SOLSTICE CELEBRATION

     THE FRONT PORCH - by Freddy Landess, Age 10, 7th Heaven - Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.
      Like last year, we are having a big celebration. However, the sun may not show his face tomorrow so we can respect him properly.
     Whatever the weather does, I know that it will be a great time!
     Before you come to Campfire tonight, please write down a wish and bring it with you.      Happy Solstice, everybody!

ALL ABOUT THAT COOL MUSICAL

     THE LODGE - by Grace Anderson, Age 8, Island Ford - There's a very cool musical coming soon. It will be directed by Catie, the Fine Arts Cluster Leader.     The play will be called "The Legend of Jaguar and the Princess"! It is on Monday at Campfire. We hope everybody can make it!

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

     THE FRONT PORCH - by Terrence Loname, age 8, Chipmunk Hut -  The rain has made smiles turn into frowns.     Rain coats are very important now! I think we should start to have more time inside. After supper activities have been postponed before!!!

 THE KITCHEN

     THE FRONT PORCH - by Guthrie McQueen, Age 8, Chipmunk Hut - The Kitchen has gone nuts! They have 3 ovens and they serve 350 people in one meal.     During the summer they serve 63,000 meals!     There are 28 tables in the Dining Room with 54 salt and pepper shakers put out by the Kitchen.

SLIDING SAFETY

     THE FRONT PORCH - article and artwork by Luke Hawkins, Page 10, Possum Manor - Has anyone here, with all this rain, slid on a wet, smooth surface? Well, listen to this!      Stay way from flat, wet, surfaces.      When you HAVE to go on wet, flat surface, walk slowly.      Hold onto things when on slipper surfaces whenever possible.     Follow these suggestions and you won't end up like me. (My bottom hurts!)

IS HE REAL?

     THE F RONT PORCH - by Paige Keane, Age 9, Island Ford - Is the Tajar real? Well, we don't really know. Maybe it's because the Tajar is always on the go.     If you have seen his tree, it would be better if you didn't tell anybody because if you tell you might as well mess up your cabin because that is what the Tajar would make happen.

LAUNDRY TIPS

     THE LAUNDRY HUT - The camp has a lot of laundry and it's a lot of work to do it. You can make it easier by dropping off your laundry on the evening listed on the first page of the Tajar Times. And please remember to unball your socks! Thanks

The Tajar
by Will Pope, Age 8, Chipmunk Hut

  The Tajar

                    sleeps on Tajar Rock

                                                         when the

                        night rains at

                                             night.

But when

                      the moon is just right

                                                         he dances

                             on Tajar Rock!

Rainy Mind
by Renwick, Staff Member (Dining Room Lady)

     Personally, I enjoy the rain. It seems to rain here the majority of the week, so I figure if I enjoy it, that will make the days go smoother.
     I mean, it's not quite every day that the sky leaks!
     If you think about it, rain is a really amazing event. I like to think of rain as the ocean going on a vacation.

I'm A Drip
Poetry and artwork by Mike Schmidt, Age 10, 7th Heaven

I'm a little drip
  falling in mid air,
You may want
  us to stop,

But we don't'
  really care!  

We turn into a puddle
  in a flash,
If stepped into us,
  you will be splashed. 

I'm a little drip.

Crumbs On The Keyboard
by RB and Duke

     This time it really wasn't Duke's fault. I know he gets the blame for a lot of stuff around here (as well he should) but he wasn't the one who did it. I did.
     You see, I was in the Gatehouse eating a piece of cornbread when I saw something interesting on a shelf over Teresa's computer. She works in the Gatehouse and she's very nice. You should stop by and say hello sometime.
     Well, I guess 2 or 3 crumbs fell off my cornbread while I was looking at that very interesting thing on the shelf. They must have landed on Teresa's keyboard. I mean, I didn't even notice! But Teresa sure did.
      When she came in for work the next day, she said only Duke could have done something like that. She said only a mouse would leave crumbs at the scene of the crime. She said the next time she saw my pet mouse, she would teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.
     Yikes.
     I was going to tell her it was me but I just didn't around to it. And besides, I wasn't up for  learning any new lessons at the moment.
     So Duke somehow ended up at the Gatehouse looking for a nice place to take a nap. The way I heard it, he found a little out-of-the-way cubby hole and snuggled down between several pieces of mail.
     Unfortunately for Duke, it turned out to be the mailbox of cabin Raccoon Ridge! And when John stuck his hand in to get the mail, he got more than he asked for. He got Duke, too!
     When Teresa heard John yell, she knew it could only be one thing: Duke. She rushed in and nabbed that little mouse and the next thing Duke knew, he was vacuuming every keyboard in the Gatehouse.
     Please, do me a favor. Don't mention this to Teresa just yet. I mean, I will confess everything, of course, but I don't think I'm ready to spend my afternoon doing chores at the Gatehouse.
     And thank goodness Duke the Mouse never reads the Tajar Times.
     And that's the way it is with Duke.