Rainy Hellos!!

Wednesday Morning August 6th, 2008

Dearest Pony Farm Families, One and All,

I send all my best greetings to you from here at Pony Farm. I am smiling as I think of your kiddos still snuggled up warm and day in their bunkbeds. It is seriously raining this morning, ruining our chances for our All Day Ride. It sure makes me glad that I do not run a tent camp….arghhh!
But….back to the beginning. First, let me apologize for not writing sooner. With the Opening and Closing Day all in 12 hours of each other, Sunday gets hectic. I also knew you would want me to be with your kids rather than writing you! Also, I hope you read the letter that detailed what we did on Sunday night.
This group has the most new kids of any session of the summer. As you all know, our procedure is that once a kiddo comes to Pony Farm, she and her family can select which session she most wants to attend. It seems like the most popular times to come to camp is in the middle of the summer. The first session is too close to school and/or many kids have not yet gotten out of school by June 15th. This last session is often when families take vacation together, thus making it hard to have camp happen in the middle of that….thus, other sessions were practically filled with returning campers…and this session has way more new campers. Both things are good as it is better if you are new to be with other newbies. If you are the only new kid on the block, I think it is harder to get into the swing of things and we fly through the orientation because everyone knows the ropes…..
So, with this all in mind, we have spent extra time letting everyone really get to know each other and the ways of camp. On Sunday night, we each took a room of girls and played the M&M Game. With questions like “What is your favorite present ever?”, “What was your best vacation?” and “What was your most embarrassing moment?”, we passed the M&Ms around and munched as we answered the questions according to color of M&M….Following this, each room took turns introducing their roommates and staff member. We learned some fun things about each other and the friendships took root. After this, we all came up with a list of ALL the things they want to do this week and next. In order to do all the things, we would have to be here at least another month! Their list does show great energy and enthusiasm for the farm and the ponies!
With a bit more intros about bedtime and what to do if you need help in the night, we all gathered around the birch log with a candle for each room. The candles were lighted and our evening ceremony began. The Counselors in Training each spoke about why they come back to camp year after year. It always makes my heart glad to hear their words. It also moves me that they are returning for their 5th, 6th or 7th year. With all the great adventures to be had in this world, I am honored that they chose to come back to Pony Farm time and time again.
We then all hold hands to do Good Night Circle. This is a time when the girls are encouraged to voice their gratitude about their day or their time. Kids and staff alike thank each other for nice things that happened, or for their families (yes, they do love YOU!!!), their pets, their horse or their life in general. I am always happy to hear that they really are appreciative and realize how lucky we all are in a world which has such strife and struggle. I was once told that I got to live in a world which is how life should be and my friend had to live in the world as it is! I would pick this any day and any way…and have for the last 37 years! I do feel extraordinarily lucky. It is equally pleasant to hear that the girls feel lucky and grateful for their lives. Good Night Circle ended with teaching the girls one or two favorite camp songs and then they tip toed off to get ready for bed.
The staff and I wait until they are changed and in bed before we go around to ‘tuck them in’. Of course, the older girls don’t need this as much. They love to sit on their beds and speak of the bigger world….I focus on the little ones, many of whom this is their first night away from Mom and Dad….I admire their stuffed animals, their horsey quilts, their sweet blankets….They each get a hug and a kiss…and off they go to slumber land. On this night, we had only one kiddo who was homesick….The rest were troopers and everyone got a good night sleep…which hugely helps in the homesick department!
Monday dawned mostly sunny….It has honestly rained so much that any little rays of sun feels like a brilliantly sunny day. All of the girls hopped out of bed to begin their first real day of camp. All throughout the day, we do lots of orienting about how to feed, how to safely catch the horses in the fields, how to tack up and groom, and where to go for their lessons. The kids who already know this help with the intros…and are good sports hearing all of this again when they know the info like the back of their hand!
With the groups divided up into 5 larger groups, soon to be further divided into 8 riding groups, off everyone trooped after breakfast to get ready to ride. Three of us went around to each ring to help the riding instructors sort out who would be best matched with whom. It is like the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter. The kids are strongly urged to tell us what they think…The horses also help tell us who is right for them and who needs to find a new partner…By the end of the morning, we have made several switches of mounts for the girls. Everyone happily dismounted and went to feed their horses and themselves.
During lunch time, the staff and Jessy, our Head of Riding, along with Lorna, our General Manager, and myself, all sit down and pour over the lists and notes. We break all 48 girls into 8 riding groups according to experience. We have some super riders who have ridden all their lives with us this session. We also have kids that have only ridden a little…all of which is great. The kids in Group 1, our least experienced riders, are all able to Walk and Trot independently. The kids in Group 8 are more than ready to rumble and roll over big courses….so, it gives great variety for the staff and the right challenge for the kids.
After lunch and Rest Hour, we gathered the kids back together and announced the horse matches and riding groups. We again stressed how important it was for the kids to tell us if the horse was not right or the group too hard or too easy. We tell them that “we don’t want to bore them, scare them or work them to death”! I feel confident that most of the kids are able to express what they need and help us help them get the right horse and group. So, off we all went to try out the groups and matches.
By the end of this second ride, this time in the right group, we still made a few switches to make it all just right. Now, the kiddos could learn how to do the main barn chores and start taking care of ‘their’ horse. After good intros about turn out and how to do barn chores, and a good solid snack in their tummies, off they trooped to neaten up the barns.
