Work Weekend!

Work weekend was incredible! We had more than 50 volunteers spend Saturday and Sunday (some a few days more!) jump starting our 2012 season.

Not only were the big jobs taken care of but the details too. This might be why I loved the weekend so much- everything was attended to with great care and enthusiasm. I really didn't know what to expect. As work weekend approached, our list of things that needed to be done kept growing longer but Deb and Andy assured me that when the work weekend family got here- all would be done. And it was! 

The docks went in with ease courtesy of The Borg. And the dock crew had enough energy and spirit to move right into tent setup afterwards. The library was arranged, swept and de-webbed. Flowers were planted and leaves were raked. Each cabin got the opening and deep cleaning it needed from a truly dedicated crew. Pine cone after pine cone after pine cone was picked up and carried away.

The kids crew was incredible… every one of the “kids projects” was completed in record time! And no the turkey was not sighted in her nest.

Other moments of note pictured here: dedicating the apple tree to Andy and Deb...and then seeing our hole was filled with water and everyone taking turns to fill it back up with dirt, Chippy and Bob's birthday cake and the first 2012 ringing of the bell.

The enthusiastic and caring volunteers make work weekend a great success! We have fun, work hard and eat well! If you haven't joined us before it feels like family getting together to open our place for the season. Everyone here has deep roots in Ohana.

The energy that work weekend brings without a doubt brings Ohana to life… the trees stand up taller, flowers are brighter even the dirt looks better. We all get infused and inspired from this weekend.

I can’t wait for you to see Ohana this year!

Sugarhouse preservation project

Work on the sugarhouse is well underway! At Ohana we use our sugarhouse as our woodshop. (and in turn, get our maple from our neighbors, but that is a different story). The sugarhouse was in need of some care and repair. And really, what could be more appropriate for Vermont than a sugarhouse being used as a woodshop?

Here is what we are working on- The back shed was removed from the outside and a new roof was installed. As Austin is showing above, drainage is also being worked on at the back of the building to help keep things in good order. The floor has been pulled up and leveled and new hickory boards are ready to go down. The inside is also getting a makeover with new benches and shelves and even a little straightening of the walls. You will hardly recognize the place!

 

Our head carpenter on the project is Bill Shepard. He has been working with Austin and Andy to get the job done. For the last few years Bill has been part of the Ohana staff teaching woodworking with hand tools, and leading lots of projects- the most popular of which is spoon carving!

Bill is also our resident birder so it makes sense that a mama phoebe has taken residence in the rafters of the sugarhouse. Her nest has been built and her eggs have been laid. We have been calling her Mrs. Phoebe. She is not too happy about the work being done and has kept a watchful eye on us.

Thank you for all the ingenuity to get the work done. I am looking forward to seeing the finished job… and getting started carving my first spoon while listening to the birds nestled all around us. What a great place to be!

Staff Profile: Scott Brierley

Hi! My name’s Scott (or you can call me Scotty). I cannot wait to come to Ohana camp this summer and become one of the family. I’m most excited about getting involved with every aspect of camp, especially archery and down at the waterfront, meeting lots of new people making new friends, and creating lots of memories.

So a little bit about me. I’m from Birmingham, England and I live with my brother. I’ve nearly finished my final year at the University of Birmingham studying Business Management, but still haven’t decided what career I want to go in to. I’ve had lots of experience working with people of all ages from volunteering at a primary school, being a peer mentor at secondary school and a student ambassador at university, to being an administrator in a nursing home. I was the Vice President of the International Volunteering Society at university, and worked in a Bulgarian orphanage, and wa also the President of the Freshers’ Off Campus Society arranging events for people living at home whilst studying.

I love going out with my friends whether it be for a meal - my favourite food is undoubtedly chicken, or chocolate! - cinema trips, nights out, or even just for a random drive with no specific destination to see where we end up! In my spare time I like to go to the archery course, and keeping fit by running, swimming and going to the gym. I’m a film, television and music geek, I love keeping up to date with things, and experiencing different cultures. I apologise in advance for any sudden singing of random European music!

Travel is also a big part of my life. I’ve been to quite a lot of European countries and have been to the USA twice before, spending time in Florida, Boston and Cape Cod. I’ve also taken part in some charity hitch-hikes across Europe with friends raising around £1000, in the first year we got to Belgium and in the second year Austria (placing third overall).

My favourite holiday memory is probably jet-skiing off the Greek island of Crete. Me and my friend Sarah were jet-skiing, and then when we slowed down to less than 5mph to turn the jet-ski around, I fell off and brought Sarah with me. We then had the hilarious challenge of trying to get back on to the jet-ski, whilst in the middle of a laughing fit, with the jet-ski drifting further away!

 

 

I’m known amongst my friends for dressing up for any occasion! I’ve

dressed up as Pharoah Tutankhamun, Edward Scissorhands, The Mad Hatter, a vampire, a Union Jack, a sumo wrestler and even a polar bear. My favourite outfit though, is probably my morphsuit as you can mix it up all the time!

