Crazy Chill

Wednesday, June 25^th, 2025

FIRE CIRCLE circa 8:30pm—“See the dog, be the dog,” says Waterfront Director Kitty Green, performing her signature dog impersonation routine. She takes a deep breath, eyes closed and hands raised toward the fire as if casting a spell. The audience seated in a large circle around the fire pit area waits in anticipation for Kitty’s next move. She begins with a soft growl that quickly erupts into a might howl. “Rrrroooooooowww!” The audience claps and whistles in response to the uncannily dog-like outburst.

“Up next we have Zora and Annika with a song,” announces Lighting Designer Lexi Takaki. Though the fire circle requires no modern technology, Lexi is acting as tonight’s emcee, welcoming campers and counselors alike to share stories, songs, jokes and poems. More applause ensues as Zora and Annika enter the circle.

The burgeoning twilight gently saps color from the surrounding foliage as the fire circle continues. The smell of grass and bay leaves is spiked with the distinct aroma of campfire smoke. As sunlight light fades, the shadows of firelight intensify, causing performers to appear like starkly lit planets in orbit.

This evening marks the halfway point of Session A. Today I spent some time among the Camp polity to evaluate our midterm standings.

“I’m looking forward to Fire Circle, I’m looking forward to Dance Party, and I’m looking forward to the Tornado of Talent,” said Eleanor, 9, Yellow Tipi. “I came to Camp last year so I know the schedule of events,” she clarified. “Tonight I’m gonna sing ‘Camp Town Road’, tomorrow I’m gonna wear a fancy blue dress, a fancy red hat, and a fancy purple cape. I don’t know what I’ll perform for Tornado, but it will either be unicycles, silks, or art. The best part of Camp is Camp!”

“I’m feeling good; my tipi is lovely,” said Counselor Extraordinaire Audrey Duane, Scarlet Tipi. “I went to the lake today and when I got there I saw five of my campers swimming behind Annika like a little row of ducklings. Yesterday I led after-dinner sports and I realized that doing sports with theater kids is way more fun than with sports kids. You have to understand they were running like this,” she said, acting out an overly dramatic slow-motion sprint, gazing fiercely at an imaginary camera.

“I got to go swimming at the lake and I passed the rafter test!” said Briella, 9, Yellow Tipi. “I saw lots of blue dragon flies.”

“When I went to the lake I was gonna do the test but then I got scared,” confessed Eliza, 9, Yellow Tipi. “I was thinking about this movie where this lady goes into the ocean and gets attacked by fish. I don’t remember what it’s called but I think it’s on Hulu. I guess I’ll try again tomorrow.”

“I’m also excited for Dance Party,” continued Eliza. “My friend and I are gonna go as vampires, girl vampires.”

“Being in a tipi with my friends from home is both good and bad,” said Phineas, 8, almost 9, Lime Tipi. “We’re making so many new friends and doing so many activities we barely see each other! My big goals for this week are to do a cartwheel and to be able to juggle ten throws in a row.”

“Some of the unicycling people can do here is mind-boggling!” said Owen, 11, Orange Tipi. “So far I can go from one balance bar to the other. By the end of the session I want to learn how to idle. My advice for newcomers is, ‘Try everything!’”

“Two thumbs up!” said Maya, 12, Scarlet Tipi. “I would give a third thumb if I had one,” she quipped. “There’s so many cool things here. I feel so creative, like this much,” she said, holding her hands roughly three feet apart.

“So far so good,” said Jai, 13, Ultraviolet Tipi. “The goodest part has been hanging out with Miles. He has really random things to say. Just ask our counselors, they know! Another goodest part is meeing new friends and making existing friendships stronger. I’m gonna take juggling tomorrow. I think it’s a good skill to have in life. You never know when you might need to juggle something!”

