Happy 4th! Now Where Have You (...okay, I) Been?

5 weeks is a long time and it has been that long since I last checked in from the front lines of Pok-O. Those 5 weeks have been chock full. Nine schools came to Pok-O for day and multi-day trips in the short 15 days of June that we are open for groups. These are the clients who have been coming to Pok-O for years and always keep theses prime, early summer dates. In June you can hear the plants growing here. The nights are cool and the days are breezy and warm. It is the best time of the year and, fortunately, I am able to spend most of it outside teaching, in my natural environment, pun intended. But seriously, the days of June are not only full. Each day we are hosting nearly our maximum number of students, thankfully pulling me from behind the desk and out in front of a group of students. No year at PMOEC would be complete without the second trip of the year by Rosemary Reader and her wonderful students, a spring tradition. Since I started at Pok-O, I have seen her twice a year with the same genuine desire to make her students' experience, as well as her craft as a teacher, as deep and meaningful as it can be. She draws out the best in the PMOEC staff and we thank her for that. So do her students. As June marched forward there were many other teachers and groups who came for their annual visit but none of them has made more visits than our last client of the year, Mayfield Elementary. Historically, written documentation is not the strong suit of PMOEC but one thing is never in debate, no matter whose oral history you are hearing; Mayfield has been coming every year that PMOEC has been in existence. That's over 35 trips from the same school. This year Mayfield came with nearly 60 students and over 20 chaperones. It is atypical for a group to bring nearly more than one chaperone per every 3 students, but this school boasts a generation of parents who came to Pok-O! Few other clients can come close to matching Mayfield's civic pride and sense of duty, much less their longevity at POk-O. On this, our nation's birthday, it is nice to reflect on an All-Americal town like Mayfield. But now to the unsettling time at Pok-O for an outdoor educator. For, while students are currntly at every turn throughout the acreage of Pok-O, they are all here with the summer camp and are not under my watch. It is an eery comfort to see games, hear laughter and feel the good vibes throughout the grounds and have nothing to do with it. Still, in my little niche carved out of the summer camp phenomenon, I sit with the mission of PMOEC moving me forward. Their will be hiring, their will be programming changes, their will be grant writing, and their will be a wedding! The next 5 weeks will be as full as the last and, most importantly, the focus turns to the next school year and forming the next community of dynamic, lighthearted, hard-working, dedicated, inventive and curious instructors and staff to carry the message of outdoor education further. Have a safe and happy holiday. Until the next time...

It's On Like Donkey Kong

Memorial Day weekend always is the beginning of the end for the PMOEC spring season. The Adirondack Scholarship group comes to Pok-O over the weekend and hosts a fundraiser that jointly benefits summer camp and the outdoor ed center. Its a great gathering of the old camp family and the new PMOEC crew and, collectively, we all look forward to the future vision for Pok-O. This year was a record setting year with the group bringing in over $9000 for the beneficiaries. Thank you to all of the volunteers and organizers of this wonderful event. PMOEC came back to work the Monday of the holiday weekend and spent the day learning about the local history of the Champlain Valley through the historical reenactments at Fort Ticonderoga. As people who do our fair share of reenactments ourselves, it was a great learning experience for our staff. And now, the final push is underway. We have a long-standing client from Canada onsite right now and will have groups here every day through Friday the 8th. Yesterday I celebrated my 37th birthday with pigpen construction, hiking and an Underground Railroad simulation. If you have to work a 13 hour workday on your birthday, you couldn't ask for more. Next week will be our busiest of the spring so I'm not sure I'll have time to post. I'm sure all of you will be hungry for more PMOEC lore, so I'll try and make time. Until then...

Eye of the Storm

There is an eerie calm at Pok-O these days. Only 15 kids are onsite right now and a day group with a great history with us will be arriving later this morning. The staff has hit their stride for the spring and the weather has done nothing but agree with us for the past few days. As I write this, I worry that I am jinxing it and the skies will part, dumping thunder and lightning and buckets of rain on us as a penalty for my comfort. Nonetheless, the grass is on its spring schedule, we are out of work project days, the kitchen has been moved form the Pok-O Queen to Robinson Hall in lower camp and we are focusing solely on groups, groups, groups- with the exception of next week's SEAD day which will be recounted with humorous detail in next week's blog post. I am feeling an little underwhelmed with myself as I look at the small amount of space filled of this available block, but no news is no news. Until next week...

