Among the Pines in the Cheaha Mountains

I have been pondering yet again what to blog about, wavering between several different topics. I settled on one of my favorite places on earth… Camp Mac. It is a place like no other. I grew up there in more ways than one. It was and is affectionately known as my “Summer Home.” For those who are not familiar with its splendor, it is nestled deep in the Talladega National Forest, minutes from the top of Cheaha Mountain (the highest elevation in Alabama.) This unique summer camp for boys and girls has been family owned for 60 years by the McBrides. Campers come for weeks at a time to just play. For four weeks there are no cell phones, computers, or T.V. It is a rare experience for kids in today’s world.

Some of my favorite things about camp: waking up to the bell and falling asleep to chimes, taco salad and lemonade, teaching riflery and life guarding at the lake, scram at rec hall, prayers at vespers, lazy Sundays, fireworks over the lake on the 4th of July, inspection in the morning, mail from home, radio shows while it rained, air conditioning in the senior counselor lounge, friends who came back year after year, reading my Bible everyday, rockers on the front porch of the little theater, being the canteen queen, relay races in the gym, steal the chicken in the pitch black dark… I could go on for days.

I still escape there for a couple of days each summer. My mom is the Head Counselor for girls for 6 weeks; she is the “mom” of camp. She is amazing. I have never seen someone with more patience and wisdom. She is adored there; I am so glad she still gets to go! We have a great cabin on the lake and I usually find some time to go and visit her and to be a kid again myself. I always love telling my friends about camp, but it is such a treat when I am able to show them. I was able to take both Emily and Will this summer. We climbed the Ice Burg, slid down the Wet Willie, rode horses, and relaxed by the lake. Sharing this part of me with them was a highlight of my summer!

Here are a couple pictures from our adventures!