The End of Camp

I apparently cannot maintain both the blog and the summer camp simultaneously. It's like they cancel one another out. When I have a week of summer horse camp, try as I might I cannot bring myself to blog. It's an exhausting, albeit satisfying job and today is our last day of camp for 2011. Whew.

I really didn't think I'd make it through another year, but I have. I've been running the Bucklebury Horse Camp for six years now and it's become both easier and harder with time. We have routines, and groups of counselors/instructors that work very efficiently together. We have returning campers every year that provide a sigh of relief in moments of confusion. We have horses that know their jobs and accept them (almost always) gracefully.


Summer camp always teaches me a bit more about myself each year. This year I've learned that I need to take care of myself just a bit more than I have been by limiting the weeks of camp we run and by delegating. I was severely in danger of burning myself out on camp this year, but the fact that we pared the weeks down to four from six really helped me focus on keeping camp a fun and exciting experience.

There was a point at the end of last summer's seven week run that I was seriously considering closing things down. I was sick of horses and kids and paint and tiedye and everything else that I had to deal with on a daily basis. I wanted a job where I had a boss that told me what to do. I wanted to go into zombie mode and rest my brain and take orders like so many other people in the world do.


My dear husband stopped those thoughts in their tracks, pointing out that I've never been very good at following directions, especially when I think I can do things more efficiently. I suppose he's right. Ah well. Until next year, I suppose. I just hope I can remember how to delegate in 2012.

So my goal for the next few weeks is to get back into the swing of writing here. Hopefully with a little work I can show you all of the changes that have happened around the farm while I've been "checked out" for the summer camp season. :)