National Crayon Day

First of all, how do you pronounce the word 'crayon'? Some say 'cray-on' while others say 'crown'. Which is up and which is down?

So for the child-like spirit in all of us...Happy National Crayon Day!

Flower Power

Lots of rain and sunshine mean the Jameson Camp flowers are growing muy rapido.

Putting the 'Love' in Love Run

Racers were competing in the Philadelphia Love Run Half-Marathon on Sunday and one runner's legs gave out near the finish line. Even though runners passed them and time ticked away, three racers stopped and helped the woman toward the finish line.

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/runners-carry-fatigued-runner-half-marathon-finish-line/story?id=46398936

The selflessness displayed by these people is encouraging...it's always great to see a positive news story!

Daisy Part Deux

We're only speculating but this could be her husband and his brother. Or perhaps a business associate. Nevertheless we're glad we captured these mallards!

Spring Service Trip

Our Youth Leaders are in the Gulf Shores this week for their Spring Service Trip.

Program Director Tim Nowak says the group is excited yet patient and they're off to a great start. Have fun this week!

Her Name is Daisy

Earlier this week a beautiful duck was in our pond and she was talking a lot...

We named her Daisy and whenever her husband shows up, he will be called Duke. Hopefully the happy couple will make an appearance soon so we can provide an update on their marital relations.

Vania Abella Shields

Jameson Camp would like to offer a heartfelt thank-you to the family of Vania Abella Shields who recently donated $449.22 in her memory. Jameson Camp's Health Supervisor (circa 2003), Vania graduated #1 in her class of paramedics and because she was known for her outstanding care of patients, the Fire Department created an award they give in her honor.

She was a very sweet person who loved people and was always volunteering to help others. Sadly, a tragic accident took her life in 2008 but Vania's spirit of giving continues to live on and we are very grateful for her family's generosity.

Possibly the Best Day of the Year

Today, Wednesday, March 22nd is National Goof Off Day!

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Some people celebrate this day year-round and their efforts are greatly appreciated. Hopefully with enough awareness we can eventually get a National Goof Off Month and if that works give us the whole year!

Here's to you, goof-offers!

Spring Fling Pics

The weather wasn't exactly tropical but the kids still had a good time at camp on Saturday.

2 Milestones

Spring has sprung! Today is the first day of Spring, aka the Vernon Equinox. I actually knew a man named Vernon Equinox.

Also, it's tough to believe but Summer Camp is only 10 weeks away!

Wow!

New Employees

2 of them!

Julie Pendola-Baidinger started at the beginning of the year and she is Jameson Camp's newest Outdoor Education Director.

Julie is soft-spoken and she is very nice. She loves nature and seems to be a perfect fit for Jameson Camp!

Brianne Sandlin is the Spring Program Intern.

Brianne (on the left) is also very nice and she's been involved with Jameson Camp before as a summer counselor. 

Welcome both of you!

Animal Friends

A few of our friends from the animal kingdom visited us yesterday.

In the morning it was a beautiful coyote:

Later in the day it was a nervous turkey:

I offered both animals a chance to fill-in for Ve-Lyssa and Delia this week but they declined my offer.

National Pi Day

3.14! Those are the first three digits of the mathematical constant, pi.

Chances are good that a lot of pi will be consumed today...particularly in Northeast homes where people are snowed in from Stella.

Spring Break Sadness

Back in November, my fellow VISTA Caitlin left for Kentucky. I was quite a sad sack for a while. Many days (and nights) were spent whimpering like a homeless kitten. My office, like my soul, was empty.

I vowed to never return to that dark place. Unfortunately I forgot about Spring Break. My college roommates have the week off; Ve-Lyssa is living it up in Louisiana and Delia is doing her thing in Indiana. That leaves me all alone...once again.

It's only one week and I think I'll be alright. I still have Carlin, whose batteries are dead.

*Think happy thoughts*
*Don't think about the fact that they're graduating in May and I'll be alone again*
*Happy*
*Alone*

Oh no! What's happening?!? 

Learning to Fly

We love children for their enthusiasm and their ability to dream larger than life. Let a child spread their wings and you’ll witness one of life’s greatest treasures. It goes without saying that every child deserves the opportunity to soar. Unfortunately, some children like James haven’t been able to express themselves. Through no fault of his own James has been grounded, so to speak, for the majority of his life. Now, thanks to the encouraging environment of Jameson Camp, he’s finally learning how to use his wings and discovering what it means to fly.