My most incredible outdoor adventure was probably my Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award practice expedition where myself and a group of students had to camp out and trek for three days across the Welsh countryside. It was such a challenge as the bags were ridiculously heavy and the weather was horrific, (non-stop torrential rain and we were all completely soaked) but this didn’t stop us having an amazing time as the views were stunning. We took part in lots of other activities but I was most known for my clumsy moments such as; When sea-level girdling, I got caught on my rope half-way across and was hanging in mid-air, whilst wave after wave, hit me in the face. Falling on the biggest rock I have ever seen in my life, but somehow didn’t notice it was there until it was too late. Accidentally knocking down a natural stone wall with my heavy rucksack. Sinking a kayak as I was using it (I’m convinced there was a leak!). And finally getting stuck up to my waist in a boggy field and after a friend failed in attempting to get me out with a tiny stick, I had to be lifted out by my Geography teacher – one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

In the future, I want to do travel more. And then settle down with a family doing a job that I really love.

Staff Profile: Gráinne Deasy

Hi everyone, I’m Gráinne!  I am really excited about coming to camp this summer and to meet everyone! I’m most looking forward to getting to America and seeing the camp for the first time. I can’t wait to spend the summer by the water having fun and also to get to know everyone. I’m from Cork in Ireland. We don’t get great weather here in the summer so I’m also looking forward to that! I go to university in Dublin and so throughout the year I divide my time between being at home in Cork most weekends and then Dublin during the week.  I live at home with my parents, my brother and my granddad and in Dublin I live with my friends so I benefit from the best of both environments.

My parents love to travel so I have been lucky enough to accompany them on most of their adventures. My favourite memory of a family holiday is our first trip to America. We spent 3 weeks travelling around Florida. It was amazing! One of the Harry Potter books had just come out and so in between looking up now and then at the various sites, I spent my time in the back of the car reading non-stop! We spent one week in Orlando visiting most of the Disney adventure parks. I love roller-coasters and so my mum came with me onto one of the biggest ones at the time there. I was wearing flip-flops and one of them ended up falling off mid-ride! I didn’t realise until the ride was coming to an end as something felt a bit odd. Even though I loved those flip-flops, I ended up getting new Disney themed ones which were so much better.

I adore most sweets and chocolate. I go through phases of being a complete chocoholic to being turned off it. …That never lasts too long though!  I remember the chocolate in America being quite different to that at home here and so it might be a good thing for me if I don’t end up liking it as much over there! …I like healthy foods too of course.

My favourite costume is this tiger costume that I have. I’m involved in the Windsurfing club in university and for the fresher’s trip last October there was a themed night which was the zoo. Three of my friends and I found the costumes in a department store and so we looked like some sort of tiger band for the night! We also painted our faces orange with the white and black stripes. It was a great night and I have never been so comfy either!

I spent four months in a boarding school in France when I was 15 in order to improve my level of French.  Each weekend we went on trips and adventures around the area. The school is in the South-West of France right by the Pyrenees Mountains that divide France and Spain. One weekend we travelled to the mountains in a bus and followed the never-ending winding road all the way to the top to admire the views and to explore the tiny country of Andorra. On the way back down we stopped half way in an adventure centre and we went white water rafting down the rest of the way - or what felt like the rest of the way down! It was just so much fun and exhilarating being up that high looking down around at the country side below. I still remember the water being so cold, clean and pure.

I don’t really know where I’ll be in 20 years’ time. I’d like to think that my plans for becoming a Speech and Language Therapist will have come through and that I might have a family. Hopefully I will have travelled a lot and have gone to all or most of the countries that I want to visit. Of course, as well, I hope to be still happy, active and healthy. I’m not too sure what else I see for myself. I love the TV show Private Practice and I have always thought that working in a place like that would be perfect! I think I’ll be happy though for whatever I am doing in 20 years’ time.

Again, I'm really excited about the summer and spending time at the camp with all of you and getting to know everyone! 

Foraging at Ohana: Ramps are rampant

I stumbled onto a foragers delight at Ohana the other day! When the green of spring arrives so do the ramps and they seem to be prolific this year. Whether it is because of the mild winter or fall rains or something else entirely, I do not know. What I do know is that both my pizza and salad dressing were wildly better with the addition of ramps. Though I must confess my favorite way to prepare them is simply gently grilled.

Ramps are also known as wild leeks. They tend to grow in dense woods and often in clusters so it is easy to harvest. (Being a responsible forager I never collect more than 1/3 of what I see- I want to be sure I can keep collecting in year to come.) Other delights on the list right now are wild asparagus and fiddleheads. I haven’t found any yet at Ohana… but I will keep looking.

