Yearbooks!

Hello Everyone!
I hope that your school year has been fantastic so far and you are doing well. I have good news for you! You will be receiving your yearbook very soon. Roger has been working hard to get them all in envelopes and into the mail. It won't be long so keep an eye out for them. Enjoy the fond memories of summer 2008 and start thinking about summer 2009. It will be here before we know it! I miss all of you and think of you all the time. Take care and stay in touch. We love to hear from you!
Much love as always,
Your camp mom and the whole Circle F Gang

THANK YOU!!!!!

Dear Circle F family,
Thank you for one of the most fantastic summers in Circle F history. We enjoyed everyday and everyone. The campers were amazing, the weather was pleasant and the staff was fantastic! Everyday was an adventure and so much fun. We always say " a day at camp is like a week in the real world." Not only does the day begin at 7:30am and end about 10:00pm(if we are lucky) but we pack so many activities and experiences in one day, we can't remember what happened that morning. As much as I am enjoying being home, it is too quiet and I miss everyone. Roger is at camp enduring his first tropical storm, Murray and Bri are on their way back out to Utah, Blake is preparing for his move to Virginia, Getta is teaching middle school math and science and the counselors are on their way back to school in all parts of Florida and the U.S. And as for me...the office (boring!!)...LOL Please know that when you leave camp you never leave our thoughts.

I will be back at camp for Labor Day weekend next Friday for one of our family weekends. We still have cabins if you would like to join in the fun. Check the website for all the family weekend dates. They are so much fun.

We can't wait to see you next summer. Have a fantastic year and do well in school. Thank you for being a part of our lives.
Love to all of you,
Diana and the Circle F gang

Hay Ride and Camp Fire!!!

Howdy Circle F Family,

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The weather was cool with a strong breeze and it was a wonderful last day of normal activities. The Pioneer campers went on a team building hike, the Wranglers had a special Cantina time, and the Co-Bucks and Buck-a-roo's had a special swim time. It was a beautiful evening. After the age appropriate activities, we had our big camp fire and hay rides. We had music, s'mores and hay rides. It was a total blast. You can see some pictures from the event at www.circl-f-duderanch.com

Today half of the camp is at Islands of Adventure and the other half is here at camp. We have a special day of camp with one of Circle F's most popular activities: Build-A-Boat. Campers will have one hour, two rolls of duct tape, and three super large pieces of cardboard. They will have to build a boat that will float in the lake and carry to rowers. Most of the boats float, some don't. It is a great time.

As we are getting closer to our pick up day I thought it would be good to go over some frequently asked questions about pick-up:

Q: What time is pick-up?
A: Pick up is from 9:00am - 12:00 noon on TUESDAY, August 12. All campers must be picked up before 12:00 noon unless prior arrangements have been made.

Q: What do I do when I come to pick up my camper
A: You can drive right to your campers cabin where they will be waiting for you all packed and ready to go.

Q: Will there be a rodeo or show on Tuesday?
A: No. In the 10 day session we do not have enough time to put together a rodeo.

Q: What if I can't pick up my child on Tuesday?
A: It is important that all campers are picked up before noon on Tuesday. After noon we start closing down the camp for the summer and there will be no one to supervise the children. If you cannot come on Tuesday morning, we can arrange for you to pick up your camper Monday evening.

Q: What else?
A: Your camper will receive their bunk photo, evaluation and registration for summer 2009 while at camp. Please check your campers belongings for these items. We are always trying to improve our program and by filling out the evaluation you can help us in our goal. We are offering a special promotion to our Summer 2008 campers. If you register for Circle F Summer 2009 before November 1st, you will lock in the 2008 prices and get an additional 5% off. There will be a registration form with the evaluation form.

We will see you in about 48 hours.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the whole gang

Deal or No Deal meets Men's Beauty Review

Howdy Circle F Family,

Sorry I have been slow at writing the blog this session. I have been pulling quadruple duty of photographer, blogger, and Assistant Director. I know that is only three things, but being Assistant Director is really like two jobs.