“Camp is very good and very funny,” said Nadav, 12, Ultraviolet Tipi. “So far I’ve taken stilts and lots of tightrope. My balance has improved slightly. As far as our counselors go, the Teen Staff Suleimon is crazy chill and Shakon is chill also. Milla is pretty chill in an energetic sort of way, and Beau is super chill.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session A 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

RAINBOW ROUND-UP

(One sentence from each tipi)

Rainbow: “It’s a beautiful day.”

Maroon: “Probably chill, like we’re just here but also a little tired and a little excited.”

Scarlet: “We’re excited and high-energy. Everyone’s really close friends.”

Red: “Hectic.”

Flame: “We love pillow fights!”

Orange: “Kinda crazy and chill at the same time.”

Gold: “The very weird beard man has a very long beard.”

Yellow: “Pass the red panda.”

Lime: “I think I had a lime for breakfast.”

Green: “Get ready to green!”

Turquoise: “We had so much fun!”

Blue: “She’s married to the Muffin Man!”

Indigo: “Be persistent.”

Purple: We’re excited to do dishes tomorrow!”

Ultraviolet: “We’re very nice and calm and crazy.”

Special thanks to contributing reporters Tucket, Djuna, and Lilah.

Put a Nose on!

Tuesday, June 24^th, 2025

RAINBOW THEATER circa 8:30pm—The air is alive with the tasteful distortion of an eerie indie dance tune. Three fully costumed clowning instructors have taken the stage to execute their intricate bumbling. An audience of 200 fills the outdoor theater, laughing and cheering in response to the comedic display. Camp founder Wavy Gravy has joined us this evening to emcee tonight’s show, Teacher Talent Night. He sits far stage left in a director’s chair, his signature rainbow microphone in hand. “Give it up for the clowns!” he exclaims in his gravelly tenor as the performers take their final bows.

The Rainbow Theater is an impressive feature for a camp of this size. It is outfitted with professional lights and sound which are operated from a tech booth in the middle of the seating area. The stage itself is framed by two massive oaks and is adorned with a large metal rainbow that spans most of the stage’s width. A hidden staircase allows performers to ascend the rainbow for elevated antics.

“We finally have a new lighting truss!” explained Resident Lighting Designer Lexi Takaki in a recent interview. “We named it Sylvia Trussa Stanlina.”

“Stanlina” is a nod to the late, great Stan Goldstein, longtime Camp Winnarainbow Tech Lead.

“We also got new LED lights with brand new colors,” continued Lexi. “That means that there will be new colors that have never been seen before on the Camp Winnarainbow stage, and possibly in the whole world!”

“Color has returned to the Rainbow,” added Tech Lead Monique Calfe-Smith. “In the lead-up to Session A we have been untangling many wires and plugging them in. We also have two new wireless microphones which open up all sorts of theatrical possibilities. It’s like the part in Pinocchio where he loses his strings, but not the part where he turns into a donkey.”

As the show presses on, the fading light of day turns the rich green canopy into a splotchy mass of black, causing the new light array to appear more vivid. In the tech booth Lexi adjusts rows of sliders on the lighting console while Monique cues up music on the soundboard.

Earlier today campers had their first opportunity to take the many classes which Camp offers. I spent some time in the afternoon to hear how their studies are going.

“I went to art class to do collaging,” reported Dottie, 14, Rainbow Tipi. “It was fun; my friends were there. I used people from magazines. So far it’s looking goofy, probably because I have goofiness in my soul. I would recommend art to any camper who is looking for a chill time and cool music. It’s definitely chiller that the average Camp vibe. 8 out of 10.”

“It was a small class so we got lots of attention from the teachers,” said Tessa, 13, Rainbow Tipi who took the ‘M Sound Lab’ music production class, a brand-new offering for Winnarainbow this summer. “We learned how to use things like Garageband and mics and keyboards. I’ve tried doing that stuff before, but having experts there to explain everything made a big difference. Alex and Amanda were amazing.”

