Campfire just ended… The Section Heads lead the whole camp with torches to the woodland Junior Boys campsite, and tonight the highlight of campfire was Nurse Thom Benson (who’s been at camp 25 years!!) telling the story of Tom Thomson, the beloved Canadian artist who inspired the Group of Seven and who died mysteriously on Canoe Lake just south of here on July 8, 1917. Thom told the story of Tom’s death as the fire burned to embers and the campers listened raptly… There were three moving ten-year jacket ceremonies – Staff celebrating their 10th year at camp are honoured at campfire and they make a speech about what keeps them coming back to camp… Today was hot and windy. I spent the afternoon in my motorboat on the lake visiting with and teaching campers in sailboats, on windsurfers and in canoes and kayaks. But mostly I just plain admired them. Their skills are astonishing for people so young. Some of the sailboats capsized in the wind and the campers righted them and sailed along…. They paddled with confidence and competence, they surfed upwind with élan… They make me so proud!