a lot of conflict,” continues Charlie, clearly committed to relaying this inane story. “The chair saga has been going on since Session A. I tried to share something nice with my friends, and they ripped it apart like wild animals. Besides that, Camp is going pretty good.”

“Hey, dude, we’re up next,” interjects Songwriting Instructor Johnny Garcia. I wrest myself from the gripping chair saga and head toward backstage.

The act I’m a part of tonight is a live recreation of the full Abbey Road Medley, all the way from “You Never Give Me Your Money” to “Her Majesty”. With a total runtime of over 16 minutes, it’s a very ambitious piece to cover on short notice, and, honestly, I’ve always been more of a Revolver guy. But Camp is the perfect type of place where you can pull something like this off. There’s just so many weird and talented people here. Johnny pitched the idea to us last night, and 23 hours later it’s showtime.

I don my guitar and start wheeling a garden wagon that I’ve dedicated to a pair of amplifiers around to upstage right. The band sets up along the upstage span as stagehands arrange clusters of mics further downstage. As we play, a whole rotating cast of singers, clowns and jugglers make appearances on the stage, creating quite the sonic and visual spectacle. Our efforts are rewarded with raucous audible reactions from the campers throughout the set. We conclude our Beatles tribute, and the campers are released to bedtime. I return to the fire to garner a few more quotations.

“My session is going spectacular,” says Alex, 13, Ultraviolet Tipi. “I’ve learned many interesting and fun things in aerials, such as a 720 double star drop, as well as multiple two-person tricks. I’ve also been taking lots of stilts. I was always afraid of heights as a kid. Doing these activities up in the air has really helped. I kind of enjoy heights now.”

“It’s going medium okay,” says Lena, 10, Green Tipi. “I got rope-ified, which is where you get qualified on the tightrope. The mid part is there’s drama in the tipi, but the counselors have been talking to everyone and making everything okay. The counselors here are extremely nice. Tomorrow I’m going to make a crazy dancing party puppet. I think people can learn new things here even if they don’t know them yet.”

“For Teen Talent Night on Friday I was Gru in the Minions-themed dance,” says Teen Staff Jojo, 17, Flame Tipi. “That was a lot of fun. This session I’m thinking about getting ready to be on adult staff next year, but also just enjoying my last year of teen staff. I’m looking forward to seeing my campers in the Big Show. Hands-down the most popular skill in my tipi is diabolo. Some of my campers are into stilts, but it’s mostly diabolo and Magic the Gathering in there.”

“Today we did unicycle basketball,” reports Unicycle Instructor Mattias RowenBale. “It’s a really special tradition that only happens a couple times per summer. When I was a camper, this was one of the main reasons I got into unicycling. We made two teams, the Warriors and the Lakers. The final score was 3-4, but I don’t know who won because we never decided which team was getting which name. I’m just excited to be introducing this tradition to a new generation of unicyclers.”

“Never a dull moment,” says year-round Administrative Manager Mayahuel Montoya. “It’s the first two-week session of the season; it’s a circus marathon! The Tornado was really funny this session, and Tipi Clean-Up Sunday was revealing—literally.”

“Today I did the Beach Mop shift for the first time in like five years,” continues Mayahuel. “Being Beach Mop means going to the lake and making lists of swimmers. My whole job is making lists so it was no sweat. Plus I got to hang out with Annika and make a flower crown. I’m also really excited to be teaching dance again, ably assisted by Jojo here. I think the moral of this session is ‘teamwork’—for kids and for adults.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session B 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025