“I practiced being expressive and emotive,” said Ivy, 14, Rainbow Tipi, of drama class. “We did a lot of games like ‘Splat’ and ‘Captain’s Coming’, which is like an advanced Simon Says. I do a lot of theater outside of Camp, but I can say this was very fun. My advice to young actors is to just have fun, and that’s exactly what we had today. 8 out of 10.”

“Silks was fun because we got to go upside-down,” said Lewis, 11, Flame Tipi. “It’s different from rope because it’s fabric, it has more slack, and you can wrap it around your foot to help you climb. It gives you adrenaline, similar to jumping from a six-foot diving board into a pool. 7 out of 10.”

“It’s like riding a bike with no handles,” said Jolene, 12, Maroon Tipi, of unicycle class. “I was nervous about falling down and breaking a bone but no one else fell down and broke a bone so I guess that comforts me. It’s hard at first but you just have to keep on trying.”

“Clowning class is great because you get to play around in character and wear a nose,” said Rory, 9, Orange Tipi. “You’re not supposed to talk when you’re a clown, and that was hard. I liked the exercise where we pretended a part of our body was attached to a rope and was getting pulled around. My new motto is, ‘Put a nose on and have some fun!’”

“M Sound-Lab went really well,” said Music Production Instructor Alex Nee. “We took campers into a cyber world of musical inspiration! Some kids gravitated towards a kind of funk beat, while some others started making plans to start a podcast. Another camper was inspired to make an original album, but she wants to copywrite the lyrics before she lays down any vocals. My hope is that we can channel all of this energy into a cohesive project by the end of the session.”

Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session A 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

RAINBOW ROUND-UP

(One sentence from each tipi)

Rainbow: “The breakfast sausages were wonderful.”

Maroon: “Chicken nuggets in hot cocoa instead of marshmallows!”

Scarlet: “We saw a lizard today.”

Red: “No comment.”

Flame: “We’re still on fire!”

Orange: “Orange you glad we didn’t say banana?”

Gold: “Gold Tipi can be really silly, but it’s a great opportunity because all of my best friends are here.”

Yellow: “We want ours to be the same as yesterday.”

Lime: “Don’t mess with us or you’ll get squeezed!”

Green: “Why does every tipi have four counselors?”

Turquoise: “Today was awesome and our conversation was super chill vibes.”

Blue: “Is it bad to eat grass?”

Indigo: “I wish I could live here!”

Purple: “Purple Tipi? More like turtle pee-pee!”

Ultraviolet: “Loading…”

Special thanks to contributing reporters Tucket, Djuna, and Lilah.

Same But Different

Welcome to the Camp Winnarainbow Blog! This blog is your go-to spot for whimsical updates on daily camp life. Here you’ll enjoy photos and quotations from your campers as well as some information about programming and Camp history. DISCLAIMER: all official questions of a serious or important nature should be routed to the Camp office. Besides that, feel free to send me any frivolous comments or suggestions. Happy reading!

—J. Payseno, Editor

Monday, June 23^rd, 2025

PUPPET GROVE circa 8:30pm—The scent of bug spray compliments the periwinkle aura of early evening. A few yellow splotches of sun can still be seen in the trees covering the plateau hillside. It was three-hundred and forty-two days ago that I wrote the previous blog entry right here in this same Puppet Grove. I’ve settled here to commandeer a power source normally used for hot glue guns, which has put me in the crossfire of a puppetry orientation presentation.

“Who are we? The PPC! The Puppet People Community!” chants Puppetry Instructor Milla Blackwelder from atop a worktable to a gaggle of bewildered campers. Brandishing a blue garbage grabber like a conductor’s wand, Milla leads the group in repeating the chant. They join in with gusto.

This is just one stop along the orientation tour which aims to familiarize campers with Camp’s facility, its boundaries and its activities. A conch shell is sounded in the distance, calling the campers away to the next site. “Thank you, Milla!” chime the counselors as the group departs. Soon a new group of campers will appear, but for now I have a few quiet minutes to review my notes.

Earlier this afternoon I spent some time gathering first impressions of Camp from a variety of kids and grown-ups. Here’s what they had to say about the state of Camp as we begin the first session of the 2025 season.