We have been having a great time as aways. Fourth session is kind of like a greatest hits album. Yesterday we combined two of the campers favorite evening programs: Deal or No Deal and the Men's Beauty Review. We played the popular game Deal or No Deal with campers as contestants and the oldest boys cabin as the models. The boys were hilarious dressed up as the models. The oldest girls cabin was happy to help them get ready. The game is (in my opinion) a lot more fun than the TV game because the prizes are so much better/worse. Instead of the million dollars, campers can win Ice Cream for Everyone or even a Pizza Party for their cabin. However, if you get stuck with a prize from the left side of the board you might get a pie to the face or get slimed. The game was hosted by Howie Mandel (me). There are some great pictures on Snapfish.

Tonight was the Super Hero Dance. We had some great costumes. Everyone was there: Superman, Batman, the Hulk, Cat Women, Spider Man, and a whole bunch of boys running around with towels as capes and underware as a mask (I hope it was clean). We also showed a slide show of many of the pictures that you can see on Snapfish. The campers loved seeing themselves on the big screen.

Thank you for all the great comments on the new photo gallery site. If you still have not been there please go to: www.circle-f-duderanch.com and click on the camera on the top right hand side. On the site you can see all the pictures and even purchase them if you wish (we make no money on the sale of pictures). I have found that the best way to view the pictures is with the slide show function.

Well, I can't believe that the session is half over. I hope all of the parents are enjoying your quiet. Please know that your campers are doing great.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the whole gang

Water Mania!!!

Howdy Circle F Family,

Camp is so much fun. Last night we hosted a version of Fear Factor Live. We had five counselors going head to head in three tough competitions. The first was called Hanging Tough. The five counselors had to hold on to a bar while getting pelted with flour, shaving cream, syrup and flowers without letting go. The first two to let go were eliminated. In the second event counselors were face with an eating challenge. To pass the round they had to eat a cricket, a worm and pickled pigs feet. It was truly disgusting. For the final round the final two contestants had to find as many ping pong balls in a tub of horse poop. It came down to the wire, but Tommy was the winner by one ping pong ball.

Tonight we had one of my favorite evening programs: Water Mania. This involves 5 different water based activities: slip and slide, slip and slide tug of war, battle ship (where campers throw sponges over a wall and try to hit other campers on the other side), bucket pass relay race and human sponge relay race. Everyone was mainia'd. There are a ton of great pics from the event up on our new website. To get there go to www.circle-f-duderanch.com and click on the camera on the top right of the page.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

New Photo Gallery Info

Howdy Circle F Family,

We have a new website for camp pictures and I really think you are going to like it. To see the pictures go to circlef.snapfish.com (do not use "www." before the address. This great website allows us to upload much faster and we have unlimited space. This means that we will be able to post more pictures than we have in the past. You will also have the ability to purchase photos from the website. The link on our website currently goes to our old photo gallery site. We hope to have the new link working tomorrow. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

A fantastic first day...

What a fantastic first day! After a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, it was back to the cabins for clean up. Then we were off and running. All the activities ran smoothly and we are all feeling the energy. Everyone who takes western riding went on a trail ride today, even 3rd got to go after a rain delay. English riders were evaluated to determine which period they would take riding. The waterfront was busy with swimming sailing, canoeing, blob and banana boat. There was an interesting game of soccer volleyball going on as well. Everyone has a good imagination at camp. The weather was very pleasant today. The afternoon rain really cools us down for the rest of the day and evening.
The mugs arrived in the morning and we took them on the golf cart and passed them out at all the activities, so everyone is drinking lots of water and gatorade.
We had burgers and fries and of course, the salad bar for lunch. Then it was quiet time...siesta. The afternoon went quickly and before you know it, we were at dinner. Talking, singing and eating spaghetti and meatballs!!! We ended our day with our Welcome Dance. Kids were dancing, some were playing in the field, playing basketball and enjoying being a kid. I can honestly say, they looked relieved when they were called to bed. It is quiet outside the office now. All I can hear is the chirping of the crickets and the fans going. As I look down the cabin lines, I realize I am so lucky to be here to witness your children having the time of their lives.
Thank you so much for sharing them with us,
Diana and the Circle F gang
PS..we are having some issues with the photo gallery. Hopefully, we can get them resolved tomorrow...thank you for your patience!

Opening Day Fourth Session!!!

