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.

Our Extended Ohana Family by Colleen Scholer

Last winter as I filled out our forms to pre-register for Ohana, a smile came across my face. Visions of delicious and nutritious homemade meals, that would not be prepared by myself, popped into my head. For a mom, who rarely orders out or does the drive-thru circuit, having someone else plan and cook healthy meals all week is a vacation in itself.
We returned to Ohana for our second summer for the beautiful location, great food, great staff and for special moments spent together as a family. Now, as I sit here on the porch of the main lodge, I realize it was for so much more. Sure, there are the special moments I’ll remember, like the butter knife that my husband carved for me for my birthday that I celebrated at Ohana. Moments like walking to the dining hall alone as the rain fell and my vow to take more walks in my yellow slicker and rain boots when at home. I found great joy in watching the mama robin feed her babies in the nest she built in the eaves of the dining hall porch, and in observing my daughter hard at work collecting baby toads with one of her new camp friends.
What took me by surprise, however, was the true love and appreciation I found for community living. I experienced first-hand the meaning of “it takes a village to raise a child.” We came as a family of five, and with each day that passed, our family grew. We watched in delight as we, the adults, savored each tasty morsel of dinner without rushing to finish because all of our children were playing around the big rock. The big kids helped the little kids out of love, and not parental request or nagging.

One afternoon, as our two-year-old, Madeline, expressed the independence she was gaining at Ohana, she marched herself out of the cabin and down the hill. When I realized where she was, I sighed and put down the towels that I was hanging out to dry. What happened next was something I wish could happen in my daily life at home. Out of nowhere, another mom and fellow camper yelled up to me, “Can Madeline go for a walk with me?” With great relief I shouted back “yes and that I would meet them at the dining hall in a bit.”
I actually had the opportunity to finish my task that afternoon. I arrived at dinner with a smile and a big hug for my youngest. She was happy and so was her new friend who had taken her to see the goats.
And so it went all week long. Several of us took turns holding the youngest member of our group, a 4-month-old baby. Each of us cherished those sweet moments of cuddling the sweet baby as we remembered holding our own. Meanwhile, the baby’s parents enjoyed finishing their meal together.
It is so difficult to put into words how wonderful this week has been. We found a break from the frantic pace of the electronically charged world back home. My three kids, my husband and I enjoyed many special moments together as we explored and enjoyed the natural surroundings and activities at Ohana. We came as a family of five, but on this last day, we feel the warmth, companionship and strength of a family of 92! Though we sadly realize that we can’t take this village home with us, we will do what we can to hold onto these feelings and memories in our hearts.
We know that we will return next year!

Maple Sugaring at Robinson Farm

It is 7:00 AM on April 9 and I have just put my daily spoonful of maple syrup on my oatmeal. I glance at the thermometer which reads 24 degrees and my mind goes to Ken and Janice and the Robinson Farm in Post Mills. You might say why in the world would you string that all together. Here’s why. I know that because it is below freezing today and it will go above freezing later today, that once again the sap will flow in the maple trees. It has been what farmers are calling a “gusher” year. The weather has been perfect for many weeks now and the sap flow has been tremendous. That means Ken and Janice and their family have been working long hours to keep the pans boiling to produce that sweet treasure of the north – Maple Syrup. It is very hard work; collecting, pumping it to the holding tanks, boiling at all hours of the day and night, and “bottling” it after it is finished. It will take anywhere from 32-40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. At Ohana Family Camp, we will enjoy the "fruits of their labor" as we pour that delicious golden syrup on our pan cakes and French Toast. Jake, our chef, will use that syrup in all manner of cooking.

We are fortunate to have the Robinsons close by, and more fortunate that they still practice the art of “sugaring.” And it is an art. Every sugar maker has learned the hard way; by dozing off and burning their pan or undercooking their syrup or letting the sap “sour,” if you will, by not boiling it soon enough. Ken has been sugaring for more than 70 years, an art he learned from his father. Janice learned from Ken and has been sugaring for 50 years.