“Things seem like the same as last year but different,” observed Omar, 8, Gold Tipi. “I want to make a puppet, possibly better than the one I made last year. It’ll be a dog with a red nose, two eyes and I’ll name it Rupert.”

“I was so happy to get here; it’s my first time!” beamed Quincy, 9, Gold Tipi. “Omar’s been telling me about Camp. This whole place is so cool! Are there other Camp Winnarainbows or is this the only one?”

“It’s one of a kind!” responded Omar.

“Camp is medium good,” assessed Durai, 7, Green Tipi, calmly administering a handheld, fan-powered mister to her head. “The Rainbow staircase looks cool, and so do the stilts. I’m gonna go play with Cory and Omar now.”

“I’m excited to do stilts, lake, unicycling and clowning,” said Darrion, 9, Gold Tipi. “I’m not sure which one I’m gonna start with, but I’m gonna do them all eventually. I’ve got three friends and my little sister here so we’re gonna hang out and do classes together.”

“Camp is vibrating with magic from our 50^th anniversary!” said Director Ginger Jackson-Gleich. “We are ready to welcome families, and we are looking forward to filling kids with joy in these challenging times. How many rainbows are too many rainbows? No one knows! We’re still adding!”

“Camp is amazing so far,” said Caris, 8, Green Tipi. “I liked sitting with my group at dinner and songs were awesome. I want to learn how to walk on stilts. I think I’ll be able to because I’m athletic and a hard worker!”

“The silliest craziest thing so far was the toilet skit,” reported Laila, 12, Maroon Tipi. At the beginning of every session there is a brief theatrical explainer for how the toilets at Camp function. “Lucas and Rachel were so energetic they made it super hilarious. It was edu-tainment at its highest. Now I finally know how to use a toilet!”

“Tonight for dinner is pizza,” said Kitchen Manager Mary Jane. “Here we’ve got half cheese, half pep. We also have salad with a house-made vinaigrette. And for dessert, the pièce de resistance, brownies made from scratch—Andrea’s recipe.”

“You can say I’m ‘Kitchen Manager’, but I prefer ‘Auntie’,” continued Mary Jane. “Organizer of Chaos, Defender of Allergies, Maker of Ranch. I hope the kids try new things and enjoy the old favorites while their here. It’s nice to have a happy, healthy crew here at Camp. It makes for happy, healthy kids.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

LINKS:

Session A 2025 Photo Album
Blog Archive 2025

PS

Thanks to the intrepid efforts of three blog interns, the blog will now feature a special daily report where each tipi group will offer one sentence to sum up their collective Camp experience. Please enjoy the first installment of ‘Rainbow Roundup’!

RAINBOW ROUND-UP

Rainbow: “Even though it’s summer it’s a good time to start stowing your grain for winter.”
Maroon: “The best hat is a jester hat.”
Scarlet: “If I could wear one costume everyday it would be a big, poofy skirt.”
Red: “Imagine a baseball cap with an embroidered picture of a horse and below the picture of the horse it says the word ‘horse’.”
Flame: “We’re on fire!”
Orange: “The funniest thing that has happened so far is goats screaming ear gritty.”
Gold: “We are feeling excited and silly!”
Yellow: “Yoooooooo!”
Lime: “We’re sour.”
Green: “I don’t know why we’re ‘Green Tea’ Tipi because kids don’t even drink tea.”
Turquoise: “It was fun!”
Blue: “We’re feeling welcoming, energetic and ready for anything!”
Indigo: “It’s the best tipi!”
Purple: “We’re ready to roar!”
Ultraviolet: “Nothing has been funny, but it seems to be very enjoyable and fun.”

Special thanks to contributing reporters Tucket, Djuna, and Lilah.