Howdy Circle F Family,

The first day of fourth session was a great success. Most of the campers arrived by 1pm so we were able to have our swim test and a open swim. It was a perfect afternoon for swimming in the lake. I had a blast wrestling with the co-buck and buckaroo campers (they were trying to dunk me). After the swim, we played general sports like soccer, kickball, basketball and more. There was a strong cold wind that really kept everyone cool. About 45 minuets into our games, there was a hard but short rain that sent campers to their cabins to get ready for dinner.

At dinner we had Fried Chicken, Broccolli, Rolls, Mashed Potatoes, Water, Bug Juice and cookies for dessert. All the meals at Circle F are served family style which means that the food is on the table (not a buffet). This gives meal time a family or communal feal to it. We sing song, and chants at all of our meals (there is no such thing as an inside voice at Circle F). At the end of each meal we sing songs that have to do with crazy things like bananas, yoddelers, froggies, ricky-bam-boos and little red wagons. The campers love to sing. Camp is one of the few places where children can sing and not have to worry about how they sound.

At the end of the Meal, Diana ( the director) had the campers make an oath to be good. So far it is working.

we cram a ton of activities into the first day of camp. This helps the campers adjust easier to the camp environment. Tonight we had two evening programs. The first was the photo scavanger hunt. Cabins, as a group, are in a race to take pictures of places around camp. Some of the things they had to take pictures of were: A pyramid of campers in front of the barn, the word "camp" spelled out on the beach, a group hug with the climbing tree, the entire cabin sitting on the cantina stools. This game gets the cabin to work together and it also shows them where the different areas of camp are. It is the perfect game to start the session.

The counselor skits were after the game. Each activity area presented a short skit. Some groups danced, others sprayed the crowd with water and one even did an interpretive dance with a cow. We were able to show off our new projector and screen with a short video the administration made.

The campers are now in their cabins. They will have an evening thought and then they will be off to bed. You too can go to bed assured that you children are in a safe place both physically and emotionally. Thank you for sharing your children with us for the next ten days.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger (assistant director) and the entire Circle F Gang

Day at the Beach

Dear Circle F Family,

What an amazing day. Today was a special day of camp called "Day at the Beach." We started the day with a picture of the entire camp that will be the last page of the yearbook. It was pretty cool, we formed a human circle F. After the picture we went to the beach and played volleyball, blob, slip and slide and canoe races. It was a great morning.

This afternoon was water battle. This is a long time tradition at Circle F where we make a huge mud/clay pit. Then we play in the mud. It is a ton of fun and you can't help but have fun in the mud pit. Even campers who never want to get dirty have fun in the mud pit. Every time I go into the pit, I feel like I am a kid again.

This evening we are having the Luau Dance. Instead of holding the dance in the Round-Up the dance is on the beach. We have tiki torches, leis and other Hawaiian decorations. Campers can dance, play sand volleyball, sand soccer or just hang out with their friends. The costumes have been great. Good job to all the parents who sent Hawaiian garb.

With only two full days of camp left I thought it would be a good idea to re-post a part of a blog from the first session. I call this Camp Pick-Up Frequently Asked Questions:

Q:What day is Pick-UP?
A:Pick up is on SATURDAY August 2.

Q:What time is Pick-Up?
A:Campers will be ready for pick-up at 9:00AM. All campers should be on the road by Noon unless prior arrangements have been made.

Q:When is the Rodeo?
A:The Rodeo is at 10:00AM.

Q:Will my camper be in the Rodeo?
A:The rodeo is open to all campers, however, some campers choose not to participate.

Q:Where do I go when I arrive?
A:You can go directly to your campers cabin to find and pack-up you camper. However, please be sure to stop by the Lasso Lodge (Dining Hall) to purchase the DVD, pick up medications, purchase individual camper pictures, purchase Circle F merchandise and to say hi to Diana and the counselors.

Q:What if my camper wants to stay another session?
A:We do have availability for our 4th session (August 3 - August 12) (In other words, you do not need to pick up you camper on Saturday if you are enjoying the peace and quiet). There is a 5% discount on you additional session and you also receive a 5% discount on the current session.

Q:How do I sign up for next year? When will you have the dates available? Will the prices go up?
A: I am glad you asked. We have set the camp schedule for 2009 and we will have registration forms available at check-out. If you sign up for Summer 2009 before November 1st with your $500 deposit you will lock in the 2008 rates. You will also receive the early bird discount of 5% off tuition. I highly encourage you to sign up your campers for next summer before November 1st to take advantage of this huge discount.