It Continues to Spring (or Sprung?)

Thunderstorms came. Yesterday, another notch on the post of "what defines spring" was violently slashed as lightning dotted the turbulent skies in the middle of the afternoon. As we began our afternoon activities, we heard the first rumblings and quickly acted switching one group's class and altering three others. Of course, this is not a unique situation (have you ever been in the North Country in May?) and being prepared for severe weather is part of our M.O. But, just like the first two-inch snowfall in November gets everyone anxious enough to go out and buy-up all the milk and bread in the North Country, the first spring storm literally gets my hair on end. By the end of the afternoon, the clouds had parted and the sun began to quickly dry out the fields. BY early-evening the immediate forecast looked solid and we were able to get the students up Bare Mountain to watch another beautiful sunset. Last Saturday we had the second annual yard sale and it was a great success. THe weather was amazing and the signs that Abby created were noticeable and persuasive. All day long we had a steady stream of customers; true yard salers looking for the ultimate deal mixed with locals just out on a beautiful day. Also on Saturday we welcomed two new interns, Molly and Daniel. We have expanded the internship program for the first time in a while and are happy to welcome Molly back into the Pok-O family and welcome Daniel for the first time. They have already made contributions and will be a valuable resource for the rest of the month. Enjoy the warm temperatures and we'll talk next week. Until then...

YARD SALE!!!!

Its our last week of work project days for the spring season. Starting Monday we have day and overnight groups every weekday for the remainder of the season- and some weekends! But this week, we are focusing on animals and cleaning and preparing for the rest of the season. There are a couple of notable occurrences that you should know about if you want to keep up on those happenings that truly give you an eye into that which is PMOEC. First, today a handful of Instructors went to Seton Academy to recreate some of the programming that they had originally designed for the "Shine On!" Conference in Plattsburgh in late April. Although our mission creates a vision of our center being rooted in the outdoors, our ability to talk to students and reach then through debrief sessions crosses all kinds of borders. Thus, the staff members went to Seton to perform some skits pertaining to topics that encompass the struggles of being a twee-aged student. Tomorrow, we will once again take our show on the road- this time to Corinth New York. A long time supporter of PMOEC is a teacher at the High School in Corinth and whenever the students need to build teambuilding skills, we are called into service. Lastly, on Saturday we have our second annual yard sale. I just unloaded the most recent carload of goods donated for this wonderful event and you have to come over to see what we've got. Until then...

Nature- It's All Around Me

This past week was our busiest of the early season at PMOEC and, thus, I was able to spend more time with kids then I normally do. While the kids were the focus, there was no denying the beauty of spring creeping into our acreage. Walking up to the sensory course, the students and I marveled at the multitude of deer tracks along the side of Reber Rd. We talked about the way to identify these distinctive prints and the kids found more and more. In the forest we saw evidence of over-zealous plants. It was clear that some of the trillium had come up in the week of 80-degree temperatures early in March only to be thwarted by the nights of snow and frost that followed. Other, more shy plants that hadn't been comfortable enough to show their leaves at the first sign of warm temperatures are now standing proud and true. I spotted my first fiddleheads and learned that the translation to French is nearly direct, where they call them violin heads. This of course was an 'aha moment' for me, realizing that the word fiddle refers to the instrument, not the action that it appears the plant is performing as it unfurls upward. Red Efts are everywhere, derailing all of our class introductions because nothing is more interesting than a bright orange salamander walking across a dark asphalt road. This week we have another wonderful group down from Canada and are continuing to watch the leaves on the trees thicken the forest, changing the look of all of our picturesque views at PMOEC. Don't forget that on Saturday the 12th we are going to have our second annual PMOEC Yard Sale. We have a plethora of items; from housewares to clothes to sporting goods to I don't know what. All proceeds will help to ensure that we are able to continue to share wonderful spring moments with groups for years to come. Until next week...

Time for One Breath, But No More!

We are in the midst of the type of week that we always want to have at PMOEC. On Monday we had a group of French Canadian students come for 5 days. The school is Seminaire St. Marie and they come twice every year. This group is making their first trip to our center and will be back at Pok-O next year when they are in the next section of the english language program at their school. Then, on Wednesday morning, another 52 kids came from another school, also from the province of Quebec, who will be staying through Friday. So now, we are hosting nearly 100 clients at PMOEC; the dorms are full, the dining hall is rocking and the staff is full out. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this staff is wonderful. They are getting to work at 7AM and leaving at 10PM every day. They are helping out in the kitchen, even when they aren't supposed to, they are helping each other and are still delivering amazing lessons morning, noon and night. But that's all I've got time to say. I'm headed back to PMOEC in a few minutes to teach a great orienteering class designed in-house by Leah and can't wait to get back in and see these appreciative kids. See you next week...

The Super Bowl of Pranks

In High School pranks were status symbols. In the days leading up to graduation in the spring, the seniors were given a lot of freedom at nights. Many days, the student body started the day admiring the previous night's work; a teacher's car filled with shoes in the courtyard, the headmaster's office meticulously reset on one of the floating docks, a false arrest orchestrated with the assistance of the local police department. The list is endless and hilarious. I'm sure you can tell that I revel in these tricks and love to tell the tales, perhaps even to a fault.
Apparently, the staff had gotten wind of this obsession and decided to set-up a prank of their one. Alas, in the planning of this one, I was not able to share in the excited anticipation because this particular prank was going to be at my expense. Apparently the original plan was for April 1st, but the actual execution was on this past Monday morning, a perfect day as the staff all started work a few hours before me that day. When I arrived at work and came up the stairs, I came into my office and, where my desk chair normally sat, was a toilet. No the water was not hooked up and, no, there was nothing in the bowl; but there it was. It was as clean as an old toilet that has been living underneath of one of the barns onsite can be. Quietly, brightly and stoutly, it mocked me.
So what did I do? I sat down. I checked my email. I considered this effort. And I laughed. Out loud. How could I just let this pass without really enjoying it. I was touched to be pranked. It was truly hilarious.
I hope that you work in a place that: a) will not look poorly upon a friendly prank being played that does not take away from your work productivity and b) has a team of people that have the kind of relationship I have with my staff where a toilet in your office brings you to tears.

Here We Go!

Yes, I know; I missed a week. I am sure one's of you are disappointed. But, the spring season was dropped into 4th gear, as it always is, on day one. The entire instructing staff and Krista spent a few days in the woods last week bonding, eating, hiking and getting to know each other in a way that you only get to know each other when you are sleeping shoulder to shoulder with your co-workers on a sub-zero night. After two glorious days of hiking on Nun-da-ga-o and the backside of Hurricane Mountain, we woke to an inch and a half of snow on the third day that cancelled our plans to do some rock climbing, but the trip was an amazing success. We all came back worn out, but extremely happy about the time we spent together. Emily swore that she would never go back inside again. A great success for all. The time we spent on the top of Hurricane Mountain the first afternoon was as calming and fulfilling as any hike I have done as an employee of PMOEC. We all took time by ourselves pondering the horizon, mentally mapping our whereabouts relative to the local mountains nearby Pok-O and filling our internal tanks, readying ourselves for the spring.
And this week? Well, those full tanks are running smoothly as we host Spring Break Camp. Thus far, the weather has held and the kids have had a great time. Today is a full day hike with all of the groups heading out to various points in the High Peaks to get a taste of the phenomenal feelings that we were all able to experience as a staff just a few days ago. Get yourselves out there too. Its a great time of year. In the meantime, enjoy this photo that Emily took from the top of Nun-da-ga-o and don't worry; she did come back with us. Until next week...

Welcome Krista!

The staff of PMOEC is starting to get back to work at Pok-O. Work projects that were left undone at the beginning of the month are getting finished. The feeling of an impending snowfall is thankfully overshadowed by the inevitability of warmer spring temperatures. Even the plants that got an early start during last week's un-seasonally high temperatures are fighting the good fight, knowing that today's snow and this week's dip in the mercury are only short lived. Spring is blooming and so is our next season at PMOEC. All of the staff, save Denise, are back on site and we are shaking off the rust before we begin spring training, officially, on April 2nd. This week we also welcomed our newest employee, Krista Goodman. Krista joins us as our Chef for the spring and she couldn't be a better fit for PMOEC. She has spent her first few days in the kitchen cooking scrumptious lunches and crunching numbers to create a local, healthy and varied menu for the spring. Its going to be a great season.

Polar Bear in March? Oh yeah!

For three years I have seen the staff of PMOEC excitedly walk down to the pond every few days in the early spring. Each trip back, their grins have grown wider until they can finally tell us all that the ice has gone out and its time. Its time for insanity. The insanity of which I speak is a polar bear plunge. The staff gathers on the day after, or as close to the day after the ice goes out. They hope for sun, and have usually been obliged. They huddle close on the swim docks side of the pond- thank goodness those face west. Then, their enthusiasm turns to anxiety as each piece of clothing comes off. As they make their way to the pond's edge, the anxiety turns to fear, as their toes touch the icey water that is over the edge of the docks, where the water usually abides for the winter. Next comes the plunge. Every other year I have stood on the sidelines. I have taken pictures. I have held towels. I haven't understood. But this year, I got the bug. The ice went out early and, as it subsided, the temperatures climbed to record highs. It seemed like the perfect year for me to jump in- literally. On the 19th of March (an alltime early in my documented history of PMOEC) all of the PMOEC staff onsite went to the pond after work- the warmest part of the day. Shai, the Maintenance Director, was our lifeguard. Tim the Assistant Director, watched my daughter. And I finally took the plunge. I had myself mentally and physically prepared for the worst. I had been into the Colorado River in early May on a snowy day, so my mind had a point of reference. I went for a run immediately before the plunge to get myself as ready for refreshment as I could be on the last day of winter. None of that mattered when my head came back up after we all jumped in. It was group chaos. Deep breaths were impossible. Everyone was splashing, fighting for the ladder. Come to think of it, Allison was not clamoring for the ladder, she just yanked herself onto the slippery dock like a jumping fish. And Nick was the Zen Floridian, just treading water, watching the rest of us freak out. The feeling was exhilarating and fleeting. As soon as we got out of the water and toweled off, I began to sweat a bit, feeling the effects of the run beforehand. I'm not sure if it is something that I will do again, but maybe I'll never miss another opportunity. But, either way, I can cross it off my list.

The Ides of March

PMOEC has a topographical map. It is a beautiful scale version of Long Pond and the surrounding mountains and hills that all drain water into our home body of water. There is even a small marking on the topographical map for Camp Poka-moonshine. Truly beggars cannot be choosers and this is the only blemish on an amazing 3-D learning tool. I don't know who made it and I don't know when it was made, but the worn edges and frayed paper would suggest that it is either old or has been handled with rough hands over the years. Either way, it is a shell of its former self. It has been so for a couple of years. Since mid-2011 the necessary repair of this map has been on our work project board- the dry erase ink seeping into permanence. Over the many months, different people have tried, in vain, to conquer this seemingly easy task, only to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the project once they began. Too little time, too many other necessary work projects, etc. have kept that work project on the board- until now. Yet, I have seen progress over the past few days. The mountains have been reformed to their true heights with the aid of foam board. Maps have been printed. With a little luck, and a trip to staples for map enlargement, this job will get done this month. This is what March is all about at PMOEC.
The staff continues to come and go during this month of half-employment. Despite their furloughs, the staff members are able to stay on sight, since the buildings would stay open for the year round summer camp staff anyway. The early spring weather has afforded those who are on-site, but not working, the opportunity to experience spring a bit earlier than most. Today I've already seen mountain bikers, frisbee throwers and a few folks sitting in Adirondack chairs enjoying strawberries; all of these activities have been enjoyed by the same 3 people!
I however continue to sit in front of a computer making sure to stay connected with the hungry public who want as much PMOEC information as I can give them. Just kidding- don't feel sorry for me. It's mere minutes before quitting time and, as long as I can find Harmony, I plan on getting out on this beautiful day for a run with my hound. Until next week....

A Strong Snail

Yes things have truly slowed down to the pace of a snail- or so it may seem form an outsider's perspective. Last week, we tied up the loose ends of the winter season. After our staff enrichment day we all took last Thursday off to go ski Whiteface together- quite a hoot, let me tell you. We made it back in time to see the heavy snow that had fallen at PMOEC, more than we had seen at Whiteface in fact, and worried that it would effect the turnout for the evening's lecture. However, an incredibly inviting, warm and interesting presentation from Kristin Kimball brought plenty of folks out through winter's latest last gasp. On Saturday Denise and Allison went to the Willsboro 'FareWELL to Winter' and made quite a splash with their scat display, their indoor animal tracking activity (enjoyed by young and old according to multiple independent reports) and their unending willingness to expound on what we do at PMOEC; an institution that still is shrouded in mystery for many of the locals during the school year. "No we aren't a commune," was probably uttered more than once by two of our greatest educators. Now, we shore up the center in preparation for the spring season. I keep waiting on a boring week at PMOEC so I don't have so much to report. Maybe in mid-June. For now, I invite you all to see our last Lecture. Local Jeff Cochran, who many of you may know form his amazing abilities at the Crux climbing center or as the consummate employee at The North Country Co-Op, will be telling stories, singing songs, reading poetry and being all together interesting for your please. Come and bring a friend. Until next week...

A Toast to the Winter Season

Monday evening the PMOEC staff toasted the end of yet another successful season. We had spent the day doing staff development in Burlington, spending the morning at The Echo Center and the afternoon at the Petra Cliffs Climbing Center, before ending the day with a great dinner in Vergennes. And yes, I know that winter is far from over, but for us, the season is defined by kids. And when kids stop coming, the seasons change. Now, the focus once again turns to community events, work projects and personal rejuvenation. The staff will all be taking a furlough in the month of March and when they are on sight, the pace will be a little less frantic as when kids are here. We all need the break before the spring season begins, as our winter season ended with a long stretch of days worked by everyone. Even I worked 12 straight before having this past weekend off- and the next five days as well. But the seasons official end on Monday felt better than the end of any winter season before. Despite the sickness that is working its way though the staff, despite the tired eyes I saw behind the smiles as we all raised our glasses and despite the soreness that found its way into my throat yesterday, the moral continues to stay high throughout the entire community. After a few weeks of Nature Table development, wood game, general cleaning, construction projects, etc. we will be welcoming in our new chef and intern then hitting the ground running with Spring Break Camp in early April.
But between now and then, we do have a couple of events that we hope you will join us for. Thursday night we are as excited as we could be about a community event. Local farmer and author Kristin Kimball will be presenting a discussion about the impact of climate change on farming in the Champlain Valley. Anyone who has ever had the chance to read anything that Kristin has written, either in 'The Dirty Life' (a book recognized by Oprah) or in her weekly farm notes for members of Essex Farms, knows of Kristin's intelligence, her sharp wit, her passion for farming and her engaging aura. I'm not sure if there is one lecture that I am more excited about than this one.
Life has slowed down a bit today- I am off and watching Spring Training reports while writing this update- and we are thankful for the time. Until next week...

Winter Break Camp and Sharpe

As promised, the best stories come from our break camps. The youngest kids, those that are 5-7 are wonderful and vibrant and full of the most imaginative ideas that you could ever imagine; or couldn't because you have left that version of yourself behind many years ago. On Monday morning, since the snow still hadn't agreed to fall, we replaced some traditional winter sports with a scavenger hunt. Part of the hunt required the kids to find the chickens and name them. Would you expect any names other than Aeisha Dark Star and Aeisha White Star Jr. from a group of 5-7 year olds? But the best story is, unfortunately for you, one that I cannot share. Using the imagination you have left, try and connect a person using the bathroom in the woods for the first time and a rubber chicken. Obviously the only way to connect these is with Pok-O.
Our lecture series continues tonight. Our very own Sharp Swan will be presenting an engaging talk on the history of the Santa Clara Logging Company and we can't wait to have him back. We hope to see you at the Pok-O-Queen at 7:00PM. Until next week, enjoy the spring!

Where It All Begins

This week, the emphasis at PMOEC is not on our lecture series. This seems pretty obvious, but we try as hard to concentrate on the task at hand and for the past few weeks, other than work projects, all of our time has been spent gearing up for and enjoying our lectures. This week, we have focused on what it is that makes our center so special. On Monday afternoon we welcomed a busload of Canadian teenagers who are here to hone their English speaking skills in an immersion field trip. It is always a great feeling to step onto a bus in our parking lot when a group arrives and see the gamete of feelings personified on the varied faces; trepidation, excitement, anticipation. You name it, I see it. This week, I had an incredibly rare bonus when I stepped onto the bus. I saw familiar faces. Our center typically welcomes back the same grade from the same school year after year. Thus, Mrs. Smith always returns, but it is with the 5th grade class each year. So, the connections with the students are always new, but always short lived. This school is one of the exceptions to the rule. They come twice a year. In the spring the come in 9th grade and in the winter they return the following year in grade 10. When I stepped on the bus, I was immediately excited by the familiarity I had with the students and their genuine smiles showed me the feeling was mutual. This week, their acclimation to our center and our programming has been sped up, relative to first time students, and they have been able to take hold of the more in-depth and abstract concepts in our classes that are sometimes left out of introductory experiences at PMOEC. It has been a wonderful experience for all of our instructors, whether they returned from a previous staff or are new this school year.
Despite the fact that we have a week off from our lecture series, I do want to plant the idea of next week's lecture a bit earlier than most. A few years ago, my introduction to PMOEC came through a lecture given by Sharp Swan. Sharp is the Director of Pok-O-MacCready Camps, board member of PMOEC and direct descendent of the man who founded the camp over a century ago. This lecture was captivating. Sharp's knowledge about the practices at logging camps, their locations and stories from within their ranks can not be paralleled by any single scholar, or library for that matter. And Sharp's zest for life and optimism for what is in front of him would make a staged reading of the phone book an interesting evening. Yet next Thursday, Sharp will be once again be speaking about logging in the Adirondacks; a topic that he too finds fascinating. It is a must see.
That's all for today. I am sure that I will have volumes to write once next week's Winter Break Camp has been in full swing for a few days. Until then...

Cabin Fever is good!

My first experience at PMOEC was as a customer. Specifically, on a cold winter night in early 2009, I came to the main building of Pok-O for a lecture given by Camp Director/ PMOEC Board Member/ Logging Aficionado Sharp Swan. I was immediately hooked. This lecture was enough to open my eyes to what an amazing center was so close to my home, with so many diverse activities to offer. Fate allowed me to find out, a few months later, that the Director position was open and after a great interview process, I was behind the Director's desk by April 15th. Thus, the lecture series has always been near and dear to my heart and the success we had in recruiting amazing speakers this year and the initial success we have had with Carl Heilman's lecture makes me feel like the Cabin Fever Lecture Series has truly arrived and become a part of the cultural fabric of the Champlain Valley.
Help us to continue this excellent newfound tradition of success tonight with Steven Kellogg. Steven is a resident of Essex, an amazing soul and a children's book author/ illustrator of world fame. Google him to find out which of the book's from your childhood Steven was either the author or illustrator of; I am sure their is at least one.
The end of our winter season is about to ramp up- starting Sunday we have groups through the 25th. Hopefully I will find the time to get a blog out during this intensive run, especially since Winter Break Camp is one of the funniest times of the year and you need to hear some of the stories. Until then...

Mid-Winter (Is it Winter?) Blues?? Nah...

We waved goodbye to our last group in the month of January and soon after waved goodbye to the last of the snow on the ground. Since our next group will not arrive until the 12th of February, there is renewed optimism that we will see lots of deep powder around the center before welcoming the next bunch of students. As is always the case with the time between groups, the staff is catching it's collective breath and, of course, tending to all of the jobs at Pok-O that get tabled until we have work project time. Extra days off come in batches before the next group, but thats just because people will be working many days in a row on the second half of the month.
But for now time is being spent mucking stalls, acclimating our new horses to the barnyard (And on this topic, let me tell you- when you have been looking at ponies, pigs, sheep, goats and chickens for 5 months, horses look BIG!), continued re-insulation of older buildings, shingle painting and too many other jobs to list. And of course, we are all wound up for our Cabin Fever Lecture Series starting tonight with Carl Heilman II. This really is a don't-miss-program and its free. And if you can't make it (for some reason that better be good), next week we have the acclaimed children's book author/ illustrator Steven Kellogg. Its big time at PMOEC. Big time.

Snow-less, Whats the Goal? and Other Ramblings of a Tired Man

It's Friday and everyone on the PMOEC staff has gone home except for me. They were beat, I am beat and they deserved an extra hour off to jump start their weekend- or maybe give them an excuse to take an afternoon nap. Whatever the case, this week, as so many before it have been, was exhausting in the good way. We had our first group of the winter that came from the States, Connecticut to be exact, and that really changed our approach on the week. Gone were the needs to emphasize sentence structure, proper grammar and enunciation. Here were a group of 22 boys who were focused on the bond shared with the class, the challenges associated with pushing yourself physically and simply having a good time. We did all we could to reach these goals and, despite little help from Mother Nature, I think we succeeded. It is heartwarming for me to hear Pok-O Instructors talking about if we need to reach the top of a mountain on a hike, as summiting does not necessarily mean the goal is met. Didn't somebody once say that its not about the goal, but the journey?
Looking forward to next week, we get back into work projects for a while but are eagerly looking forward to our first lecture of the Cabin Fever Lecture Series. CARL HEILMAN II!!! He defines Adirondack photography and, as someone who is drawn to vast landscape in portraits as well as photo, I can't wait to hear him talk about his craft. Join us- it will be Thursday at 7, it's free and it'll be near the wood stove. Can it get any better? Until next week...

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise!

Many wheels are constantly in motion at PMOEC and, although last week the bulk of our attention was on the French Canadian clients at PMOEC, we simultaneously got a lot of advertising out in the surrounding communities for some upcoming events. And while this forum is usually reserved for updates on the inner-happenings of our little corner of the Adirondacks, I would be remiss if I didn't give a little attention to all of the events on the horizon. First off, the Third Annual Cabin Fever Lecture Series is only a couple of weeks away from kicking off. The stellar list of presenters this year is a testament to many of the people who turned me down last year, but promised to present this year, living up to their promises. I am unsure if it will ever get better than having a world renowned photographer, children's author and farmer/writer, amongst others. Seriously, I may have set the bar a bit too high for 2013. In late February we will be hosting another Break Camp. It is amazing that, in a few short years, how much of a cornerstone of our programming these 2 weeks (Winter Break Camp and Spring Break Camp) of the year have become. It is a different experience for us as instructors, since we get to see the same kids year in and year out, we get to see them grow, form long term relationships and experience our classes in a different way. If thats not enough, we also have the a snow tubing evening on the Thursday night of Winter Break Camp. Wow. Its a full February and early March. I hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are.

St. Marc

Every school is an important client in the continued success of Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center. No client is less important than another. But some clients have become endeared to us as they have been long standing. And a few of those long standing groups have had fortunate staffing that has allowed the same teacher to come each year. One of those schools is at PMOEC right now and Rosemary Reader, who has come with St. Marc School on every of its bi-annual trips over the past 10+ years, still comes every time. Rosemary still has the drive to make her trip better every year and we are happy to oblige. She feels quite at home with our staff each year and is a welcome face for all of our employees, old and new. What better school and teacher to have kick off our overnight-educational groups for 2012?
The snow seems to have finally arrived today, although my early season optimism that turned into slight pessimism still lingers. It will take a few trips down the tubing hill and glacading down a Pok-O-Patch mountain before I'll turn my frown upside down. Stay tuned.
Next week the winter Pok-O-Press comes out, we start publicity for our Annual Winter Break Camp and we will let you know more about the Cabin fever Lecture Series Until then...

Ski Week

A great week of skiing and hiking is behind us. The annual Pok-O Ski Week, a collaborative effort between Pok-O-MacCready Camps and Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center, was a lot of fun. Little snow has fallen in the North Country so far this winter, save the early season foot that fell before Thanksgiving that had promptly melted before the beginning of the next work week, but no bother. The kids adapted, as Pok-O summer camp kids do, so rather than snow-tubing we did some alternate night activities; a night hike one evening and a smor-extravaganza another. Of course, there were some trips to the Crux, but most memorable were the trips to the High Peaks for hiking and skiing. Two days of winter mountaineering trips went out, one to Tabletop and one to Wright, and they were both a huge success. The days at Whiteface were fantastic with staff and kids enjoying the development of their skiing skills and friendships that are often limited to the summer months. This week, our focus turns to winter training and snow dances as we anticipate the arrival of our first winter group next Tuesday. A little tease about next weeks blog- more info about our Cabin Fever Lecture Series and the Pok-O-Press that will be coming out in a couple of weeks. Pray for snow!