To say that James grew up in a difficult environment would be an understatement. His parents were alcoholics and drug-users and they would often leave James and his younger sister Teanna home alone. When their parents split up, their mom continued to use drugs with her new boyfriends. Their dad moved away and his whereabouts are currently unknown. Fortunately for James and Teanna, their rocky home life stabilized on March 2^nd, 2008 when Paula began to foster them. Paula took them in and immediately saw the effects of past parental neglect. “They both had diagnoses of ADD,” she said. “James struggled with anxiety and Teanna battled depression. There were also some attachment disorders. They came from an environment where they were neglected mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.”  After 2 years, James and Teanna said they wanted to stay with Paula long-term so shortly thereafter, she officially adopted them.

Along with a safe home, Paula also looked for a safe outdoor environment where her children could learn and grow. At Jameson Camp, Paula and James met Deborah Pickett and her husband who were (and still are) camp donors. Mrs. Pickett was a previous camper’s mentor and she could clearly see the benefits of camp for James and Paula. “Jameson Camp gave Paula some time to herself while her son was in a safe and fun environment making friends and learning from great experiences that encourage team work, self-sufficiency and self-confidence,” she said.  “It’s been a win-win situation for mother and son!”

After attending summer camp for three years, James’ positive attitude caught the eye of Program Director Tim Nowak. “He was a great friend to all of his peers,” Tim said. “He looked out for others and helped when they were struggling and needed a good friend.” Currently James is in A.C.E. II of the Youth Leadership program. The two-level A.C.E. program offers campers the opportunity to serve on a team, strengthen decision-making skills and begin to explore what it means to be a leader through experiential learning. The teens participate in high adventure camping and wilderness opportunities such as canoeing, in-state camping, or backpacking trips. More info can be found here. For James, the opportunities of Youth Leadership have been like water helping his wings grow. “James is organized, prepared, and detail-oriented,” Tim said. “He is open-minded and understanding, constantly searching for ways to improve what he is doing.  We look forward to him continuing to move through Youth Leadership, high school, and towards a very bright future.”

Emotionally and socially, James has grown leaps and bounds since Paula took him in over nine years ago. “I’ve seen a lot of good changes,” she said. “Going to Jameson really helped because he’s been around all the positive people at camp as opposed to all the negative that he came out of.” The skills that James has gained from camp have translated well to his home life. One of his favorite activities at camp is culinary arts, through which he gained cooking skills he currently uses to prepare meals for the homeless every month. “He’s learned how to make better decisions for himself by watching the positive experiences of others,” Paula said. “That’s a big thing for kids at camps.”

Jameson Camp’s tagline is Get Outside. Grow Inside. James’ time at camp has been a picture perfect example of this. He’s gone from a shy follower to an outgoing leader. “Before I went to Jameson I was very quiet,” he said. “Now I’m more talkative. I can give other people advice because they gave me advice.” Camp has given James his wings and there is no limit to how high he can fly. For supporters of camp, James brings it all together with a heartfelt thank-you. “Jameson has helped me open up to people,” he said. “Thank you for helping me grow inside and out.”

Happy Birthday, Delia!

Our beloved Delly Belly turns 22 today!

For lunch we are going to Yats - Cajun Creole Restaurant.

Then for dinner she is meeting friends at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Her little Delly Belly will be full tonight!

Feliz Cumpleanos!

AmeriCorps Week

It is officially AmeriCorps Week 2017! To honor the members of the program that might soon disappear, the Corporation for National and Community Service has designated this week as AmeriCorps week.

You may or may not know an AmeriCorps member...

...but nonetheless it's a great program that provides invaluable services across the country. Here are a few of the AmeriCorps teams that have served at Jameson Camp...

Thank you for the good work you do and for looking good while you do it!

Fair to Felines

After yesterday's story was about a cat that died, it's only fair that today's story is about a cat that survived.

Cat Clings Under Semi

What the Gobble is Going On?

There are many theories about the actions of these turkeys. What's yours?

Turkeys Circling Cat

Flinging Spring

We have begun promoting Jameson Camp's annual Spring Fling, an 'open-house' at camp where campers and families register for summer camp and enjoy food and games. This year the event is on Saturday, March 18th from 1-4pm.

Let's hope for good weather and some good times!

London Flight Delayed by Mouse

A British Airways flight from London to San Francisco was delayed for 4 hours because this guy was spotted on the plane...

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Since Stuart didn't have his passport, the flight couldn't take off. I'm guessing there will be a sequel soon...

Ash Wednesday

For those of you celebrating Ash Wednesday today, good luck with giving something up!

Number one on the list of what people are giving up is social networking. This came from a survey on Twitter so I think a few people are confused about what it means to 'give something up.'