Q:What is the deal with tipping counselors?
A:We neither discourage or encourage tipping. Our counselors are primarily college students working for tuition, books and extra spending money. If you feel the desire to tip your counselors you are allowed to, but it is not expected. Counselors appriciate any type of recognition, and are happy to know that you you, as parents and guardians, appriciate the hard work they have done.

Q:Should I tip the Assistant Director?
A:YES!!! (just kidding)

If you have any questions about pick-up, please feel free to contact us.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger (Assistant Director) and the whole gang

"I'm Having Too Much Fun To Write"

Howdy Circle F Family,

"I have been having too much fun to write." I hear this line from campers all the time when we ask them how many letters they have sent home. I know what they are talking about. Sometimes I get caught up in the fun and forget to come and share my thoughts here with the Family.

Things at camp have been going great. With only 3 more days of camp left, we are all trying to get in as much action as possible. Today we played Circle F Feud. It is a lot like the family feud on television. We survey the camp and ask them questions like: who is the camp klutz, who is the cutest girl counselor, what is your favorite camp food, who is most likely to be camp director one day and more. We have three rounds of campers vs. campers, campers vs. counselors and counselors vs. counselors. They try to guess what the answers are to the questions. It is a lot of fun and a long time tradition at Circle F.

Tonight the oldest boy cabins are on PATH. That means they are not in their cabins. The oldest girl cabins have formulated the coolest prank I have ever seen. They are going to move everything from boys cabin 10 to boys cabin 9 and vice versa. When the boys get back tomorrow their stuff will be in a completely different cabin. The girls are going to take pictures of the bunks and make sure that everything gets put into the exact same spot, only in the other cabin. I can't wait to see the boys reaction.

Tomorrow is Day at the Beach, which means we have a special day of activities. We are going to have a luau dance, and special beach activities all day long. It should be a fantastic day of camp.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

The talent at camp is unbelievable!!!!!

WOW!!!!!
We had our talent show last night and it was exceptional. We had many singers and I think I may recognize some American Idol contestants in a few years! Paola even wrote her own song and sang it for us. It was amazing. Samantha told me afterwards that she was "scared and almost panicked" but sang anyway. Pioneer 1 girls did a montage of short skits...it think it contained a lot of inside jokes...we were baffled but they had fun! Jagger played his guitar and sang as did Emi. Logan, our oldest camper, played and sang for his last talent show....we've had many wonderful years watching his talent grow. The good news is he will be a counselor next year! Our other singers included Carli, Rebecca, Isabella and Ziva...all were so fantastic and entertaining. Salvador, Jose, Rodrigo and Jorge all did a mime. But the show stopper of the evening was Eduardo...oh my gosh!!! Eduardo is a 2nd year camper from Venezuela with a ton of personality. He wanted to sing "Mambo #5" but we didn't have it. So, he looked at Murray and said give me "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Well, let me tell you, he had the crowd on their feet cheering. He can work a crowd. By the end he had half the camp on stage, singing and dancing. Again, one of those moments when we realize why we love our jobs so much!!! The night ended with counselors Clare, Alli, Maggie, Sarah and Mary along with Afton and Whitney playing "When the Saints Come Marching In" with kazoos, pots and pans and marching. It was very amusing. Like I said the talent here at camp is "unbelievable"!
We are going to miss your children so much when they leave on Saturday. Once again, thank you for the priviledge of having your children stay with us. We love them all...
Diana and the entire gang

Tremendous Thursday

Howdy Circle F Family,

Things continue to chug along here at the Circle F Dude Ranch. The campers are really enjoying the program and are starting to gain some real skills in the activity areas.

Last night we held our MTV Night. Each cabin prepares a skit, song, dance, or commercial that might be seen on MTV. It is a great way for the cabin to come together and be creative. We had some memorable performances like “shoes” (where the cabin was singing a song about shoes and throwing shoes into the audience), there was a Unicef commercial, a version of the show Next, American Idol and a whole bunch more.