At one time The Robinson Farm and the Bacon Farm (where Ohana is now) were all of the same family, and probably sugared together. We still have the remnants of our old sugar house near the barn, along with many buckets and much of the old equipment. The huge maples wear the marks of ancient drill holes where the taps where placed. They slowly heal over, but if you look closely you can find them.

Sugaring is a ritual in Vermont and we are so lucky to have the benefits of the sweet success on our tables. Ken and Janice are mindful that we need much syrup to feed all the families and campers who stay at Ohana. And campers also like to take a pint home with them to remember Vermont. Ohana’s syrup for this year is already “put up” in 15 gallon containers. With our commitment to support local agriculture, we feel fortunate to be able to buy from a farm just up Quinibeck Road. It is our part in honoring a Vermont tradition and our agricultural heritage. Thank you Ken and Janice.

Elfuns return to Ohana for a work week

Twenty-two Elfuns from nine states recently put on their GE Volunteer caps for a week in mid-June at historic Ohana Camp in picturesque Vermont, accomplishing a wide range of volunteer tasks to help preserve the classic Vermont summer camp on the shores of Lake Fairlee.
Coming to Vermont from California to Connecticut, the Elfuns arrived on a Sunday evening and got the week started with a reception, dinner, and a look at three flip chart pages full of varied work assignments to be led by Ohana Camp Directors Andy and Deb Williams.
The list of accomplishments during the week was impressive! For example, Joe Gould and Randy Morrison built an enclosure for the goats, which sounds easy until calculating in the fact that posthole diggers are basically inoperative when hitting Vermont rock. But the posts are in and standing straight and tall, thanks to Joe and Randy, who also shored up the concrete foundation at the camp’s sugar house.
Andy and Gary Sieving and Gisele Hill worked on both vegetable and flower garden beds, creating areas of both beauty and value. Kathleen Betchkal and Jean Jankowski teamed up to prep a building lovingly called “Area 51” to be the site of an urgently needed maintenance storage space.
Carpentry par excellence produced a new deck for Cabin 12 thanks to Joe Maruyama, Bob McKenzie, and Gene Bratton, while nearby Otto and Moe Jankus and Al Jankowski put shingles on a staff cabin. Right behind them to paint the shingles were Joyce Maruyama and John Betchkal.
Picasso-like painting of camp furniture badly in need of fresh coats of protective and appealing color was accomplished by Linda McKenzie, Carolyn Morrison, and Sue Sheridan. And they were neat – no spilled cans or brush marks!
Dave Hill and Richard Hoffard took charge of prepping the Gardenside building for staff housing, removing rafters which supported low ceilings, pulling out old wall board, checking electrical systems, and getting it spiffy “for immediate occupancy.”
Lois Lovinger was all smiles as she completed a star quilt which is beautiful and will have a place of honor. And our traveling Ohana Camp historian-in-residence-for-a-week, Jean Bratton, came up with more historical “finds”, adding to this locations wonderfully meaningful history.
It wasn’t all work for the week. Will Lange was here to deliver pure Vermont humor, Christopher Wren talked about “Walking to Vermont” following retirement from his NY Times desk , Ben Kilham amazed the group with his stories about bears in Vermont woods, and master storyteller Simon Brooks entertained us preceding a marvelous DVD presented by Andy Williams, summarizing our week together..
Best of all was the terrific hospitality, great food and sense of accomplishment we had during our week with Andy and Deb Williams and the wonderful Ohana Camp staff. Thanks, everybody, for the memories!

