Problems and Solutions

We only have around 140 kids at camp this week, which is down around 50 from last week. Every week, there seems to be a theme. It may be a little premature, since it's only Tuesday afternoon, but the two themes of the week so far seem to be "kids needing their inhalers in the middle of the night" and "technology not working properly".

I must have been visited four or five times by kids who needed their inhalers. There was one nosebleed too, just for variety.

At 2:30 AM, the power went out. I was walking through the middle of camp while listening to Current 93's "Thunder Perfect Mind" on my discman (sometimes I even walk around with an actual walkman, although occasionally with an iPod when I'm feeling modern) under an impressively large moondog, when all went black. I could hear the generator trying to turn over, but it gave one desultory chug and died. Our new security guard, Frank, came out with his flashlight, and we investigated. Fortunately, it was a quick fix, requiring only the flipping of a switch.

Then, this morning, my car wouldn't start. I eventually got it started (moments after I'd texted Jeanine to let her know it wouldn't start, of course) and got home. Then, it was dead in the driveway. Long story short, it turns out that the battery in the "intelligent key" needed replacing. Maybe I should have been paying attention to the flashing indicator on the dashboard. The first time this happened, at Lava Beds last month, I thought it was a fluke. The second time it happened, I shrugged it off. This time, out of necessity, I finally took action. I don't have a physical owner's manual for my car, so it's not there in the glove compartment (which has never actually held gloves - instead being a catch-all for the usual sorts of detritus like pens that don't work, odds and ends I've picked up off the floor and seats, and the like) for quick reference. I quick check online revealed that the flashing indicator meant that the battery in the key was low. A quick walk to Radio Shack remedied the problem.

Lesson: fix things before they become bigger problems.

My friend Scooby was on hand for the second and third events. I've been giving him rides home in the mornings. He's no longer officially an employee, but he comes in to tell stories like always, and then heads home to his new life as a stay-at-home dad. In the back seat, strapped into her carseat, his daughter sang quietly to herself while the adults tried to get the car going. Eventually, alternate transportation was arranged.

My friend Tiger Lily has been drawing cartoon versions of the staff lately. Here's the one that includes me.

Here's a frog, lurking in the shadows near the kitchen. Right before this, I saw a cat, barely out of kittenhood, chewing on something nearby. It ran off almost immediately. It's somewhat unusual to see cats out in the woods. there are so many larger predators willing and able to snack on them.