Absolutely Gravy

Saturday, August 3rd, 2024

PUPPET GROVE circa 7:00pm—The afternoon heat has dissipated to the pleasant level of a freshly-dried garment. Setting sunbeams cast golden patches on the forested hillside overlooking the Camp kitchen. A hundred-odd staff members and ranch residents shuffle in a long line that snakes among several buffet tables, loading up precious plates of extra fancy dinner fare. “The Feast”, as we call it, is an important end-of-season tradition that celebrates all the hard work we put in to make this summer possible. Tomorrow we will begin the arduous process of take-down, but tonight is for relaxing and sharing in our community, which many of us would claim as our chosen family.

Here in the Puppet Grove, I sit at Facility Manager Sindi Petti’s old desk, an austere mid-century piece that wouldn’t look out of place any time after the Protestant Reformation. This year, as Sindi prepares for retirement, she gifted her desk to Puppetry Instructor Milla Blackwelder who has put it to good use in their outdoor workshop, as evidenced by the matted web of hot glue residue that holds my clipboard quite still as I write. For me, this desk serves as a reminder that Camp is a sharing community, one with history and legacy, and one in which all that is old may be made new again. As we contemplate packing away all our equipment of merriment, this thought comforts me.

Camp Winnarainbow is a place where we strive to bring joy to children, but pick-up day is special because we get the opportunity to rekindle childish joy in all the visiting grown-ups. Today I camped out at the merch table to gather thoughts from anyone who looked like they were alive during the World Series Earthquake (and a few kids, just for good measure).

“I tried to ride a unicycle but my kid said, ‘Thats not for adults!'” said Greg from Martinez. “I liked when the kids came together and sang. It was my first time here; I’ll definitely be back.”

“The emcees were great; they really shepherded us parents along nicely,” said Erin from Fairfax. “I got goosebumps even in 90° weather.”

“The show was rockin’,” said Matt, also from Fairfax. “The first song, ‘We Are the Children of Camp Winnarainbow’ was really touching.”

“I like Camp Winnarainbow,” said Porter, 8, of the Lime Tipi. “I liked doing puppets. I already knew about them before but I got to get more into it at Camp. I love it.”

“As an amateur juggler myself, I really liked the juggling act,” said Sam from Santa Rosa. “I loved the ending with the band and the kids pounding on the metal rainbow.”

“The show was so good I want to come back next year,” said Michael from Berkeley. “You take 69-year-olds right?”

Camp does in fact have a session for adults, Adult Camp as we call it. It typically occurs in the third or fourth week of June.

“The show was definitely vibey, certainly wavy, and absolutely gravy!” said Mac from Oakland. “My favorite part was the ‘Old Town Road’ remix. The kids were vibing it. I was impressed.”

“It was super special to be able to read the blog on our roadtrip,” said Sarah from Asheville, North Carolina. “Our kid is a total misfit and this is the perfect place for it. I love Camp’s approach to childhood; you all know how to harness the craziness and keep kids busy. Clearly no one is afraid of kids here.”

“My favorite part of the show was all of it,” said Liz from San Francisco. “‘Camp Town Road’ was great. You can’t go wrong with Lil Naz X.”

“I love clowning for the makeup and the miming,” said Sidney, 12, of the Blue Tipi. “I’m definitely coming back.”

“You could tell there was a lot of joy and happiness,” said Nancy, from Oakland.

“The show was a nice capstone,” added Shimon, also from Oakland.”

“My time at Camp was incredibly crazy and all-over-the-place, but totally fun,” said Teen Staff Gabby. “It’s the people that make Camp. Everyone is so warm and welcoming. You can walk up to anyone and have a life-changing conversation. I’ll you next year!”

“The kids in the group singing really brought the heat and the energy,” said James from Sebastopol. “And the Foo Fighters? Come on! So good.”

“The blog was a nice lifeline,” said Dor from Santa Cruz. “The show was eclectic and hilarious, especially the puppets and clowning. I loved the short experimental piece in the river. The theme was ‘home’ and it really communicated a lot about Camp and the feeling of going home.”

