Cymbals and Kettledrums

August 5, 2025

We are most certainly NOT going out with a whimper. Ask Beethoven or Mahler how they ended their symphonies and that is Kingswood! Lots more noise between now and Saturday is guaranteed.

Mike just winked at me and acknowledged six Lake Swims on the summer, three per session. Even the loons were alerted and followed the armada. I threw together a quick “Right Now” but got a bit distracted by all the “Bedheads” who showed up for breakfast.

Adam and Hartel are the Counselor-in-Training directors and off they went to Pirates’ Cove last night with their charges. The two leaders took some terrific photos of the overnight, the one of the loon observing the canoers in the fog being one of the best shots of the summer, for my money anyway.

Morgan M. insists that Mt. Chocorua is her favorite 3000 foot peak in the Whites. Only half as high as Washington, this is the most photographed mountain the national forest. What a personality, from the south Chocorua resembles the Matterhorn and from the north it sports three huge humps known as the Three Sisters. That’s the way we go, past Champney Falls, which the boys loved playing in and around. Great trip; Week 7; You bet!

The Week 7 counselor photo album is starting to populate, and I have some comments: We had our final council fire of the summer last evening, an eerie setting caused by the smoke of those persistent Canadian wildfires. I stand corrected on the government’s failure to contain them. Rob says there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of blazes and no one has the capacity to reign them in.

The weird skies had no effect whatsoever on the sunset paddlers, who gathered to celebrate the freedom they enjoy here at camp. Don’t picture them having splash fights. Nope. If they do, I have not seen them from the direct view of my cabin and the entire shoreline. “This is a chill activity and if that is not your plan, don’t come,” was the announcement beforehand.

Sara and I will continue to hammer away at getting timely photos into those albums as well as urge counselors to keep snapping away in places that are off the beaten track. I’ll probably do a few more “Right Now” updates as they are easy to do, i.e., very little editing is done.