The Pioneer girls went on the PATH program last night. PATH stands for Pioneer Adventure Team-Building Hike. Pioneers are our oldest campers and they have special programs throughout their stay at Circle F. This program is an overnight camping trip here on the Circle F grounds. They go through 4 phases, each with a different activity designed to build group unity and to challenge the group as a whole. I am happy to say that they had a wonderful experience and that they are back in camp safe, if not a little worn out.

Today is the Hippy Dance. Arts and Crafts always does special projects to help get ready for the dances. Today they will be Tie Dying t-shirts and making Peace Sign necklaces. It is always fun to see what creative things campers have made for the dances.

We have changed the schedule for our evening programs. Here is the new schedule:
Today: Hippy Dance
Friday: Deal or no Deal
Saturday: Earth Day/Rodeo
Sunday: Islands of Adventure/Build A Boat/What’s the Movie?
Monday: Talent Show
Tuesday: Circle F Feud
Wednesday: Day at the Beach/Luau
Thursday: Closing Campfire
Friday: Banquet/Closing Dance
Saturday: Rodeo/ Bye-Bye

Wow, so little time left!!!

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

Good morning!

Good morning families!
Roger went on his day off yesterday and I wanted to give you an update! The parade and carnival were a huge success! The campers had sooo much fun and so did we. The floats in the parade were all unique and fun. As soon as the parade was finished, the Carnival began. The most popular activities were the big waterslide and the slip and slide. They were great fun! I even did both of those and yes, I'm feeling it this morning!!! The staff had as much fun as the campers. We also had face painting, a weight guesser, a fortune teller(I think he told them to eat more broccoli), wet sponge throw, fish pond, 2 bounce houses and more. Everyone was running around wet and happy. When the Carnival was over it was time for general swim. The water was great and we all enjoyed it. At dinner it was everyone's favorite, pizza! We had a movie(Alvin and the Chipmunks) and store before the evening was over. Once again, the sunset was amazing. I hope you have seen the pictures that have been posted of them. Speaking of pictures, they will be posted late tonight or tomorrow. Our photographer, Getta, is a teacher and had to attend a class in Tampa to prepare for school in August. She teaches middle school math and science. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful administrative staff this summer. Murray, Blake, Bri and Getta have helped make summer a huge success. Roger and I could not do our job without them. Most of all our summer would not be any fun at all without your wonderful children. It is just so amazing to watch them make new friends, try new things and just be kids!! When I get to see a child from Brazil trying to learn something new with the help of a new friend from Maryland, and vice-versa, it reminds me of why camp is such an all around life experience for all the campers and the staff. Once again, I thank you for sharing your children with us!

Circle F's biggest campers,
Diana and the gang

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!

Howdy Circle F Family,

I can't believe that one week of 3rd session is gone. It has been a wonderful week, but, how did it go so fast. Last night we had our swim meet. The camp was broken up into four groups and they competed in four relay events including: inner-tube race, ping-pong ball relay (where campers had to blow a ping-pong ball across the surface of the lake), noodle relay (where campers have to swim with a noodle between their legs) and the funniest, the flipper relay (where campers run as fast as possible while wearing swimming fins). The winner of each group got to go to bed with the next older group (this is a big reward at camp).

Sunday is a special day at camp. We start the day with wake-up at 8:00 instead on 7:30. This makes everyone (especially the teenagers) very happy. After wake-up each cabin has a picnic breakfast at the cabin (that is why you cannot call on Sunday morning to talk to your campers). After breakfast, campers spend the first part of the morning doing an extended clean-up. The campers will take everything out of the cabin, clean super well, change sheets, and prepare the cabin for another week of camp.

After camp clean-up we have an extended morning thought. This morning Matt Berg, the head of rock wall, will deliver the morning thought. Next, we will build floats for our carnival. Each cabin gets materials and then builds a float for our carnival (which is after lunch). Cabins have until lunch to complete their floats.

After Lunch is extended siesta and the parade (be sure to check out the pictures from the parade). Next we will host a carnival. We have: 2 bounce houses, a blow up slip and slide, a blow up water slide, face painting, and multiple carnival games. This is probably one of the favorite days at camp.

Thank you for your comments on the pictures and the blog. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and we will try to answer them here. I am sorry to say, that I am unable to translate the Spanish blog. It is basically a compilation of some the earlier blogs.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

P.S. What's Today? What? What's Today? It's Super Sunday. How Long? All Day Long. We hope so.

