Follow the Wind
Friday, July 4th, 2025
PUPPET GROVE circa 3:30pm—Upbeat oldies from the kitchen’s radio mingles with the pleasant mix of sun, breeze and tree shade. In this region of Camp, every area that is not regularly walked on is covered with a dense layer of fallen bay leaves. These leaves display a range of yellows, oranges and browns, evoking an autumnal setting. Across the road in the Chess Grove, a small group of chess players ponder their game while, in the neighboring Art Grove, a handful of artists joke as they paint. Though the bustle of downtown Camp can be heard in the distance, the Puppet Grove itself is a quiet sanctuary for now.
This summer Camp acquired a new geodesic dome for the use of our medical team. The metal bones of the old dome were moved to downtown Camp, near the Big Top. As of this session, the old dome has been fitted with a ring of misters, creating a brand-new opportunity for people trying to beat the heat. Today I spent some time with some people affected by these new changes.
“I’m glad they found a use for the old dome; two Nurses’ Domes would be overkill,” said Camp Nurse Mirabai Troll. “The dome shape is absolutely necessary for us. A regular rectangle would be less appealing. The dome is inviting, mystical even.”
“It’s a friendly shape,” agreed Camp Nurse Ashley Lee. “It’s almost womb-like. You come here to go back to simple things—tea, relaxation—it’s a comforting space.”
“We should play a heartbeat on a speaker!” joked Camp Nurse Sarah Rapaport. “I really like the taller door on the new dome, although the biggest change is the addition of air conditioning. The dome is always a work in progress. We try to make it comfier year by year, session by session.”
“It’s really cool to come back to Camp and feel the throughline of its core values,” added Mirabai, who has returned to Camp after a 17-year break. “As the outside world becomes more chaotic and uncertain, Camp stays the same. I’ve also seen a lot of updates to important things that make it even safer.”
“I remember the old dome being more stuffy,” said Camp Physician Danielle Sears. When asked if we should combine both domes to create a Nurses’ Sphere she said, “How would we walk in it? Would we float in the middle? If you can figure out how to make us float, I’m in full support.”
“We’ve been brainstorming on the rain storming,” quipped Operations Manager Angel Herrera. “We came up with this idea in the off-season. This mister kit just hooks up to a hose and then we zip tied the water line around the dome. Here we did some a little lower for the short kids. And check out this rainbow!” he said, pointing at the ground.
“The direction of the mist is operated by the wind,” explained Angel. “Sometimes it goes down, sometimes up or sideways. Hopefully it encourages some more grass to grow. It doesn’t use a lot of water so you can just let it run.”
“If it’s hot like today, it cools you off,” said Ezri, 9½, Gold Tipi. “It’s fun to run around in it. You’re not supposed to climb it because you can mess up the hoses.”
“It’s nice to just walk around in it too,” added Ellie, 9, Gold Tipi. “It looks like a snow globe!”
“Ironically it was used as a drying rack for our towels during session break,” said Teen Staff Beatrix, 16, Yellow Tipi. “This area used to be called the ‘Shady Grove’. Now that there’s no shade, it’s good to have the dome. It gives it a sense of utility and purpose.”
“We want eventually to do an art project with the kids to add some shade to the dome,” added Angel. “We’ll make canvas triangles and have people paint them or use fabric markers.”
“The middle of the dome is NOT the mistiest part, contrary to popular belief,” continued Beatrix. “You’ve got to follow the wind.”
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor
