Happy Fourth of July, Eagle’s Nest Family! Here at camp, the campers were woken up by the sounds of a classic American baseball game: cheering fans, the crack of bat meeting ball (spoon on pan in this case), and food vendors calling out their peanuts, cracker jacks, and hot dog fares. The kids made their way out of their cabins and it was a sight to see. I saw a red, white, and blue sequin cowboy hat, a battery-powered star necklace, an American flag onesie, and countless sparkly face stickers, bandanas, and temporary tattoos. At flag raising, Cabin 8 told us why they loved living in America. Their reasons ranged from the diversity of people who live here to backyard barbeques. They closed our daily morning tradition with a rendition of “This Land is Your Land.”

The dining hall was covered in flags and flowers for breakfast, where we ate strawberries and blueberries in our granola yogurt. Kitchen Staff kept the party going all day with squash casserole and sloppy joes for lunch and green beans and Maria’s famous fried chicken for dinner. After breakfast, we were introduced to Grand Slam Baseball Stars Lil’ Chicky, Bubba McDavidson, Two Strike Mike, and Sweet Pea Johnson. After lunch, we learned their backstories, and after dinner, the competition heated up with some significant exaggerations of each player’s abilities. During twilight, campers had the option of swimming in the Great Lakes, playing baseball on the athletic field, decorating flags, wrangling wild mustangs (horseback ride), or reflecting on their day on Cabin 7 field.  

 The weather was warm and clear all day leaving us sun-soaked and happy. The evening brought some light rain which cooled us all down in time for an American-themed dance party, corn hole, face painting, and whipped cream pies to the face. To close out a magical day of celebration and community, we all gathered behind the Old Lodge to light sparklers before heading back to our cabins for bed. 

By Anna Lauria