YOUR TAJAR TIMES

    OWL'S NEST - Would you like to write for the Tajar Times? This is your camp newspaper and we need your help in gathering the news, drawing pictures and creating poetry and creative writing.     
    You can sign up in the afternoon or you can do your writing and drawing during Rest Hour!
    There are two places to drop off your work. You can put your articles and artwork in the Camp Mail Box. Please address to Tajar Times. There is ANOTHER bonus box in the Owl's Nest if you happen to be cruising by there. Staff members are also encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.
    Do you like jokes, puzzles or cartoons? Who doesn't! We need those, too. We also like to have a Word Search in the Tajar Times. They are fun to make up and fun to do. If you need help, your counselor can help you or you can sign up in the afternoon. We've got paper and pens and everything you need!

THE FARM IS A WINNER

    THE FARM  - We all know our Farm at Gwynn Valley is a winner. Now others know it, too. The Farm has been awarded the Western Regional Soil Conservation Farm of the Year.
    This means in addition to raising great vegetables and providing a home for the animals, Dale and the other Farm folks are doing everything they can to protect the soils. This is a wonderful honor and Dale gets to go to a fancy dinner to be awarded with a trophy. Congratulations, Dale and his crew!

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LAUNDRY

    THE LAUNDRY - article and artwork by Hayden Field, Age 10, Dancing Waters - Did you know that when counselors take your laundry, they don't really wash it?
    They go to town and buy new ones that look exactly like the same old ones. The old ones, they feed to the Tajar's pet dragon. If they don't, he won't make the campfire.
    The exact moment you rub the matches together, they don't really work but the dragon does. But don't stop the counselors. We all need to be warm. And that's a wrap.

  Our Blessings

Before each meal, we sing a blessing. This tradition, which goes back many years, is a beautiful way to start our meals. The words are not difficult to learn. They are printed here to help you learn them:

      BREAKFAST

Lord, we thank thee for the night,
And for the blessed morning light.
For rest and food and loving care,

And all that makes the world so fair.
Amen.

        LUNCH

For health and strength and daily food;
We praise Thy name, oh Lord.

        DINNER

Evening has come,
The board is spread.
Thanks be to God,
Who gives us bread.

Camp Poem

by Vanessa Wilkins, Age 9, Running River

Camping,
Swimming,
Horseback riding, too;

These are some
of the things we can
do!  

At Dinner,
Lunch and
Breakfast,

You'll hear
the Bell
chime;

If you don't
eat the food
it's like you've done
a crime.  

You'll play a game,
and sing a song
and in the Pool
you'll splash!

And I know
that this whole week,
you will have a
blast.

Mouse Tears

by RB and Duke the Mouse

    "Eeeek!"
    The scream went up clear across camp when Lisa and Graciela, the counselors of Connestee Cove, discovered they didn't have a mouse in their cabin.
    Duke, my pet mouse, had promised to live in their cabin with them, but Anne and Grant said, no. In fact, they said "NO!!!" Duke the Mouse was not allowed to live in Connestee Cove because he snores too loudly.
    Well, I had to break the news to my pet mouse.
    You must understand something about Duke. He is very sensitive and understanding and he takes a lot of naps. Oh, he's a hard worker, don't get me wrong. He works hard at those naps.
    Anyway, like I was saying, I had to tell Duke that he wasn't allowed to live in Connestee Cove. I gently woke up my pesky pet and explained that all the bunks in the cabin were taken.
    My pet rodent offered to sleep in Lisa's stinky sneaker.
    Hm, no. Sorry. She might wake up in the middle of the night and accidentally put her shoes on. Things could get a little tight in that case.
    Duke said he wouldn't mind sleeping in Graciela's tea cup.
    Hm, no. Sorry. It might be a little sticky in there and it's hard enough for Duke to get out of bed anyway. That wouldn't work.
    What about the sink?
    No, the campers might accidentally spit toothpaste on him. It was clear that Duke would have to live in my cabin again.
    Golly, I've never seen a mouse cry so much. Duke boo-hooed and he wailed and he sobbed. And then I said he could sleep in my stinky tennis shoe. That was the end. The crying stopped right away.
    Now all I had to do was comfort poor Lisa and Graciela. Maybe they can have some bugs move in with them.
    And that's the way it is with Duke.