The weather gods are teasing us as Takajo woke up to another picture-perfect Maine day. There was a beautiful breeze coming across Long Lake, and the temperatures remained in the low eighties throughout the day. I am sure most of you are glued to the long-range forecast and have noticed that a warm front is slowly making its way to Maine. All reports indicate that we are in for a stretch of hot and humid weather with temperatures reaching the low nineties and dew points making the air feel oppressive. Needless to say, I would trade in any of the magnificent days we have had over the first four weeks to give you the beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying in Maine all summer, but some things are out of my control. Regardless of the heat, you are in store for a special day reconnecting with your sons.
We continue packing in as much as we can, and this day was no exception. We sent two eleven-and-under soccer teams to a round-robin soccer tournament, and our boys who have finished fifth grade and love this sport had a chance to compete against local camps for most of the day. Our twelve- and fifteen-and-under climbing and archery teams took on new heights and represented Takajo in their favorite sport.
We entered our boys in a tennis invitational in the ten-, twelve-, and fourteen-and-under categories, and our boys performed beautifully and made us proud. Our thirteen- and fifteen-and-under basketball teams competed in an all-day basketball tournament. For some, this is the event they look forward to all summer, but a championship was not to be, as both teams lost in the finals. Our boys are old enough to understand that no matter how hard you fight and how hard you try, there are sometimes things that are just out of your control. This was just one of those days.
As if this was not enough for one day of camp, our entire Warrior Indians group (finished fourth grade) boarded busses right after breakfast and made their way to Funtown Splashtown USA for an incredible day at the biggest waterpark in New England.
Our camping and tripping program continues as boys preparing for their Saint Croix River five-day expedition had their water training for this trip, and our boys who have finished fifth grade made their way to New Hampshire for an overnight camping trip at Swan Island, where they enjoyed cooking over an open fire, roasting marshmallows, cooking s’mores, and sleeping under a starlit sky.
Our Subseniors (finished eighth grade) took a shower, freshened up after dinner, and headed to Spare Time, a bowling alley and arcade, to meet up with the ladies from Tripp Lake Camp for a relaxing evening.
The last of our visiting coaches has arrived. “Bear” Davis, a former Takajo counselor who ran an outstanding lacrosse program returned after a twenty-year hiatus. While away from Takajo, Bear has coached on the collegiate and professional levels. Coach Davis will be here all week and will be running practices for boys of all ability levels. We have made announcements and are encouraging anyone who is interested in honing their skills to show up at coach Davis’ clinics.
Our days are packed, but each of these experiences is memorable and brings our boys together. By the time Taps sounded tonight, and it was time to retire for the evening, our boys could take pride in how they made the most of the day.
