Basic Skills Core Camping with Girl Scouts

Just a quickie little update...

I'm having a great week, but am VERY busy...so I don't have a lot of time to waste away on the computer.

However...I wanted to share some pics of last weekend.

I was privileged to go camping with some of my Junior Girl Scouts over the weekend to our FAVORITE Girl Scout campground, Camp Nocatee. We attended a Basic Skill;s Core Camp, where the girls got to learn basic wilderness first aid, go hiking, try geocaching/letterboxing, practice their canoe skills, learn how to tie knots and wield a knife, and hone up on their tye-dying skills. We also learned fire safety and they cooked their own meals over a fire, roasted marshmallows for s'mores, and sang countless camp songs.

We really had a fabulous weekend...I truly love serving as a Girl Scout leader...I especially cherish all the extra time it gives me with my own daughters...but after all these years, the girls in my troop are like daughters as well, and I love each and every one of them.

My Cherry Bombs...Chuckles, Bandit, MarshMELlow, Cuckoo Bird, Peaches, Oreo, and Little Feet

We stayed in a campsite we have never stayed in before...called "Little Critter Village". Thankfully...it didn't live up to it's name...

New site!!

Although we DID see many cockroaches (big ones), spiders, and a darling frog the girls caught in the bathroom...

The little frog the girls caught in the bathroom and set free...

There wasn't a lot of animal action...definitely not as much as we've seen in previous years. I'm thinking it's because we normally visit Nocatee in May...and it's only March. Less critters...but also, much cooler weather...which was a bonus...

One critter we found...sadly, he was already dead...

The girls loved all the classes and skills workshops...but their FAVORITE activity was canoeing...

Savannah has lots of canoe experience

They also really loved the hike/geocache activity...it was REALLY fun. Geocaching is something our family is discovering with Joseph, since he is looking to earn a merit badge in it...so Savannah and I were both really keen to have fun with this activity...

On the trail...

The girls cooked their own meals over the fire. Most were really excited to break out their brand new mess kits for the activity...but Savannah has a very special mess kit.

It used to be her Grandma Sandys...who is no longer with us. Grandma Sandy had it when SHE was a Girl Scout...and it is actually a vintage Girl Scout treasure.

They don't make THESE anymore...

It even has Grandma Sandys initials painted on it in red nail polish..."SJ" for Sandra Johnston. How awesome is it that Savannah's initials are the very same? Using it in Girl Scouts has made Savannah feel that much closer to her Grandma Sandy...

I think it's great that Sandra and Savannah share something like Scouting...

We really had a great time, and I can't wait to go again. I really love doing this...and I hope my girls know that and feel my love for them, too...