A wild leek/ramp recipe suggestion from Euell Gibbons (one of my favorite foraging authors) from his book, Stalking the Wild Asparagus,

 
“We consider wild leek bulbs the sweetest and best of the wild onions. They have a mild onion flavor with a hint of garlic, which I find delicious. This is the ingredient par excellence for a forager’s French Onion Soup. Clean the bulbs by removing the outer fibrous skin, then slice them thinly crosswise. Sauté 1 cup of these sliced leeks in 2 tablespoons of butter. Add 2 cups of broth or consommé and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat and you’ll have a good onion soup without doing any more. But if you want to make it a real occasion, add 2 tablespoons of sherry to the soup and pour it into individual ramekins. Cut a round of toast for each bowl and float it carefully on top of the soup. Sprinkle the toast with grated Parmesan cheese and set the bowls in a hot oven for ten minutes to let the cheese melt slightly. This is the way one who is not satisfied to be known as merely a good cook can acquire a reputation as a culinary artist.”

Staff Profile: Hayley Robinson

Hayley is one of the new staff we are lucky to have joining us this summer at Ohana... and she is really excited. She is from the UK where she studied sports and sport development in university. A passionate soccer player and soccer coach as well as lover of the outdoors.

Hayley

Hi everyone,

I am really excited, Ohana looks fantastic. I can't wait to arrive and have an amazing time.

See you soon,

Hayley


Who is in your immediate family? Mum, Dad and Sister – 3 amazing people in my life

Memory of a favorite family holiday? Going to the Lake District (England) where we would spend time staying in Youth Hostels and outdoor activity centres, becoming attached to the outdoors climbing mountains and taking boat trips on the lake. Each year me and my family created some really good memories, a funny one, whilst out rowing on the lake, me and my cousin went to a little island on the other side of the lake and got stuck on some rocks. We were there for ages trying to nudge the boat without falling in.

Favorite food? Chinese or sausage, mash potatoes and gravy.
Favorite costume? Whilst at university I dressed up as many things but the best one was for Halloween when I was wrapped in bandages and acted as a mummy, although I did look a bit scary therefore another has to be Where’s Wally, an occasion when me and my friends dressed up in fancy dress for someone’s birthday.

All dressed up and ready to go!

Memory of an incredible outdoor adventure? Go ape, an outdoor activity centre for my 21^st birthday with my friends. I got the chance to relive my childhood swinging from trees and ropes. A very enjoyable experience!

Thing you are most looking forward to this summer? Making new friends and having an amazing time.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years? In 20 years I hope to be settled and happy with a family of my own and a secure job that I find fun and enjoyable.

Chickens on the move

I awoke in the middle of the night after what has become for me a recurring dream. This all started when I remembered that our chickens need to move to Ohana with us. I do think they will enjoy living by Lake Fairlee. The question is how will they get there? I then started to envision a ridiculous car ride with chicken heads peeking out of the windows and the rooster (Francis) crowing all the way there. I am glad it’s not too long a ride…

We have three hens and one rooster in our chicken family. There is Francis, the Americana rooster and the hens are Lucy Brownie No Name, Fluffy and Paula Dean. They are big fans of tomatoes (and since I am too) we do our best to keep them out of the garden.

Deb and I checked out the deer fencing on the garden and the enclosures for both the goats and the chickens. All look to be in good shape and are just in need of their appropriate plants or animals.

 
Oh yes, the rest of the family needs to move too… Nolan (fabulous husband, father and best friend) and Stone (our adventurous boy- turning 2 this summer) are coming too! They are both excited- but for different reasons- Nolan can’t wait to start canoeing and Stone seems to be looking forward to throwing around pine cones on a full time basis.

Welcome to Ohana! Work weekend coming soon.

I am using this blog post to introduce myself... I am Vanessa, the new Ohana director. I started in January when the snow was (not so) deep but the ice was rampant. And now, with the warm weather and muddy roads… camp fever is raging through my blood.

Ohana family camp is opening soon! Weddings will start in May when all the blooms are out. I am thoroughly looking forward to meeting the “whole” Ohana family. I can’t wait to get in the lake for some swimming and kayaking!

As I have gotten started, I am thankful to have Deb and Andy settling me in and showing me the ropes. They are masters to learn from as many of you already know. The amount of knowledge and details that reside in their brains makes me wonder how they have managed to remember each other’s name all this time.

In other happenings… I am in the thick of hiring new and returning staff from near and far. (I will introduce some of them in future blogs.) Win and the B&G crew have done incredible work on two staff cabins- Maples and Gardenside- both now have new roofs and solid floors.

And of course we have been creating the project list for work weekend. It is through this work weekend that we dust off the Vermont winter and get camp ready for the season. We are thankful to have committed volunteers that give their time and laughs for this yearly effort. We know some folks are ready (like the illustrious "dock crew" I have heard about, ready to jump in the water at any temperature) but we can always use an extra hand or two or three... Work weekend is May 11-13, let us know if you want to join.