This post was originally shared on Guider Kirsten’s blog Kirsten’s Life. Thank you Guider Kirsten for sharing it with us!
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Camping Lady Baden-Powell Style
The other weekend four of my third year Guides and us leaders went camping. We only took the third years that were able to join us as we wanted to complete their Advanced Camper badge and it’s a good way to celebrate the completion of the Guiding program. The girls were thrilled!
Josie, Georgia, Emily and Abigail in front of the Park sign.
We took them to Blomiden Provincial Park out by Canning (for those of you not from Nova Scotia, that’s out by what is known as “the valley” and right on the Bay of Fundy). The really nice thing about this camp for the leaders is that we don’t have to do much. The girls bring the food, they set up their tent, they planned the menu and the activities. We just did the paperwork, showed up, and carted them around some. What a break!
Sarah, Abigail, Georgia, Emily, Crystal and Josie beside the “waterfall”
Crystal and I were almost the first to arrive, Emily arrived at the same time as us. We put her straight to work helping us set up OUR tent and the dinning shelter. Once the remaining three girls arrived (Abigail, Georgia and Josie) we sent the girls off to build their tent. They did it all alone, albeit with a little guidance from us adults. We broke usual form for a camp and had a campfire on Friday night, so by the time Sarah made it out to our site all of us were sitting around the fire telling stories. What a treat!
Georgia and Abigail enjoying breakfast
(we made the five berry syrup over the fire with blackberries, raspberries, and bunch berries I foraged, and the blueberries and strawberries from the Market)
Saturday the girls had to feed themselves pancakes (with a little bit of help from the leaders again), and then we gathered up our stuff and piled into Sarah’s and my cars and headed into Wolfville to visit the Farmer’s Market. As it’s a small market in which getting lost is pretty much impossible, we let the girls head off with some money and as long as they stayed in pairs they didn’t need an adult. Let me tell you, they thought this was great! We also told them they could buy what THEY wanted. I saw at least two girls with gelato and another with a cupcake. Thankfully our girls are very thoughtful and each pair bought a treat for the group – one a carton of strawberries, the other a bunch of blueberries. Yum.
Josie, Emily and Georgia cooking breakfast
After our market trip we took them Peach picking. There were lots of peaches to pick, and the girls enjoyed seeing the laying hens (me, not so much!). They picked until our two reusable bags were full and nearly impossible to carry! Lots of peaches Then it was back to the site for lunch and a little rest.
Emily, Abigail, Josie and Georgia showing off the peaches we picked
Our afternoon adventure involved a hike to a waterfall, which was sadly more or less dried up, and a visit to the beach. Needless to say the girls were quite upset that there was no swimming to be had. We had no life guard, no pfd’s and no approval for it. They did enjoy dipping their toes and then playing in the rocks. After we let them become even more tired out, we headed back to camp for quiet time and to say good bye to Sarah – she needed to get back home to her little boy.
Abigail, Georgia and Emily playing on the beach
Supper turned into and eventful affair. As the girls were cooking it began to thunder and I decided it would be a good idea to tarp the tents and dinning shelter just in case. So the girls cooked and ate, and I covered all of our shelters. I continue to maintain that if I had not done so it would have poured all night long. However as I had tarped everything, there was no rain. Sigh.
The campsite, with tarps (the main tent is the girls tent, the leader tent is nicely hidden behind the tree)
We finished our night off we TWO more campfires. Yes, you did read that right, two. Crystal took the girls to a campfire put on by the park while I stayed behind and tended the one we had burning (smores were done right after supper in case we did get a rain storm). The true excitement at this campfire was just before while they were playing at the playground. Georgia, who is a little like me in the accident prone tendencies, slide backwards down a slide and scraped her knee. The next thing I knew I had the slew of them come trooping back with a bloody Georgia in tow. I sent Crystal and the other three girls back and fixed Georgia up. Of course I’m a kind leader, so I sent Georgia back out to play, after getting her to put pants on to prevent her other knee from suffering a similar injury.
Emily enjoying a fire roasted marshmallow
Sunday morning came before we knew it and the girls packed up their stuff, made their breakfast and proceeded to tear down their tent with minimal assistance. The worst part of the whole weekend was what camp next though. Sending them home knowing that I was not going to be seeing them much anymore. I know I may see some of them at future events but I was very sad to say good bye.
My girls and myself (back – Abigail, me and Josie. Front – Emily and Georgia)