Family Winter Campfire Program

This last weekend we had our Family Winter Campfire program.  Despite some rather brisk wind chills, it was a good time, thanks to a toasty warm fire.

We started the program with learning how to build a fire.  The family had some good skills, but without enough fine tinder, their flames soon died.  We finally succeeded in getting a good fire going, thanks to some very dry wood from our sugarshack and the splitting axe one of our volunteers donated to us.

Once we got some coals glowing, we made appetizers:  dough on a stick.  To make these tasty delights, you get a tube of Pillsbury French Bread dough, break of a blob, roll it out like a snake, and then wrap it around a green stick.  Then you slowly rotate it over some nice hot coals until it is a golden brown and puffy.  When it cools, you eat.  Mmmm!

Next we had to prepare our foil dinners.  It was gourmet:  sweet potatoes, carrots, red potatoes, red sweet pepper, onions, and chicken.  You put a couple cubes of butter onto some heavy duty foil, add your ingredients, then fold and seal up your foil packet.

Place your packet in the hot coals and keep an eye on it.  You want to leave it on long enough to cook, but not so long that it burns.  We nailed it this time - about 20 minutes!  And oh, it tasted sooooo good!

The meal wrapped up with that classic campfire dessert:  s'mores. 

All told, the program was a success!  We're just sorry we didn't have a few more folks out there with us.  If you'd like join us for a toasty and tasty campfire program in the future, please let us know!

Soapstone Carving Class

Back in December, we were very lucky to have John Hoskins back to teach another soapstone carving class.  John's schedule is so busy that successfully getting him onto our calendar practically requires an act of congress, we were just thrilled to have him back.

John is a fabulous soapstone artist, as you can see by just these two carvings:

 

Since this was he second time out here, we changed up his class just a little bit.  Usually when he teaches, he has everyone carve a loon.  It teaches are the basic skills and techniques, and leaves you with a piece that looks like a pro did it. 

This time, however,  he also had Inuksuks as an option for the carvers, since we had a few carvers sign up who had already made loons.  The Inuksuk is an Inuit art form, essentially a pile of stones that look like a human figure.  They were originally used to mark caches or trails for hunters to follow.  Ours were much smaller and were made from a single piece of soapstone.

Soapstone is very soft, and once the rough shape is carved out with a saw, one uses rasps and files to "carve" out the details.  Dental picks work really well for fine details.

 

After you get your carving to where you want it (with the Inuksuks, we wanted to make it look like rough, carved stones stacked one on top of another), you start the sanding process.  Keeping your stone and sandpaper wet, you sand away, gradually working your way from 200 grade sandpaper to 800 grade.

After you get it as smooth as you want it, you are ready for the final steps:  heating it up (toaster oven or blow torch) and then applying beeswax.  This seals the stone, 

and then you buff it to a great shine.

 Interested in doing some soapstone carving?  Let us know, and we will try to schedule John again.

Thanks, John, for your time and expertise!

Hunger Games 2015

This last Friday and Saturday (Aug. 7 & 8) we had our fourth Hunger Games - Dahlem Style.  It was a busy two days, with 23 kids participating this year!

We spend the first day in training, teaching the kids a variety of outdoor skills.  Many of the skills we teach them will be "tested" the following day, while others are actually practical skills that they can use to help their chances in winning.

What do we teach?  This year, in addition to compass use, we covered knot-tying, 

fire building and primitive fire starting (hand and bow drills),

ways to acquire water (solar still, bags on leaves, and Indian well),

camouflage and sneaking,

and how to set a snare.

Saturday dawned overcast, and became rather humid, but we all started off clean and eager, everyone wearing the "regulation" blue shirt (so no one had a color advantage).

We hiked out to the Arena, an approximately 40-acre section of woods on the Dahlem property, where the Cornucopia of supplies was set up.  Each Tribute stood on a carpet square about 30 feet from the Cornucopia and waited for the signal to start.

When the signal was given, chaos ensued!  Some years the players all take off to hide, but this year most of them made the mad dash into the center to get supplies.  Each one has a bandana tucked into a belt loop or pocket.  If you lose your bandana (someone swipes it), you are "dead" - out of the game.  Those who get out make their way to the edge of the Arena, where they become part of the Perimeter Patrol.

This year only one unlucky Tribute got out during the initial mad dash.  (Not to worry - she got to go back in later.)

They were allowed to form alliances of no more than four people.  This way there was a little safety in numbers...at least for a while.  Toward the end, all alliances had to break up.

Throughout the Arena we had five different Skills Stations set up:  knots with Bob,

fire with Carrie,

water acquisition with Pat, snares with Michael, and compass with Ellen.  At each Skill Station Tributes were safe while they took the time to demonstrate the skill being tested.  If the skill was demonstrated successfully, the Tribute had a choice of "prize" (food, water or insect repellent), and got his/her skill card marked for passing.  If the skill was not demonstrated successfully, the card was marked as a "not passed."  Each Tribute was required to have three successful demonstrations in order to qualify to be a winner.  If, at the end, we ended up with, say, six Tributes who still had their bandanas, then the one with the most successful skill demonstrations would win.  In other words, it paid to know the skills we taught the day before!

I was able to catch one or two good chases in action.  The Tribute being chased here was able to get away from both his pursuers.  In fact, all three of these kids made it to the end.

Some used the camouflage and sneaking skills we taught to good advantage.

About an hour before the Games ended, all those who had gotten out were sent back in as Mutts.  They were required to stay together as a group and to bark or howl the whole time so the others knew they were Mutts.  Mutts are allowed to get the other players out, but they don't have a chance to win themselves since they are already "dead."

Here they all are after the Games ended - some a bit muddier, and all a bit more tired and sweaty than when we started.

We had a pizza party afterwards, and everyone received a certificate of participation.

We ended up with five or six players who did not get out.  Most had the required three Skill Station passes, but two had successfully completed four, and they were our winners.  Congratulations Renae and Alec.  They each won a $15 gift certificate to our Nutshell Gift Shop.

And, of course, this program would not be possible if it weren't for the help of staff and volunteers!  Many thanks to Ellyn, Rick, Pat, Michael, Carrie, Kathy, Bob, and Gary!

We have been on the fence about doing this program again, but the kids are really still quite keen about it.  If we can get enough volunteers to help out next year, we will probably do it.  If you would like to help, please give us a call!  You can even plan ahead - if we do it in 2016, it will be August 5 & 6.