Camas Poems

some poems i wrote while at Camas:

C reative
A dventures
M eaning
A alive
S pirit

~

J ourneying to wild places
O bserving the outdoors
H iking through heather
N oticing new things

M aking meaning out of mysteries
U nearthing the undiscovered
I nner insights and inklings
R esolving to return

 (John Muir, the man who helped Teddy Roosevelt set up the National Park system in the US, was born in Scotland.  Camas is a certified provider of the John Muir Award, which involves Discovering, Exploring, Conserving and Sharing wild places.)

~

4 Haikus

flickering candles

slugs eat the pale strawberries

simple Camas life

so remote and wild

unspoilt natural beauty

sheep poo in the grass

cold and stuck inside

what shall we do with this day?

tea break time again!

islands disappear

rain beads upon my wooly

a Scottish summer

time to go again...

"it is time to go now
haul away your anchor
haul away your anchor
'tis our sailing time"

At our little "Camas Festival" last week, we all sang this sailing song together in 3-part harmony...It was our "closing party" for the 2011 season, and all of a sudden I became painfully aware of how near the end is.
It's really just in the past month that I feel like I've gotten truly comfortably close with everyone - close enough to give out random hugs and tease people...and I'm really going to miss them all and the funky little community we've built together; the mad dashes through the rain to our candle-lit rooms; the cats always trying to sneak inside; the sheep scratching their backs on the tree branch; the grey herons; the dramatic tidal changes; sitting by the fire in the common room knitting or crocheting and playing music; being asked to hold the baby; fresh scones for breakfast every day; Friday night services on Iona; West-Wing-Watching; daily fresh bread; kayaking; conversations with caring friends; staff dishwashing discos; and most of all, the laughter.

adventures in bogland

i did a very silly thing on my day off last week, which invovled me getting very wet and tired.

i've been wanting to go to Lochbuie all season, having read about the ivy-strewn castle and the ancient stone circle located there, and being captivated by the scenic valley leading to it with its three consecutive lochs.

i left Camas at 1:30 and hitchhiked all the way, first to Bunessan, then Pennyghael, then to the top of the trailhead, arriving there at 3:45.  mistake number one: getting out of the truck there, rather than letting it take me to the Lochbuie road turnoff...  It was an insane decision, which i didn't realize until it was too late.

i had enjoyed a warm sunny walk up until that point, but about 10  minutes after i started hiking, it began to rain -- so not only was i getting wet from the top down, i was also getting wet from the group up... As the hike was along a lake, i had been expecting the path to be boggy, but it was very rough going, with uneven tufts of grass and small channels.  I couldn't say how many times I almost twisted an ankle by slipping and tripping along a path that turned out to be more bog than trail.  There were at least 7 creeks/waterfalls to ford, full of water from the previous day's rainfall, making it quite difficult to find adequate crossing points.  Eventually the rain stopped and the trail evened out, turning into a rocky creek-bed instead of a bog...  I stopped at least 3 times along the way to empty out my wellies and wring out my socks!

The last part of the hike was beautiful - the sun came out and dried out my clothes, the river turned into a waterfall, and you could see the view down to Lochbuie.  The stone circle and Moy castle (covered in scaffolding) were a disappointing reward for such a rough journey, but the shoreline was simply stunning.
 
It was past 7 by the time I started heading back, and it was at this point that I became fully aware of the predicament I'd gotten myself into.  I had only seen two people down at the Loch, and there were very few houses, meaning my chances of getting a lift back up the road to Craignure were practically nil.  I had walked one mile up the road, and just passed the marker stating "Craignure - 13 miles" when a lovely elderly couple drove by on their way to a function in town for the evening.  They let me off at the Craignure road junction, and only 5 minutes later I got another lift from a woman heading home to Bunessan -- wow did I feel lucky!
Now, Bunessan is only 2.5 miles from Camas, but it was 9pm when I got there, hungry and tired - too weak to feel brave, and not desperate enough to be bold.  So instead of seeking out the people I knew to help me get those last couple miles down the road, I just kept walking.  and walking.  and walking.

It was dark, and none of the 5 cars that passed me stopped to ask where I was going or what my situation was.  So I kept walking and jogging, with a few pauses to sit and recuperate, east some nuts, and wonder why I hadn't gone to find someone to drive me or a phone to call Camas...  my consolation was the light provided by a beautiful moon, and that my legs hadn't given out on me, even though just about everything else had...