Fiddlehead Season

Nothing signals spring at Ohana like the delicate and persistent unfolding of the ferns. We call this Fiddlehead Season, when each little frond unfolds like the head of a violin. Ohana seems to have all manner and variety in it's woodlands and around it's cabins. We have even named the Tent Unit's gathering cabin and wash house, Fern House, in honor of the many ferns that cascade through and surround the area. They soften and beautify the woodlands and edges of fields, the wet areas and the dry areas. And since there are only about 100 varieties of ferns, versus the thousands of plant varieties, they are relatively easy to identify. The Ohana library has a number of field guides to the ferns, but one of our favorites is one written in 1910, about the time the camp was established. It's called "Who's Who Among Ferns" by W.I. Beecroft. The illustrations are as intricate as the ferns are themselves. Ferns have caught the imagination of many. In 1922, Clarissa Buffum, a young nature counselor at Camp Aloha Hive, across the lake, created a wonderful and beautiful poster of the ferns of the area. We are lucky enough to have a copy of it still. As fate would have it, Clarissa later became the mother of David, Bob and Chippy Bassett, who have been long time supporters of the Aloha Foundation and of Ohana Camp, as have their children and grandchildren.

At this time of year some folks forage in the forest for fiddleheads to eat as a delicacy. Here is an old article written by a staff member of the Aloha Foundation's Hulbert Outdoor Center in 1983.

Fiddlehead Ferns - a woodland delicacy
Come springtime, wild food lovers search far and wide for fiddlehead ferns. To many, these are a delicacy. People often wonder what the term fiddlehead refers to. Is it a separate type of fern? Not exactly. The term fiddlehead refers to the early growth stages of any fern. When a fern first pops its head out of the ground, its foliage, or frond, is coiled up like a snail, often resembling the head of a violin, or fiddle, thus the name. The Bracken fern and Ostrich fern are the most palatable of fiddleheads. They are commonly found in open and wooded areas of New England. As you go fiddlehead harvesting, the most important rule of thumb is to leave half of the fronds behind so that the ferns will return next year.
The Ostrich fern, known in the summer for its tall plumes of fertile fronds, is identifiable in the early spring by the tightly coiled tops with brown scale coverings. The scales should be removed before cooking. Ostrich ferns like damp areas and are found growing in crowns or circles of eight to ten fronds per group. The best time to pick Ostrich fern fiddleheads is when they have reached a height of six to ten inches. The Bracken fern is the most common fern found in open, dry woods, clearings and pastures. This fern usually grows to four feet tall and has three main branches from a single stem. Bracken fern fiddleheads have a half inch thick base at harvest time and are covered with a rusty colored wool. Pick only the part that is tender enough to snap easily between your fingers, then remove the rusty colored wool by pulling the frond through your hand. Bracken ferns may be eaten raw (they’re great in salads!) or cooked. Both Ostrich fern and the Bracken fern can be stored in the freezer after they are cleaned of scales or wool, washed and then par-boiled in water for five minutes. These ferns are delicious when steamed for thirty minutes and served with melted butter. When spring settles into your area, perhaps you might like to harvest a few fiddleheads and have a treat!

artwork by Craig Richardson

Winter Work at Ohana

It has been below zero on Lake Fairlee recently, the fishing houses are on the ice, and skaters and cross country skiers can be seen out and about. The winter season is upon us, but work continues at Ohana. Camp has been "buttoned up" since October after a terrific group of volunteers help to close camp during our annual Fall Work Weekend. A rather soggy weekend drew a record 40 volunteers to Ohana. Without the help of these loyal workers we could not accomplish so much in such a short time. After Ohana was "closed up" for the winter, we took a breather to start work on the new brochure. It looks terrific. If you have not received it yet you should let us know.

Winter projects have included the renovation of "Cabin 51" - the tool cabin near the volley ball court. Our Buildings and Grounds men have worked hard to upgrade it, install bathrooms and do general carpentry. It is very exciting to see an old run down building transformed into a very comfortable four bedroom cabin for meetings and lodging.

