don't worry... i'm still alive... i am just at the mall and not at camp- i would be at camp, but it is flooded (don't worry about camp either)... we'll be alright in 38 days... that's right... 38 days till the vacation of my dreams...
ps- amy wood is sitting next to me right now :)

You call that a black eye?

I cannot even believe that you would post a picture of you putting on makeup (almost spelled it maykup...oye vey). I can easily tell that it is just some eye shadow. You can't fool me.

At least I will give you props for trying to make it look like you had a good battle wound. No worries.

Can you believe it less then 10 weeks left???

CARA I MISS YOU!!!!!

well, i wish i had a better showing of my surfing wound... but obviously my eye had reached the green phase at this time. but now we are all hooked!! the magruder staff took the opportunity on one of these amazingly beautiful sunny days, to rent surfboards and cut out of camp (don't worry, we didn't have any guests at the time)- and cruise up 101 to short sands!! it was so great. we are all hooked... so all i say is when you don't know where the magruder staff are hiding out... try oswald west state park ... that's where we'll be! http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_195.php

sometimes, when i wonder if i made the right

decision to leave my life in the city and move

to the beach... something like this happens

and i am overwhelmed with happiness...

"sweet dreams"

here is what i would like to call "anami at camp- the fungi editon"

all of the mushrooms seemed to pop up overnight... everywhere you turn there they are. there are some super awesome looking ones,

and then there are the deadly kind... i was sure to find out what those looked like right away... so here are some examples- red with white dots that look like someone sprinkled oatmeal all over the tops.

these two mushrooms look like they are in love..... they are also HUGE! so if i was really cool, i would be listing the official names from a mushroom id book...

some of my friends post interesting pictures of museums, or events that happen overseas.... me? i'm posting pictures of fungi. but that is the exciting part about living at camp... the simple life- oh yeah, and did i mention that i get to live at the beach!!!

another beautiful day...

well, it is another heat wave at camp
today... it feels like 80F, so that means
it is probably 65F. i'm off to work in the garden (it really needs it)... but who can work with these little rascals running about!



does anyone have a great recipe for green tomatoes?
(i tried frying them, but they just rolled around in the pan!)

it's here!!

yes, it is true... after all the advice, and stress, and deadlines... i stormed into the courthouse in Tillamook to process my application for a new passport. the word on the street was that it takes 12 weeks to get it done... and because i leave in exactly 11 1/2 weeks... well... it a lie!!! 2 1/2 weeks after processing i have a shiny new passport waiting for the first stamp of my travels. yee- haw!!!!

the sunset over marvel field. the weekend weather calls for sun. this is especially good because we have 175 people coming to camp for retreats this weekend. maybe they will actually get to go boating- right?

i wake up. i watch the sunrise over the mountain. i actually don't mind getting up early when it is this beautiful. i head out to my office- do some paperwork, write some emails, answer phone calls... and then there is a knock at my door... who could it be?

yea!! its cara!!! she is back to visit- she is pretending to be a lifeguard (actually she left home without a sweatshirt... she must have been really excited to get here- who wouldn't be?)

so we are off to run boating and donkey rides, just like the good old days. this makes me really happy because it is really difficult to be in two places at the same time!

i actually have to dig out the sunblock for my time lifeguarding- but the water was still really cold... i did entertain jumping into the lake after boating time was over...

of course we can't pass up the opportunity to go for a run-walk... so after dinner KP we take off. the sunset is amazing... but then we realized that because it is summer no

longer- we are going to be walking in the dark at 7:30pm... but the stars are out- so who cares (also i am sporting the mini headlamp- spectacular!)



what a perfect day! the sunset was incredible- right at the south beach access trail... and as we walk to Rockaway... the view out to Twin Rocks was equally amazing. My friends ask if i miss living in the city... and it is moments like this when i think to myself... how could i ever live anywhere else but here!!



6 miles, and a bag of chips later... cara and i return to camp exhausted and barely able to stand. so, it is off to Walworth for a movie fest- "bill and ted's excellent adventure"... no tuna melts this time... just popcorn (thank goodness)... and sleep... lots and lots of sleep...

"Warm summer sun, shine kindly here.

Warm southern wind, blow softly here.

Green sod above, lie light, lie light.

Good Night, dear heart, Good Night, Good Night.

-Mark Twain

there's no turning back!!

there is nothing more glorious than tapping all your savings for a well deserved vacation... and to all of you who wondered... "is she really going to do it?" yes, i included a picture of my confirmation!! most of all, thanks to my amazing friend justin for letting me stay with him...

"Promise me you will always remember:

you are braver than you believe

you are stronger than you seem

and smarter than you think."

(christopher robin to pooh)

I am filled with you.

skin, blood, bone, brain, and soul.

there's no room for lack of trust or trust.

nothing in this existence but that existence.

