A Week of Firsts

Well, this really was a week of firsts at Camas... it was filled with our first guest of the season (that's no typo... starting off slow and steady to ease in us new vollies), first meals cooked and reflections led by vollies, first lambs and bumblebees of spring, first Cuckoo heard, first day warm enough to wear shorts (in my cold-natured opinion), first trip for little Etinee up to the Trig Point, first time this year that the boat was in the water again, and the first week of really getting out hands into work around the centre.
Lots got done this week work wise... got some beds assembled, windows and walls painted, garden beds trimmed, and of course got the boat into the water (thanks to Mark Jardine). Hamish and Rosie finished the fliers for Camas' open day on May 1st, so we hope to see all you Camas friends down the track soon for a visit!
We also had a lot of fun this week star gazing, taking walks, eating lunch out on the lawn in the sunshine, dancing and singing, laughing, and learning about the wonder that is the Japanese Tenugui (seriously... look it up and all you can think is "how have I lived so long without one!"). "Easter fun" is on the agenda for tomorrow, so we will be keeping the fun going as we put on our Easter bonnets and look towards our next, guest free week of LOTS more maintenance and other bits and bobs to get ready for the busy season to come.
Happy Easter everyone, and stay tuned next week for more Camas updates!

Three new volunteers.

So, an update on the week before we had new volunteers, which saw Mary getting back into the camas groove, and bringing a bonny Etti down the track. We made yogart in a Haybox, with Liz's help. Friday was Emily's last day, she followed clues to find presents hidden around the garden. twwwwooo, twit twoooo. Tooo bad to see her go, but glad she'll be staying local!

Hello, I'm Cynthia one of the new volunteers, with Hamish from Australia and Natalie from the USA.

We all arrived a week ago and have started to settle in for our six month posting at Camas. I didn't have to come so far, just the Isle of Bute, though I'm really English. Well, we seem to be a musical bunch, with guitars and ukule

les everywhere so if anyone can add to our Camas u

kulele band, bring those ukuleles!

- A Camas chicken just flapped onto the beach, part of our seaweedy arty reflection.

We are just settling in for now so no really hard work at the moment, just understanding the routine and where everything belong

s. Highlights of the week were getting on the water in t

he kayaks, it was a first for me and I loved it. Then there w as a belated birthday party for Josef which involved a super cake made by Becky and iced to look like a vegetable garden. All of us dressed up as vegetables for the event, and we have posed for you all in the vegetable patch.

WOrk wEEk

Camas is fit for a new season, thanks to our mighty bunch of work weekers: Frank, Margaret, Bill K, Bill LC, Martin, Monika, Helen & Amy.

If you send us some photos of your efforts we will display them proudly here. In the meantime, we have tried to pay homage to your labours in verse. Ahem...

Wheelbarrows,
Ditches,
Windows,
Stitches.

Painting,
Patching,
Mending,
Making.

Bread baked,
Logs stacked,
Wood chopped,
Floor mopped.

Got a hammer?
Where's the spanner?
Work week,
Hide-and-seek.

Weeds out,
Screws in,
Washing up,
Lying down.

Sleep

Work

Eat

Stretch

Play

Pray

A Camas day.

And so, we wave off our wonderful (if worn out) work weekers and welcome back to Mary and (honourary Camas resident) baby Eti as they start work!

From ponytail to mullet to short haired Swede! Raising nearly £300 for Comic Relief in the process.

sHUT up

Well, the new hut is going up as I write. First class accommodation for a lucky new volunteer, with beautiful sea views, kindly provided with the hard labour of the Macclesfield cre8 group.

Becky and I have been viewing this from all angles, including in the sea, thanks to some super new pink wetsuits from Iona Community members ... thanks guys!

We've found that the new shack definitely fits the bill, especially when the other half of the roof is put on tomorrow. For the moment the workers have downed tools and gone on an Iona voyage, leaving their little boat 'Chutney' bobbing on the rising tide. Hopefully no tools are bobbing beside her.

Mary and wee Etinee have paid us a few visits this week -think we each managed to give her a hug, so she's getting used to camas already.

Josef's been pulling a tree out of the sea - good extra firewood.

Plenty of good weather to get out in the garden, check the pond for frogspawn, and generally see what's springing up. Emily and I heard our first skylark on the track. In fact I think I'd better make another track run now, there's plenty of wood needs collecting as it's still blimmin freezin, so need cozy fires at night.

Rosie x

The Buildings are Still Standing

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 has started (well, awhile ago), and the buildings are still standing. Last night we weren't to sure about that. A force 9 wind were shaking the buildings and as I was lying in bed I could hear the tiles on the roof flapping about. An inspection is scheduled for this morning, just to make sure that the buildings are actually still standing.

Biggest news at Camas: Etinée Fisher was born on the 23rd of January. She is a beautiful little girl and we are looking forward to welcoming her down to Camas!

Anyway. A new year and a new season to plan. In about two weeks we are going on tour to visit most of the groups that are coming to us in the summer. Some old friends and some new. I hope to see some of you then!

Josef

More snow than I have ever seen at Camas!!

We've finally caught up with the rest of the country and been blasted by blizzard conditions today. However, it did mean we had the chance to build a snowman with a spiky hairstyle made of Pavilion Shed icicles!