Meanwhile, Kris and I, and the Key Staff, were busily organizing the final paperwork for the American Camping Accreditation visit which was to begin at 7:30 the next morning. We got each blade of grass clipped, each scrap of paper picked up, and each I dotted and T crossed. Kris had very much taken the lead in getting the reams of paperwork completed. The process has over 200 standards in areas such as Health Care, Food Management, Program, Employee Practices, Child Safety and Development, to name a few. Each standard has several parts so it is no mean feat to prepare. We have been gathering everything from the insurance policies summaries to the legal paperwork to the Pediatricians’ report, to the inspection from the plumber, electrician, fire chief and ambulance and police chiefs with their criminal background checks on every employee…..Every one of these standards or sub sections are geared to creating a safe, educational, creative, healthy and fun experience for YOUR child.
We take our ACA accreditation extremely seriously. It is our ‘report card’ if you will. This whole process is like a really good consult to make sure every single risk management piece is in place so that the kids are free to have ‘safe fun’. This happens every three years. This visit marks our 10th time of being accredited.
I am most pleased and proud to tell you that we received a 100% accreditation score. The ACA Visitors were most impressed by how articulate and capable your children are. They remarked several times that they were so poised and so fit, slender and beautiful. They were truly happy to see children that were bucking the national norms for obesity. They arrived before breakfast and left mid afternoon yesterday. I think they share our love for Pony Farm and our pride in running a good, tight ship!
With ACA done and done with a flair, Kris and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. We feel like we can truly enjoy the campers and staff for the rest of the summer! And…enjoy them we will.
During the paperwork review portion of the visit, the campers and staff all got their Camp Portraits done by Donnie, who doubles as our Camp Nurse. They also cleaned their tack and groomed their ponies, building that terrific bond that is so common for girls “between toys and boys”!
Camp snack time, barn chores, showers and dinner then took place. All of this built to the fun Fashion Show….a camp favorite. As the clouds built for the all day rain of today, no damp spirits were found in the lodge as the kids geared up for their trip down the Run Way.
The Fashion Show is one of the camp favorite evening activities….Each room is assigned a theme to dress to….the littler ones have to dress like Disney Princesses, the middle ones like types of animals or farmers or Computer Nerds, and the older ones get to dress like boys or the staff….They sure do have imaginations, you children!!!!
Each room picks a piece of music that is played while they walk the run way….meaning from the kitchen to the middle of the room…with everyone cheering and clapping. It always delights my soul that the kids can have such fun without one moment of TV, DVDs, computers or Face Book….Hooray for simple fun on the farm!
Following an excellent Fashion Show filled with great creativity, we then passed out the song books of all the favorite PF songs. We sang several of the long time favorites with the lights dimmed and the candles burning brightly. We had such fun and sang so much that I forgot to do Good Night Circle….might be because I was tired!
Again, after the singing, the girls all tip toed off to bed to get some good rest….and be ready for today….
And ….today is just plain gross out. It is cold and rainy….I am bending my brain as to what to do…With several kids only staying one week, I hate to miss riding. I was all geared up with my cowboy boots, western saddle and saddle bags to lead the All Day Picnic Lunch ride. All the kids had wanted to come and we had chosen the ones that were only staying for this week, promising the rest that I would take them again next week….However, with the rain pelting down, I surely can’t take them at all today.
My plan is to divide the girls into groups of two riding groups and rotate through the indoor arena…playing gymkhana games which are appropriate to their riding levels. While they are not riding, my idea is to make horse treats at my house while we do an arts and crafts project for part of the time. Another activity is to have a Poster Contest with prizes….the theme being Partnering with your Horse or Equine Safety….The final fourth of the time would be spent in the downstairs barn with the Farm Animals….grooming, leading, doing an Obstacle course all under cover….
So…with these plans in mind, I am about to troop up to the lodge to see what the staff thinks….Mostly, though I will promise you that we will work our level best to give your kiddos a great day despite the lack of cooperation from the weather. I am soooo sad not to do the All Day Ride as it is one of my favs of camp. I love packing up the lunch in saddle bags, riding western, tying the horses to a tree and eatting in a big meadow, looking down at three states….It is what kids should be doing on a summer’s day!
I hope you have enjoyed this rendition of our activities. I love writing this and savoring each moment. I hope it helps give you a birds’ eye view of what we do here at Pony Farm. We sure love your kids and enjoy doing camp….I guess that is why I am still doing this 37 years later!!!
I would like to update you about this weekend before I sign off…We will have a nice Lesson Demo for the parents who are coming to pick up their children on Saturday. You will be able to see your child in her class with her instructor. The only worry I have is that we might not be able to use the three Outside Courses due to such rain….I hate having to double up the groups in the rings…but with 8 groups and only 5 rings without the use of the 3 Outside Courses, I fear it might be so….We pride ourselves on small group lessons….so please know that this is not usual….
If you can arrive by 9:30, you can see the Community Meeting planning for the lessons. Then the kids will tack up while you load up your child’s stuff. Following the lesson, we will have lunch all together. We will provide drinks and desserts for everyone. Please do bring a picnic for yourselves and your camper. Following this picnic, we will all say goodbye and pass out address sheets so that the kids can all stay in touch.
For those of you who have children who are staying for the last week, feel free to come visit. You could see her ride, have lunch with us and then maybe take her out for ice cream. However, IF YOU CAN NOT COME, PLEASE KNOW THAT IT IS FINE….We will surely keep her happy and busy….We will have an afternoon swim with the life guard (it can’t help but stop raining by then!!!), play with the farm animals and generally have a great afternoon on the farm….We would love to invite you to be a part of life on the farm here!!!
So….I hope this helps you to know all that we are doing. We miss you but love your kids….Stay well and see you soon. Could you please turn off the rain button!!!
Most fondly,

Boo