“Camp was good,” said Tashi, 11, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “It’s really fun and the people are nice. Ok, here’s my quote: ‘The same hot water that makes an egg hard makes a potato soft, so don’t let your environment dictate you.'”

“The show was awesome, especially the stilts,” said Chanelle from McKinleyville. “It was a beautiful experience for the kids. They seemed so happy.”

“The tunnel the stilters made for the unicyclers was really impressive,” added Bonnie, also from McKinleyville. “The collective singing brought tears to my eyes.”

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

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

An Ode to Lake Veronica

Friday, August 2nd, 2024

LAKE VERONICA circa 3:00pm—Stern sunbeams bear down at a steep angle from the immaculate sky, a perfect robin’s egg. Campers scuttle down the dry, grassy slope from the easement where Camp’s Kia Sedona has deposited them. “Don’t forget to check in with Beach Mop!” chirps Singing Instructor ‘Iron Jaden’ Larson, brandishing a yellow legal pad. Hopeful swimmers line up to check in and receive buddy assignments. A linked pair of dragonflies buzz from one clump of cattails to the another, navigating through the members our human congregation. The final lake day of the summer has arrived, bittersweet as the aroma of wild pennyroyal that permeates the shoreline.

“How many goggles are under the lake?” asks Miles, 5, sporting a yellow lifejacket and squinting in the sun through wet bangs.
“Probably a hundred,” I estimate.
“Well now there’s one hundred and one,” he says after some quick math.

The shallow water entry zone clouds with silt as the first swimming buddies enter the water. A corridor of lily pads guide them toward the deep center. Soon the floating raft structure is swarmed with squirrelly campers who jump off into the water, swim around, and ascend the mounted metal ladder in a continuous cycle. Some more adept swimmers continue to the far end of the lake were stands a 10-foot lifeguard post that doubles a jumping platform.

“The platform is fun to jump off of,” says Lucas, 12, of the Scarlet Tipi. “The lifeguard says an animal when you jump and then you try to make the sound of the animal before you hit the water. Most people don’t know this but at the bottom of the lake there’s a bus, a car, and a $600 remote-controlled submarine.”

“It’s scary when you look down because it’s so deep and there’s nothing to see,” says Quin, 7, of the Lime Tipi.

“If you look down at different parts it can be shiny,” adds Talia, 7, also from Lime. “Sometimes the water is cold, sometimes warm. The lake makes me feel like I can do anything because I passed the rafter test and then I passed the platformer test.”

“Every day it seems like people are having a good time,” says Lifeguard Whitney Royall. “You get to cool off, swim around, and most of all you get a break from the rat-race of downtown Camp. It’s very peaceful. Yesterday before the kids arrived I saw a school of fish swimming around.”

“My favorite is sunbathing on the raft and eavesdropping on campers’ conversations,” says Lifeguard Meadow Wilde. “The lake in general is really enjoyable, even more so than last year somehow. I think the water quality is better, more clear. The lake teaches us that you can have fun but you have to be safe about it. I’m sad this is ending, but I’m glad it happened.”

“The lake is the best part of Camp,” says Lifeguard Bodhi Cedar. “Most of Camp is dry and hot, but the lake is not. I became a lifeguard because of my aunt Kitty. She helped me with my swimming training. I just love the lake.”

“Absolute quiet for buddy check!” bellows Waterfront Honcho Kitty Green. “Begin count!”
“One!” yells a pair of swimmers, raising their hands, “Two!” yells another. The count goes on until all twelve buddy pairs have made themselves seen and heard in this manner.

