Dan’s Delights 4/21-27

Howdy Folks,

The Longer this project goes on, the more I seem to delay in writing my delights. Partly, I am almost full swing into the Outdoor School season and that is utilizing a lot of my brain power as well as just consuming a lot of my physical time. Yes these days may be long, approaching 14 hours some days with intermittent breaks, or weekends spent planning and prepping as I have stepped into a new role as a Coordinator for this season and well, we’re kinda flying by the seat of our pants. The main goal it seems, stay one step in front of the staff. Heck, sometimes you’re just a half step and well, that’s okay.

This will be my 5th Outdoor School Season. A job that I first found in a large Facebook group and applied for on a whim because I had never been to Oregon. What has come out of it is hard to fully encapsulate; And I’ve tried writing this out multiple times now, another reason why this is posted late. But I think, a portion of it can be encapsulated in what I got to see tonight. 

Tonight there was a group of people who were dancing around a campfire, singing silly songs, and performing ridiculous skits. The air was filled with laughter echoing off the hills and mountains around us as we prepare this ridiculous show to perform for more than 100 kids each week for the next 5 weeks. A collection of people who come from all walks of life, farmers, raft guides, music teachers, restaurant owners, soon to be firefighters, and more. The connecting piece? A desire to provide a positive outdoor experience and a sense of belonging for all the kids we get to serve. Yes this is outdoor “school” but we are not interested, nor will we test, their ability to recall all the facts that are shared in the course of the time they are here. Rather, we are trying to showcase what we have already found for ourselves, That when we connect with Nature, we connect with ourselves. 

From being in a deer blind at 15 as the sun rose above the golden fields to walking through the cool rocky streams on the way to pick up the mail at gymnastics camp, I got to see for each staff member how one formative outdoor moment planted the seed for the person they were to bloom into. And what’s so special is knowing that for some of these 5th and 6th graders is that they will have that experience at our camp. Even if it’s just one kid this program is a success. 

How will I know if this has happened? Well honestly, I probably won’t. I do only get to spend 3 maybe 4 days with them and it’s barely enough time to learn all their names let alone make a full connection with them all. But it’s my hope that maybe in 5-10 years a kid may just reach back into their memory bank and think of their time at Outdoor School and see that the first time they held a frog has inspired their interest in Marine Biology, the first time they performed a skit in front of all their friends gave them the confidence to pursue the arts, or just spending a few days outside wasn’t all that bad so they did it more and more and now they too are passing on the joy of nature to the next generation to make lifelong lovers of this magical world. Or maybe and so often we never even know, this is the few short days when a kid can just be a kid. Fed and housed with a feeling of safety for the first time in a while. 

I feel incredibly lucky to spend my next 6 weeks alongside this staff in pursuit of our goals and will be so excited to share the chaos that unfolds.

As for all of this weeks delights, the WiFi here may not allow many photos from this week to load so you may just have to use ImaGInaTiON. So let’s dive in :)

I saw the cutest little inchworm while walking up on the trail above town. He appeared dangling from the tree above me and I barely caught the glimpse of them as they were suspended in air performing their own cirque de solei act perfectly in sync with the tunes playing in my headphones.

Driving back from camp I saw the cutest golden retriever in the back of a truck bed. Tounge out smiling wide!

At out first school that we visited, there was a rabbit running around the parking lot that we are convinced is somebody’s pet that got out for how fluffy it was. It was quite the lovely welcome into the chaos of ODS.

MY PARENTS CELEBRATED THEIR 36th ANNIVERSARY. Yes, this does make them old. But also like they got much wisdom to share from all these years of marriage and raising us goobers of children. Hopefully I haven’t been tooooooo much of a pain :)

I held a ball python that was the class pet of one of the schools we visited! His name was Reggie.

I gave a whole presentation on Outdoor School to a group of parents and administrators at a school who is coming to our program for the first time and it went oh so very well! After I got home, i realized that my face was still covered in my charcoal “sport” paint that I was playing with while in a lesson with their students earlier in the day.

 I saw Mt.Shasta. She’s a beauty. I love her.

I got SO MANY books at goodwill!!!! It helps to stash them so you can come back for them on half price sundays.

I pet a goat and Tarmac (the camp therapy dog) while tabling an event at the local science museum.

There were lots of turkeys running around the park in Ashland. To bad they are protected…

I got to hang out with my friend Mitch and his wife Meghan for the first time this season and it was a joy to catch up over a brew and some zaaaaa.

I saw oh so many plants that were blooming with great color that were just accentuated in beauty by the sunsets and the lovely rock art left out for all to see.

And lastly I enjoyed so many great phone calls this week with so many lovely humans. Harrison, Jay, Julia, Laura, Ryan, Ethan, Averi, Mom and Dad, and more :) y’all are awesome. If we haven’t chatted recently let’s talk soon!

Okay I need to go to bed haha it is late. 

Much Love to you all,

Dan

P.S - JAY RAN A HALF MARATHON THIS PAST WEEKEND AND IS A CERTIFIED BEAST!