Hola Circle F Familia

Howdy Circle F Family,

As we have mentioned before, this session we have quite a few campers from around the world. We decided it would be fun to write a blog in spanish for the families from Central America, South America and from Spain. This blog was written by our head female counselor Biana Cavion. I hope you enjoy it:

Primero, quiero decirles gracias por haber escogido a Circle F a ser el encampamento de sus hijos por este verano. Les quiero pasar alguna información sobre lo que es Circle F, y lo que ustedes pueden hacer para facilitar la transición para sus “campers” y para si mismos.

Soy Briana, la aconsejadora encargada de la línea de las chicas, pero hago todo lo que es el trabajo de la oficina, programas en la noche, y aconsejar a los “campers” hispanohablantes.

Circle F tiene tanto de proveer a los niños y niñas que vienen aquí, que de vez en cuando durante la primera semana, se quedan asombrados de sus opciones para jugar y divertirse. Tenemos un grupo de trabajadores que se quedan con los niños y niñas en sus actividades y les enseñan las habilidades necesarias para participar completamente. Sin embargo, hay algunos niños y niñas que echan de menos mucho a sus familias, casas y sus vidas normales. Llamadas usualmente solo enfatizan su extraño de la casa. Escuchando a la voz de su padre, el niño se pone nostálgico, y no se enfoca tanto en el encampamento. Ojala que sepan que querremos que se contacten, pero que lo hagan por fax, carta, y llamadas solo cuando son necesarias. No se preocupen sobre cuanto los niños extrañan a su hogar… ¡es normal! Están muy lejos de lo que es su rutina, y el lugar de su comodidad, entonces es normal que se sientan afuera de su elemento. Hay que darles tiempo de acomodarse.

He visto ya a muchos niños que se han ajustado bien a la rutina acá, incluso una chica de Venezuela de cinco años. Por las primeras dos noches lloró a dormir y anduvo hablando de su mama. Ahora ella me atraviesa a hacer carrereas cuando voy en bicicleta y ella de pie. Ella también ha encontrado su amor del encampamento- los caballos. Entonces, tomando ella como ejemplo, dando los niños tiempo y escuchando a ellos con paciencia muchas veces pueden curar los sentimientos de “casitis” (la enfermedad del extraño de casa).

También es normal que los padres extrañen mucho a sus hijos. No se preocupen, ¡no son solos! Tomen en cuenta que esta experiencia es buena no solo para sus hijos sino para ustedes también. Les da la oportunidad de soltar sus hijos hacia un ambiente simpático, abierto y más importante seguro. Sepan que estamos aquí para asegurarles como funciona nuestro encampamento y que hacemos lo más posible para reesforzar los medidos de seguridad para sus hijos. Están en manos buenas.

Ojala que este mensaje les de mas seguridad de las condiciones de estudiantes (especialmente extranjeros). A favor que nos llame a lo oficina si tiene una pregunta, pero acuérdense también que tiene la oportunidad de dejarles crecer a sus hijos y a si mismos mientras están aquí.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

Updates

Howdy Circle F Family,

Wow, so much has happened since I was last able to write. Camp is in full swing and we are having too much fun. The weather has been super nice and we have been outside playing and simply having a great time.

Yesterday we played capture the flag on the beach. Instead of just one flag we had three. The first team to capture all 3 flag was the winner. We played 5 rounds and then we had a general swim.

Each cabin gets to participate in two special evening programs. The first on is the Horse Back Cookout. This is where a cabin gets to go on a special evening horseback ride. After the ride, the camper cook the Circle F stew over a campfire. This is a very special time. It is a great way for groups to come together and build special bonds. The second special evening activity is the Hay Ride. Campers and counselors pile into the hay wagon and go on a ride. During the ride they sing songs. The hay ride stops at Marshmallow End where they eat s'mores and tell stories. This is one of the favorite evenings for campers.

Tonight we had the Cowboy, Cowgirl dance. We had some good looking dudes and some loud country music playin'. It was a hootin', holerin' good ol' time.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

P.S. We have a new projector and screen that is totally awesome!!! Now we will be able to have daily slide shows, multimedia productions and a whole lot more. (sorry, I am just really excited)

Fear Factor and a Rainy Day

Howdy Circle F Family,

One of the great things about camping in Florida is that when it rains it normally only rains for about 30 minuets or so. Today was different. We had a rainy day reminiscent of North East Camps. It was great. We called it Wet and Wild Wednesday and had some special games in the rain. It was one of the funnest days of camp I have ever seen.