“I wrote an ode to Lake Veronica,” says Kitty. “I was inspired by Pablo Neruda. Do you want to hear it?” she asks. Opening her Notes app, she begins,

“Ah, Lake Veronica
You swim in my soul with your wonderful coolness

In my barren land, you are the final refreshment
As the smoldering summer heat beats down

Ah, you body of water holds me like cool arms of wildflowers and a lap of rose
Yes, you who are silent, save for the smiling laughter of splashing children and human beings

Lake Veronica you are the one still and deep, who captures the spirit of summer“

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Cheer-O-Meter

Thursday, August 1st, 2024

STILT FIELD circa 8:30pm—A veritable mosh pit has erupted in the auspices of Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2011 single “Call Me Maybe” which blasts out of the Big Top PA at a volume likely fatal to anything smaller than a breadbox. Campers and counselors alike dance about in all manner of bizarre costumes in the spinning patterned lights that are at once green, then pink, then blue. The fading sunlight has painted the surrounding woods into a continuous black silhouette that hugs our little electric oasis of revelry. Session D’s Costume Party is in full swing.

Much too chaotic to garner any sensible quotations, I snap a few costume pictures and retreat to my notes. Last night’s evening program was our final Fire Circle of the summer where campers and staff performed for each other poems, songs, prayers and jokes. For the grand finale, a team of professional fire jugglers dazzled the audience with their daring craft, accompanied by a West African drumming ensemble. Earlier this afternoon I spent a few hours at the creek to gather feedback on the event, and on Camp in general.

“The ending was really cool where they were juggling fire,” said Kaliah, 11, of the Rainbow Tipi. “They were juggling torches that looked like marshmallows on the end. I was mildly scared, but it looked like they knew what they were doing.”

“Today in songwriting I was writing a song about California,” continued Kaliah. “Summer movie nights, stars in the sky, things like that. California is very chill—except in terms of forcing kids to learn cursive—but otherwise very chill. That’s probably why Camp is so chill.”

“Fire Circle was fun and scary,” said Aiyana, 9, of the Gold Tipi. “I thought they were gonna catch all the campers on fire! The drums during the juggling had a really cool beat; I felt like was hypnotized. The whole thing was entertaining, and I’m hard to entertain. This one time, at my cousin’s house, they put Mulan on the TV and I didn’t even watch it.”

“‘If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands’ really slapped,” said August, 12, of the Scarlet Tipi. “I was inspired by the fire, especially the fire poi. And the low beat and high beats of the drumming, it was ceremonial.”

“I learned a new clown trick,” said Oscar, 9, of the Yellow Tipi. “You pull a balloon out of your pocket, tie a string around it so it doesn’t deflate, and then you move it around and pretend like it’s lifting you up. It’s good for a laugh, but it’s not just about being silly. Clowning is about showing emotion and being vulnerable. People relate to that. And then you hit them with the silly face and they’ll probably laugh medium to normal hard.”

“I made up this thing called the ‘Cheer-O-Meter’,” continued Oscar. “The more people laugh and cheer, the more excited and stupider I get! Camp is a good place to be stupid.”

“Fire Circle was chill,” said Johnny, 14, of the Red Tipi. “The flowersticks were lit, literally and figuratively. It was cool enough that I almost paid attention to most of it. I really liked Dinklefritz’s song. The solo was sick.”

“The best part of Camp is the free time,” said Haydn, 11, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “Classes are rigid, but free time is so fluid. I love walking around with no plan. Today I got my nails painted completely spontaneously. I do have a plan for the Costume Party, but I’m not telling you.”

“I love Camp a lot,” said Issa, 10, of the Maroon Tipi. “There’s a lot of things you can do here, the classes, the creek, meeting new people. I feel free to be myself. It’s like a home away from home.”

“Fire Circle was amazing and impressive,” said Aria, 10, of the Turquoise Tipi. “It was cool that staff performed too, not just the kids. The fire juggling was my favorite, and I liked that they sang us a lullaby to calm us down afterword. Every day at Camp is the best day. It’s really nice to be in nature and the staff are really nice.”