I finally made it to the top of the track at 10:15pm, and began making my flashlight-less way back to Camas.  I was 5 minutes away when I saw the bouncing beam of a flashlight ahead of me, and Rosie and Adam were soon within sight, having come on a rescue mission to find me!  It didn't matter that I was almost back - it was still an an overwhelming feeling of relief and joy and being cared for, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  they even saved me some dinner, but after a small snack, i fell asleep quite promptly!  whew.

magical

here's the post i wrote for the Camas blog about a recent week.  follow the link, and then read some of the entries by other staff members about other groups and happenings this summer!

http://thecamasdiary.blogspot.com/2011/07/magical.html

onion-less cooking

usually i'm excited to have people eat a meal that i've made - but not yesterday.  it was my turn to cook dinner last night, and for some reason i was feeling really unispired.  it was a strange feeling.  i didn't have a sense of accomplishment or joy, and i didn't particularly enjoy making it or eating it. 

i made tortillas, black beans, rice, and courgettes (zucchini, for all you americans), with lettuce, spiced up canned tomatoes, and cheese.  everyone loved it -- many of them had never had or even heard of black beans before!  but i, as the cook, wasn't really feeling it.  at least their enjoyment of it made me feel a bit better.

i stood there in the kitchen for ages, trying to think of something interesting to do with the beans and courgettes, but to no avail.  i just felt tired and dazed, and my brain wouldn't cooperate with the job i was supposed to be doing.

and all because we didn't have any onions...

gardening galore

i wore a tank top two days in a row, and shorts, for the first time this year!  been working hard in the garden, weeding, clearing the paths, preparing a new bed, hauling compost.

i got a scratch on my right foot, a scrape just under my right knee, a nettle sting on my left thumb, and a sunburn to go along with everything else - not a complete day of outdoor work without something to show for it! 

i'm glad to have tomorrow off, because i'm actually tired of gardening...i can hardly believe i'm saying that! i guess it's just because it's been nonstop these last couple of days.

a whole week of fantastic

We just had two fantastic, beautiful days - (addendum: actually a whole week) - of gardening, wonderful weather and fun!  No kids this week, just some lovely visitors to help with the work.

Today i helped transplant broccoli and then released the rhubarb plants from the grass that was smothering it and gave it some compost.  Hopefully it will be twice the size by next week!*  After i finished with the rhubarb, i spent the remainder of my afternoon off laying crosswise between two lazy beds** in the sunshine for about 45 minutes, just smiling.  people have commented to me about how happy/calm i look when i've been gardening, and i do feel that way -- it's cool to know that it's noticeable!

Not only did i get to spend lots of time in the sun and soil, i also went for a bike ride to Kintra and a walk through an abandoned village, kayaked all the way up the salt marsh at high tide, where we could see little flowers growing in the grass under the water, and then out to the end of the bay with its amazing view of the Burg.  We ended the week with an evening reflection involving a hike up to the top of the western ridge, from whence we dropped shells into a pool of water, watched the sunset, and were captivated by the stunning views in all directions.

today it's back to the miserable rain and cold...

* two weeks later, the rhubarb doesn't look like it's grown an inch... :(
** if you check out my photos, you'll see pictures of the lazy beds in the garden.  between the set of raised beds, there a ditches for drainage, which create a perfect hollow for your bum, while resting your back on one bank and your feet on the edge of the opposite bed.  if the ground isn't too wet, that is.

Well, I've been here exactly a month now, and to my chagrin I haven't written any more updates.  However, you CAN read weekly-ish updates about what's happening at Camas on the Camas blog (called the camas diary), which will give you a good taste of what my life is like in general...

If you're not on my email list, here's the most recent summary of my life here:

This past month has consisted of getting to know the group of 10 staff I'll be living and working with until September, two full weeks of training, a couple of trips over to Iona, a wonderful visit from my good friend Gretchen, and our first two weeks of youth programs.  And lots of rain.  It was a bit of a shock to arrive here after two amazingly summery weeks in Northern Ireland where I was eating fresh spinach and rhubarb from the garden, and encounter such cold weather and a much later growing season.  We just had our first lettuce from the polytunnel this week!

 

In a typical week, a group will arrive on Saturday afternoon and leave on Friday morning.  The staff team takes turns cooking meals and leading different activities such as kayaking, hiking, raftbuilding, abseiling (rapelling), camping, arts & crafts, games, or other outdoor activities such as working in the garden or shelter-building.  After breakfast, which consists of porridge and scones, and chores we have morning reflection with the group.  lunch is always soup and fresh bread.  dinner is followed by evening reflection.  

 

staff also take turns leading the reflections, and i've found that aspect of life here to be the least fulfilling because many of the staff are either not that interested in spirituality or aren't comfortable using God-language with the groups.  It's only frustrating because it's not what I expected, given the mission statement and the Iona connection.  However, every Friday we go over to Iona, and I get the chance to attend worship in the Abbey and connect with volunteers there, and there are a few of us who do yoga in the mornings a few days a week, so that's all very nice.