Waterfront is probably the most popular place to be at camp and it is easy to see why. With the blob, banana boat, water games, swimming, sailing, canoeing and kayaking, waterfront is filled with fun. Our waterfront staff are all trained lifeguards through the American Red Cross. They provide a safe environment for our campers to get wet and wild and have a blast.

This evening's program was Fear Factor. Based off the of the hit TV show, we had 5 counselors competing for their cabin groups. There were three events: hang tough, eating challenge and the ping-pong challenge. We also had Joe Rogan, the host of Fear Factor come to host the game. In the end the youngest cabins (CBB, CBG, B1B, B1G and B2B) won a pizza party and a movie.

We are really having a blast here at camp. I wish all of the parents could somehow look down from a cloud and see the fun we are having. I think you would be impressed with your campers, how they are making decisions on their own, how they are stepping up to new challenges, how they are overcoming obstacles and how they are learning from mistakes.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

Water Mania!!!

Howdy Circle F Family,

Well, the campers are definitely into the camp groove now. Today was another awesome day and it seems that all of the first day jitters are gone. We started the morning by passing out the camp t-shirt and by taking camp photos. Each camper had an individual picture taken with a horse. The pictures will be for sale at check-out. We also took cabin photos. These pictures will be sent to your homes next week with check-out information. The bunk photos will also be posted to the picture gallery.

Today was a normal day of activities. Today I will tell you about our Rock Wall/Zip Line program. The Rock Wall is many of the campers favorite activity. The Rock Wall is over 32 feet high. The campers use a safety harness, helmet and closed toed shoes when climbing. Our staff has been trained by Triple Eagle Experiences, a Florida based rock wall builder. The head counselor for Rock Wall is Matt Berg. This is Matt's third summer at Circle F and his first as Department Head. Matt runs a tight ship and has made many improvements to the activity area this summer. The most popular part of the Rock Wall program is climbing the wall and doing the zip line. Campers climb 32 feet into the air being supported by our ropes and our trained staff. Once to the top campers are attached tethers while they wait to be attached to our zip line. The step off of the zip line and go about 100 yards at about 25 mph. The rock wall takes physical and mental strength. While it may look easy to step off of the tower and to trust that the rope and cable will hold you, once you are up there you quickly find that it can be terrifying. Our counselors are trained in ways to help campers overcome their fears and to help the campers make a positive "step" forward. The Rock Wall and Zip Line can give campers experience in overcoming fears, trying new things, encouraging others, trusting others and many other life long skills. And, of course, it is a lot of fun. Many people think that the rock wall program is just climbing the rock wall and doing the zip line. However, at the Rock Wall they also do initiative games that teach campers life skills. Some activities include: the spider web (where campers pass other campers through a man made huge spider web without touching the sides), the human knot (where campers form a knot then untangle themselves) and the trust fall (where a camper falls backwards into the arms of fellow campers and staff). These activities teach team work, trust, communication and other life long skills.

In staff training we talk about camp being like a Milk Dud. On the outside of a Milk Dud is a thin layer of chocolate. That chocolate represents the activities that are fun and safe. The chocolate is good, but, the best part of the the Mike Dude is the chewy caramel center. The caramel represents the deeper, life long skills that can be learned at camp. Our goal at Circle F is to offer a Milk Dud Program. Our Rock Wall program is a great example of an activity that is safe and fun, but also it going to teach skills that can be used for the rest of their lives.