-rumi

my favorite campers...

i can't believe that i missed posting such a crucial part of camp!!!!

what would camp magruder be without the donkeys...

of course they are very wet, muddy, donkeys right now-

but aren't we all?

stars all around!!!

so, all i can say is this... there was cause for celebration!! thank you sb for letting me stay with you and thank you roomie for hanging out and getting nothing done...

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty,

but the sight of the stars makes me dream."

-Vincent van Gogh

a tasty treat...

this one is for all the fans... by request only... the famous tuna melts have made their way onto my blog... don't worry- we only eat these on "no food service" days.

yum, yum!

hey cara... don't worry, i put extra horseradish on them,

just for you!!

bye,bye cara...

well, i am sad to say- cara is leaving today... i will try to capture as many photos of her that i can. she has been a wonderful roommate- even though there is a sophomore between us. it must be the "aries"!!! TUNA MELTS FOREVER

good luck in college cara!

SB is here- but as we all know, she spends most of her time working-

this one is called...

"friend with computer..."

the time has come...

well folks... here we are- the rain has come, summer is over, cara is leaving to go to college and get smart... and i will be here at camp- alone- with no one but the donkeys to talk to. so be prepared this next week to see the final days of anami and cara... starting with this gem i call...

"run/ walk in the rain"

camp work...

so, yes it is true... i actually do work here at camp- and not just lifeguarding! this week i was visited by a couple friends and we went on an adventure that i like to call "crap be gone"...

basically we went through camp looking for things that needed to be recycled or donated- pretty sweet!.. so we cruzed hwy 101 and dropped stuff off along the way. thrift stores, recycle centers, grade schools...

...and ended up at SEASIDE!! amazing how that happens... so,

after a few ice cream cones, some unnecessary beach trinkets, and a walk through the scariest candy store of all time... our mission was complete!! thanks amy, cara, and morgan! come back to visit anytime!

switch-a-roo

well, that didn't last long... the warm weather is gone- and as i look out on the lake, i remember how it feels to jump in at 6:30am for polar bear... hmmm, but as for me i stand on the dock with a hot cup of coffee... and really? who am i kidding... in i go! would you expect any less?

oh yeah... here is my foot. i had an unfortunate incident with a marble- the marble won. So that means that i get catch up on emails and office work- boo no!!

could it get hotter?

hi friends... it is still really hot for the oregon coast... women are wearing bikinis on the beach, babies are running around naked... city dudes are trying to boogie board in the crazy oregon waves... cara and i are walking on the beach laughing at the whole thing while wondering if somehow we were transported to some bazaaro world "CAMP HOT"
so, now i'm off to tillamook to get a passport that will hopefully get here in time for me to leave to visit justin down under! i can't wait!
PEACE!

hellllooooo!

This is a great! Now I get to be at camp even though I am half way around the world...thank you so much.

I will write more later, and share some great pictures!

love, justin

hot, hot, hot!!!

so it is supposed to be 90 degrees on the oregon coast today- please disregard all entries that state that summer is almost over!!! Spent some time today taking 6th graders wave jumping- AMAZING!! Then remembered my poor garden- yikes! So, i go to water it before the heat wave sinks in... and what do i see? that is correct- the cherry tomatoes made it through!!! so here they are... the tomatoes that could :)

rocker chic!

so, i have just returned from 7 hours on the dock...

and to my surprise...

i find a super cool girl with a pink guitar!!

what more could i ask for-

CARA YOU ROCK!!

Lifeguards are AMAZING!!!

Today is one of those BEAUTIFUL end of summer days... the sun is shining, not too hot, not too cold... perfect... which is a good thing because as i look at my schedule for the day it appears that i will be guarding for boating from 12noon to 7p straight... this causes me concern for a couple of reasons... but never fear- the incredible Cara has promised to check in with me and bring me water and snacks from her snack drawer throughout the day. THANK YOU CARA!!! And yes, SB i will remember to wear sunscreen- yikes!

oh my it seems that the summer staff have lost their paddle... wait... they lost their sail- something "fishy" is going on... leave it to the summer staff to play such a prank... but oh no, i wont go rescue them... i'll just stay on the dock and take photos. I miss them already! love you guys!!!

hello my friends

As the last of the summer staff prepare to leave... i realize that i will have to amuse myself for the next 3 1/2 months before i jet away to australia to visit my friend justin. So, this evening i set off to guard for some boating adventures, will feed some donkeys, and will get to see an amazing sunset... hmmmm amusing myself wont be so difficult. PEACE!

camp adventures

here are some of the fun things we like to do when we aren't working... (no summer staff were injured during the creation of these photos)

working hard and playing hard... that is thier motto!!

but when it comes down to it...

it's all about the campers!!

summer 2007

my life at camp begins... farewell to the city life, goodbye lowrise jeans and polar fleece hoodies, see you late crowded shopping mall at Christmas... the summer is almost over and suddenly I remember that it gets cold at the Oregon Coast in the winter. But I don't care because I get to live at camp!! More to come... stay tuned.