 

At the moment I'm trying to decide when to take my week-long vacation this summer and where to go.  One idea I've had is to volunteer and attend the Greenbelt Festival down in Cheltenham, England, as long as I'm over in this part of the world!  Or perhaps find a super-cheap ticket to somewhere else in Europe...Any suggestions?  My term at Camas ends on September 17th, but my UK visa doesn't expire until early October, so I'd love to make use of it and do some more exploring or WWOOFing while I'm here!

If any of you are thinking of making a trip to Iona or Scotland or the UK between now and October, be in touch!

a "knackering" week

whew, that was a WOW of a week, full of ups and downs, fun, uplifting, draining...  I got to go abseiling and kayaking and hang around playing and singing our of Rise up Singing; built a shelter, did some gardening, made a fabulous swede & cardamom soup, ate some salad (first of the season!), collected some cow manure and seaweed for the garden, led an evening reflection, and rode a bike to Fionnphort and Kintra on my day off.

The group took a lot of energy - eight 18-20 year-old male students from a Steiner school, all with some mild-medium form of autism.    Mostly they were fun, funny, and brilliant, but sometimes they got overly demanding, loud, inappropriate, and, well...frustrating...and it was tricky to know how to respoind given their age and disabilities.  We were very glad that they had a 1:1 ratio of staff and students. 

And I'm very glad that we get two weeks off now with no groups! because I'm just "knackered".  it'll be just us, the sheep and the garden and maintenance projects and some visitors... (yay Emily!)

the season begins

Our first group has come and gone.  It took me a while to integrate with the teens, because my week started out with a day in the kitchen and then a day and a half off (while Gretchen was visiting!) and then more time in the kitchen. I didn't really have a chance to get to know them until Wednesday, when we did shelter-building in the woods, and then when we hiked to Trig Point on Thursday morning. 

I helped two of them plan their final reflection on Thursday evening, which was really great because they were excited about it and had their own ideas for it.  I just got to guide them a little; help them think about format and logistics, and encourage them.  It was fantastic.

I just really have a difficult time connecting with teenageres!  I knew this before coming to Camas, and it's always been true, even when I was a teenager myself...  I'll get a lot of practice this summer though, so hopefully I'll figure some things out and get more comfortable as the weeks go on...

Day 3

In which I wake up at 7am, take a shower and eat a late breakfast followed by some child protection training and a late lunch, after which some laundry is done and hung outside to dry whilst a number of us hike through the boggy hills to the bay and play on the beach, whereupon it begins to rain and we scurry to put our socks and shoes on over our wet sandy feet and tromp back through the bog (I without a rainjacket) and bring the clothes in from the line; and in which I video-Skype with my parents (for the first time in 3 months), enjoy a delicious dinner, play a funny word game, and diddle around on the guitar before dashing back to my bedroom in the rain at 11pm.

Camas

After a train, a ferry across the Irish Sea, a taxi, another train, a night at a hostel in Glasgow, a train through Scotland's gorgeous mountains and valleys and lakes, another ferry, a bus, and a 30-minute walk, I have arrived at Camas Tuath (North Bay), Ardfenaig, Bunessan, the Isle of Mull, Scotland - 25 hours after departing Kilcranny House.

Life at Camas will be quite an adjustment after life at Kilcranny, most noticeably as regards my personal independence, proximity and transportation to towns/cities, and access to the internet.  Because I'm living here with a staff team of 12 people, the daily schedule and chores are more structured (things will of course get even more different as soon as we begin having groups of young people in beginning in a couple of weeks!).  The Centre is situated at the end of a mile-long track, a half-hour's walk from the main road, and the nearest small towns are 5 miles away in either direction, requiring a bicycle or use of the camp van or the infrequent bus or a hitch.  We have internet access here, but only one on one computer which is shared among the staff and which is also the office computer used for work.

The team here is wonderful, and very musical, and I love having our tasty communal meals together.  We have staff from different parts of Scotland and England as well as someone from Australia, two of us from the US, and one from Sweden.  After our trainings this week and next, I'll be able to tell you more about the kinds of programs we'll be leading with the groups that come!

For now, I'll just close with a brief description from the Camas brochure:
"Camas is part of the Iona Community, an organisation rooted in the Christian tradition of social justice, action for peace, and an open and inclusive spirituality.  A commitment to providing a positive experience for young people and others experiencing poverty and social exclusion is at the heart of all our work, including with youth groups, young offenders, homeless people, and those seeking to overcome addiction."
And the mission statement: "Together we seek to enable growth in love, respect and awareness of ourselves, each other, God and the environment."