Oh what a beautiful morning!!! – Session 1

I’m coming to you from the porch on a cool but perfect summer night in the Northwoods. The loons are singing, reminding everyone who truly rules the lake, while a sliver of moon barely illuminates their silhouettes as they proudly patrol their domain.

Oh what a beautiful morning!

The day started out a little chilly, but once the sun came up, the temperature rose quickly as did everyone’s spirits. I was walking back to the house from Aruchat Boker (breakfast) because I had to trade a sweatshirt and pants for some shorts and my favorite Herzl Home long sleeve hooded T-shirt (available wherever you buy your Herzl gear) as the day warmed up rapidly…maybe that’s more information than you needed. But the sun was glistening off the lake, there was a gentle breeze, and it felt like one of those classic Northwoods summer mornings that you wish you could bottle up and save for January.

The kids were busy in Tochnit Boker (morning program), doing all kinds of activities, talent shows, Israeli dance instruction (a Saturday night favorite here at Machaneh Herzl), and a Herzl scavenger hunt that had campers zigzagging across camp with purpose and enthusiasm.

Random observation, but I spotted two of the rare red-headed woodpeckers that call camp home…an identification made possible, of course, by my extensive ornithology background. Or perhaps by googling them the first time I saw them last year. Either way, I was pretty excited.

I eventually made my way down to the lake where the waterfront team was preparing for what looked to be a spectacular day. As staff got everything ready to go, our resident bald eagles, who we believe have been living around camp for several years now, were out fishing, likely fishing for breakfast for their young before beginning their own day. The majesty of the Northwoods and everything that comes with it is something we never take for granted. Our campers get to experience it firsthand, whether it’s on the waterfront, walking the poad, or heading out on overnights with our Teva staff, who are incredibly skilled at helping kids connect with the outdoors and appreciate the natural world around them.

There’s so much I could talk about tonight.

The biggest story of the day, and one I’ll dive into much more tomorrow, is that Bikkurim (Color Wars) officially began tonight. The energy level around camp shifted instantly. More on that tomorrow, because it deserves its own Ted Talk.

For now, thank you for sending your kid to Herzl Camp.

All is well, safely rest

‏.                                                           לילה טוב

Tommy