The next part of this blog is an edited version from an earlier blog:

Tomorrow we start allowing parents to call in at meal times. As I have said before, Diana and I are not big fans of having parents call campers. Often times it does a lot more harm than good. It happens almost every day: A camper, who seconds ago was laughing and singing with their new friends, is now crying and missing home even more because of a phone call. For a homesick camper a phone call from home is one of the worst things that can happen. Homesick campers need to realize that they are in charge of whether they have fun at camp or not. Sometimes, when parents call it opens the flood gates and it stunts their growth. Also, I think many children want to please their parents. One way they do this is by acting upset for a phone call home to show how much they miss you. If you really feel like it is important to call here are some things to remember:
1) The only time that you can call in are during meal times are at 8:10AM, 12:30PM and 5:45PM
2) Please keep calls short (2 mins. or less)
3) We only have one phone line so it can be very, very difficult to get through (160 campers x 2 parents = busy phone line) (use redial button)
4) Please try to limit how many times you call so other parents can get through
5) The meals are very loud
6) The phone number to call is 863-676-4113
7) Meals last about 25 to 30 minuets
8) If you are unable to get through to your camper please do not get mad at Diana or me. We try to get through as many phone calls as possible each meal, but, we can only field so many. We are nice people, and I promise you camp is fun and your children are safe. We are more than happy to check-in on your campers for you if you prefer not to call. We highly encourage letter writing, packages and faxes.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang

The end of a fantastic first day!

Hello families,
It's Roger's day off, so I thought I would bring you up to date on our first full day of session 3. We were off and running by 8:00am. Flag raising, morning thought and breakfast...all by 8:40. Then it was back to the cabin for cabin clean up. Everyone makes their bed, organizes their belongings and helps with cabin chores,yes your kids, before heading off to their first activities. It is so much fun for us to watch all the enthusiasm associated with new campers. It certainly reminds us why we do our job! Before we know it is lunchtime. Hamburgers, french fries, corn, pears and salad bar...yummy! Siesta follows lunch. It is a time for reading, writing a letter, playing a board game or just getting a little much needed rest. At 2:15 the bell rings for cantina time. Campers can get gatorade and a snack of trail mix or peanut butter crackers before heading off for an afternoon of activities. Dinner!! Spaghetti and meatballs or plain spaghetti or spaghetti with sauce, no meatballs. The choice is up to you, personally, I think the meatballs are fantastic! Everybody had our favorite desert, ice cream!Tonight is our "Welcome Dance". While some enjoy dancing, others play kickball, soccer or just spend time getting to know their new friends better. The sunset is beautiful,the crickets are out,it is cooling down and the night is coming. Good night and thank you for allowing us to get to know your wonderful children.
We love our job....
Diana and the gang

First Day of Activities

Howdy Circle F Family,

We made it through the first night!!! Right after the campers went to their cabin we had a light rain storm. It was perfect sleeping weather.

Today is the first day of activities. At Circle F Dude Ranch each camper gets to choose their own activities. Here are a list of some of the activities: Western Riding, Tennis, Rock Wall, Camp Craft, General Sports, Volleyball, Swimming, Blob, Kayaking, Football, Soccer, Creative Improv, Barn Help, Arts and Crafts, Nature Lore, Sailing, Banana Boat, softball, Paint Ball, Dance, Cheer, Tumbling and Archery. There are four activity periods a day and we have a Monday, Wednesday, Friday Schedule and a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday schedule so each camper gets to choose 8 different activities. A lot of the activities are separated in to age groups so that 7 year olds are not playing against 14 year olds.

Here is our daily schedule so you can always know what your campers are up to:

7:30 AM Reveille
7:50 AM Waiter’s Call
8:00 AM Flagraising
8:10 AM Morning Thought
8:20 AM Breakfast
8:50 AM Clean-up
9:20 AM Bell---Begin First Activity
Bunkhouse Inspection
10:30 AM Bell---End First Activity
10:45 AM Bell---Begin Second Activity
11:55 AM Bell---End Second Activity
12:10 PM Waiter’s Call
12:25 PM Lunch
1:05 PM Siesta/ Infirmary Call
2:15 PM Cantina Time
2:35 PM Bell---Begin Third Activity
3:45 PM Bell---End Third Activity
4:00 PM Bell---Begin Fourth Activity
5:10 PM Bell---End Fourth Activity
5:30 PM Waiter’s Call
5:45 PM Supper
6:30 PM Infirmary Call
7:15 PM Evening Program
8:30 PM Evening Medications
8:45 PM Co-Buck Evening Thought
9:05 PM Buckaroo Evening Thought
9:25 PM Wrangler Evening Thought
9:45 PM Pioneer Evening Thought
10:00 PM Taps

As you can see we have a full day, everyday. When you come to pick your campers you can expect them to be worn out.

Fantastic Wishes,
Roger and the gang