Our other major project this winter was to start clearing some of the large trees that were growing up and blocking our view of the lake. Although we will not go back to the clearing that was part of view 50 years ago, we certainly are beginning to have a better look at the lake from the Dining Hall. Graham Webster, staff member Libby's brother, and Eamon Donovan have been doing a very professional job under the careful guidance of our forester, Paul Harwood. And we now have all our firewood cut for the next two years!

Even as work goes on in the deep of winter, our families are already making plans to return next summer. We hope you will be among them. We look forward to welcoming you all back to see all the exciting changes.

Weekly Contra Dances for the Families at Ohana Camp

The old dining hall at Ohana Family Camp is full of music and dance each Thursday night as the Family Campers, young and old, take to the floor. David Millstone, well known caller, guides the dancers through the dances and the Sugar River String Band (a family band), accompanies the calling. There is much laughter and fun for the whole group....from babies to grandparents!

It's Mid Summer at Ohana Family Camp

Ohana Family Campers continue to enjoy themselves as mid summer rolls around. The summer seems to be flying by, but the happy laughter from families will stay with us all year. Here are a few photos from this week.

The Wilcox Family feeding Ella the goat at Ohana Family Camp

Ohana Open House to Honor Sabra Field Prints

Saturday afternoon, June 27, was sunny and beautiful as 70 neighbors and friends gathered at Ohana Camp. The event was an opportunity to recognize the work of well known Vermont landscape artist, Sabra Field and to dedicate this suite of four prints of our Ohana view to the memory of Wren Floeckher Smith, an Aloha family camper for many years. Luckily, Wren's family and children were able to attend the event. Neighbors and friends had a chance to view all the renovations to cabins and the historic dining hall. After the dedication, Sabra spoke about the process of creating the original wood block prints, and passed around the actual blocks that were used. There were over 20 blocks used to create the prints. The enlarged prints hang on either side of the massive Dining Hall fireplace for all to enjoy. The original prints, which are 10" x 15", are being used as gifts to donors who contribute to Ohana Camp.

VYCC Crew Completes Ohana Trail

It's completed!!! The staff of Ohana Family Camp were treated to our first walk on the newly completed trail to the waterfront on Friday. It is a terrific trail, as it meanders through the beautiful woods, by old stone walls and by amazing rock formations. The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps worked very hard, in blistering heat and humidity, to complete their project by Friday. On behalf of the Ohana Staff, the Aloha Foundation, and all the future "walkers" on the path, we say a huge thank you to this wonderful crew and their leaders. Come walk with us on our new trail!

New Aloha Camp Parents Welcome Lunch at Ohana

About 60 parents, who were bringing their children to the Aloha Camps for the first time, were invited to a luncheon at Ohana Family Camp on Wednesday. Opening day at the camps, is always a time of mixed emotions for first time parents. Elation that their children will have such a wonderful summer, probably a few little concerns, and often a feeling of emptiness as they leave their children at camp for the first time. The luncheon organized by Ann Downey, Trustee, and the Aloha Foundation's Development Department was a real hit with parents. They enjoyed discussions, a nice luncheon and a chance to meet each other and share a common bond. It's success will surely guarantee a repeat gathering next summer.

VYCC Trail Construction Continues at Ohana Family Camp

Day 4 of trail construction by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps finds the group making great progress. They have come together as a team, and have learned much about trail construction. In the evening, after they have cooked their dinner and cleaned up, they can be found playing spirited games of volleyball and soceer. It brings to mind the saying that they "work hard and play hard." They are terrific team of young people, with very able leaders Maggie and Emily.



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Ohana Pre Camp Training is in Full Swing

This is staff training week at Ohana Family Camp. Although we have been working with a small crew for over a month now, our full staff arrived on Monday morning. It feels great to have everyone here, and to anticipate the first families arriving on Saturday. Yesterday was a day of projects to get ready for opening. Much time was spent on cleaning out our wonderful old barn to get it ready for use as our arts and crafts area. It is terrific to work as a group and to accomplish so much.

Note how Libby and Courtney take a break to show their real skills!