I spent two days this week at a Girl Scout camp in West Bend, though not with any Girl Scouts.
(well, not including my friend hannah, and myself.. not that i can actually call myself a girl scout.. i went a total of six times, and was clearly in it for the snacks)
Hannah works at a nursing home for elderly folks with mental illness.
Schizophrenia, brain injuries, Alzheimer’s, dementia.. etc.
She is the activities coordinator, and goes on a camping trip with them every year.
A lot of them have been homeless or institutionalized for most of their lives, and have never done anything like this.
This year, I attended her annual fundraiser for this event.
It was a group trivia event, with silent auction, and so much food.
She had a build your own trail mix bar, grilled cheese triangle over a shot of creamy tomato soup, chili bar, jalapeno cornbread, and a s’mores station.
We didn’t do well at trivia, but I did win a gift certificate to a cute little restaurant, Centro, in the silent auction.
A few weeks later, she posted on Facebook that she needed a photographer for the actual event, and I volunteered.
I had the best time.
Not a joke..
It was the most fun I’ve had in some months.
The place was gorgeous.
Such a neat place for little scouts to go.
Beyond the beauty..
Beyond the wonderful weather..
The people.
They were so much fun.
Urleen likes snuff. She had a little gross black spit container sometimes.
She also liked to joke about punching you in the “eye and the nose.”
Which, if you know me at all, is something I like to half joke about all the time.
Urleen’s smile was soft and genuine.
This man, John, told me I didn’t need my stupid camera.
That I just needed a box camera.
That someone had taken a picture of Billy the Kid with one of those.
That in Korea, his right brain had been injured, but his left brain won awards.
Carol here.. She is both amused and irritated at all times.
I liked her a lot.
Lois thought someone should catch her with their fishing pole.
Watching them fish was awesome.
Hannah made an apple cobbler on the fire.
We went for some walks, and looked for turkeys, deer, and one large snapping turtle that never did show himself.
I also sat in someone’s pee.
And that makes me laugh.