“I like the creek,” said Sarafina, 7, of the Lime Tipi. “I like how one end is deeper and one end is shallow. And I like creek walks. We saw lots of deers, clay and blackberries. I sculpted the clay into a little doll named Lily. She lives in my tipi now. I ate blackberries, a green one, a red one, and a black one. We saw a whole family of deer, including the baby. I named the baby horse Lilyon.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

BACK TO ARCHIVE

Choosing a Major

Wednesday, July 31st, 2024

TIPI CIRCLE circa 7:00pm—Except for a northern strip of sunlight sneaking in over the Stilt Field, the whole Tipi Circle is shrouded in the soothing shade of early evening. Camp’s downtown is completely still with only a faint clatter from the distant kitchen to disturb the quietude. Soon the area will be teeming with campers, freshly energized from tonight’s burger and pudding dinner, ready to obliterate calmness wherever it can be found with improvised acts of hyper-active hijinks. For now, there exists a few minutes of serenity to review my notes.

Last night’s evening program was Teacher Talent Night, which provides campers with a sampling of the classes we offer at Camp. As today was the first full day of classes, I decided to take a campus tour to hear what campers thought of their teachers’ talent, and how it is affecting their choice of classes.

“Improv was pretty fun; we got to do some acting,” said Henry, 8, of the Yellow Tipi. Clowning was cool too; we learned the mime wall. The clown teachers taught us a lot of miming tricks. In improv we learned about setting the scene, relationships, flaws, et cetera. The clowning act last night was so funny. The improv act was good too—not the funniest—but funny enough. It’s all about making people laugh.”

“I went to unicycle because I want to get better,” said Asa, 8, of the Lime Tipi. “The unicycle act was hilarious. Lucas was the baby and Dinklefritz was David Bowie. They played ‘Dance the Magic Dance’ as the song and they did an eight-person pinwheel. I think a lot of people were inspired by the act to go to unicycle class because the track was very busy today. Honestly, it’s just fun.”

“In capoeira I learned a special type of squat with one hand on the ground and the other on your cheek,” said Ellis, 14, of the Red Tipi. “We combined it with the ginga where you put your foot back and oscillated like that. It was cool; I had never considered the idea of dance fighting. I’ve taken karate before, and that has more swift movements. Capoeira is more fluid, sort of like using dance as a weapon. Yesterday I was wandering around confused, not knowing what to do. That’s when I saw Mniska playing an instrument and a bunch of kids following him. I started following too, thinking we were going to learn the instrument. Once I realized it was a martial arts class I thought it would be rude to leave, but I actually ended up liking it.”

“I took tightrope because I saw it and it looked fun,” said Ada, 11, of the Turquoise Tipi. “They act was really funny. They set a record for ‘World’s Lowest Tightrope’, but it was just a piece of tape stuck to the stage. Today I worked on walking without a spotter and walking backwards. When I’m up on the tightrope I feel like a graceful ballerina.”

“I went to Experimento because I really like theater,” said Sigrid, 10, also from Turquoise. “Tucket taught us about stage presence: ‘You need your mind and your body.’ The act was cool. One person recited a fast monologue while other people were singing and dancing in the background. It was intriguing.”

“I took tightrope because I want to be able to keep my balance and learn how to get back on balance,” said Meilyn, 10, also from Turquoise. “I also took unicycle because I liked their act last night. I liked how they did the choreography. It was joyful. Balance is important in case I’m ever in a spot where I’m falling over I can stop myself from falling and regain balance.”

“In improv we did scenes and stuff,” said Remi, 9, of the Gold Tipi. “We used the three-line technique, then we got our surroundings, and then we made a story out of those, mostly about gnomes. The teachers were really funny and made a bunch of jokes, but they were really nice too. It’s like pumpkin pie: I like pumpkin, and I like pie, and one fits the other.”

“The act last night was awesome,” continued Remi. “It’s one of the reasons I went to class today. Right now I’m painting a scene from our gnome story to make a card to send to my parents.”

“Diablo just seems cool,” said Chris, 10, of the Ultraviolet Tipi. “When Brian did the act last night he was throwing it in the air, between this legs and he even did a 360. I never knew diablo was a thing, but once I saw it, I knew it was for me.”

Stay hydrated,

—J. Payseno, Editor

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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

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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

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