Work Week at Camas

Work week at Camas and a group of willing and eager volunteers make their way down the track to help prepare the centre for the arrival of a new season of guests. For some of the volunteers the week represented a return to a place of fond memories, whether having attended previous work weeks or worked at Camas as a volunteer. For me this was my first visit to Camas and immediately I was struck by the beautiful setting, warm welcome and abundant enthusiasm of the Camas staff team, not forgetting Tawhai who has settled in to his recently acquired role as Camas ‘top dog’… After a quick tour and a much appreciated tea and scone, a few of us set off for a walk to nearby Market Bay. Trying hard to avoid sinking into a deep bog (despite the sunshine the ground was still very wet) we arrived at the bay to be greeted by white sands and a calm sea. As pleasant as it looked I was more than happy to enjoy it from the beach but, after a long days travelling, one of the volunteers braved the cold waters for what I can only imagine was a very refreshing dip!

Tawhai at Market Bay

During our week we were blessed by some unusual spring sunshine which, along with the views of the bay from my bedroom window, made getting up in the morning an all the more pleasant experience. Even the lack of wind towards the end of the week which meant that there wasn’t enough energy harnessed from the wind turbine for a warm shower didn’t put me off!

Starting the day with a hearty breakfast of porridge, fruit and scones provided us with the sustenance we needed to set to work. On the list of jobs for the week:

·         Repairing the track

·         Sanding and painting ceilings, walls and floors

·         Clearing brambles

·         Chopping up kindling

·         Cleaning windows

·         Sanding and painting wheelbarrows

·         Repairing the sheds

·         Planting seeds

Whilst the father and son duo headed off up the track with their wheelbarrows to carry out the ongoing hard task of track maintenance for the first few days, the rest of us stayed closer to home working in the dorms and in the garden. There was never a dull day with lots of varied work to keep us busy punctuated by plenty of laughter and, of course, plenty of tea breaks. Nature too provided us with opportunities to reflect on the beauty of the place in which we were staying; from the local sheep making their daily pilgrimage to the small tidal island to the fins of a pod of dolphins spotted out in the bay, there was no forgetting that Camas is a special place.

The sense of community is something that I think we all found truly inspiring about life on Camas. Whether you are a member of staff, a volunteer or a passing visitor, you are welcomed into the community with open arms. Mealtimes provided the opportunity to not only reflect on the day but also to get to know each other and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to spend my time at Camas with. Thanks to some talented staff and volunteers I can also honestly say that I haven’t eaten so well in a long time. There is nothing better than home cooked food and freshly baked bread and cakes. Amazing! Being a less adept cook, I set myself my own personal culinary goal to bake bread for the first time with Jon, the Camas Coordinator, another bread making novice. The timing was touch and go for a while but it all worked out well in the end with everyone fed and happy. Shop bought bread will never taste the same again!

At the end of a day of fresh air and hard work the log fire provided welcome relief (or a blazing inferno depending on who was in charge of keeping the fire going!) from the coolness of the starry night outside and the perfect setting for evening reflection, some music, reading and even knitting lessons by candlelight! A walk to the top of a nearby hill was also a magical moment as we watched the sun setting over the islands. On the final night we looked back at our week together and what a week it was. I think that I speak for all of us when I say that there are memories of that week that will be forever with us. Thank you to everyone who made it so special.

On Tour

So... many a thing has happened between high tide and low here at Camas, and we know (we really do) how late this update is.

When Becky and I began our Camas year we got off the bus in the dark, and were met by Josef, Jon and Tawhai (the dog) with torches and wheelbarrows. Jon, the new Camas co-ordinator was particularly pleased that his afternoon had been spent on the sea, canoeing between Camas and Bunessan where on this perfect calm day they had been practically surrounded by sea Eagles and Otters. I hope this is the start of a great time at Camas for him.

It seemed like I was barely back to the Hebrides before I was back on bus boat and train with Josef, to visit lots of the groups who came up to camas last year, and who may be coming up this year.

A big Thank You to everyone for your hospitality.

Josef was greeted with rounds of TT in Glasgow, and we got plenty of cake. It was really great to recognise faces, and hear all the strange things you remembered from your holiday. We are now looking forward to all the new people coming with juggling skills, and knowledge of the Seas of Europe.... but Josef wasn’t born in one of them.

I nearly thought I was back at Camas as I sat making friendship bracelets with folk towards Manchester way (one dressed up as a tiger) then eating ‘golden slice’ for a shared dinner. Then beautiful train journeys through the Pennines, to steaming mugs of hot chocolate at a very busy youth cafe. It was so nice to see familiar people who dropped in to catch up, and everyone who remind us of the rules of UNO.

There was so much to see in Sheffield, that a day didn’t seem enough for exploring the cutlery weaving, printing and felting workshops, working gardens, and drama and film studios (the list goes on). Luckily students who go to the college get to spend 3 years there; it was great fun to see what old friends were making, and to be introduced to many new students. Well the food was so good, and there was so much to learn, we had to go back.... but that’s a different story.

Thanks for our stay everyone, we look forward to your visits to Camas.

Rosie

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have had a great Christmas and New Year and that 2012 has gone off to a good start.

2012 is going to be an exciting year at Camas. Mainly because every year at Camas is quite exciting but also because of special fun things are happening. You might be aware of the fact that Mary has left Camas after 3 years of being the Commander in Chief. That in itself is not very exciting. It’s quite sad actually. She was (and still is – But I haven’t actually met her since she left) great, and will be missed by staff, guests, chickens, various seabirds and ticks. If I could make my own Camas ‘mount Rushmore’ on the quarry her face would be forever carved in pink granite.

The exciting thing that I’m trying to get to is that we have a new top dog coming in. A new chief, a new boss, manager, commander. A new… ehh… well, a new Co-ordinator. Mr Lloyd, Jon Lloyd, will be starting his post within short. And we are all (well, at least me, since I’m the only camas staff actually at Camas, but I’m sure others are too) very excited to welcome him, and soon after his arrival , other Camas staff will come back and the season will be up and running. Can’t wait.

The other exciting thing is that the little hut that Camas has on Iona is going to be refurbished. Holes will be filled in, things will be painted and, well the whole thing is pretty much going to be replaced. That makes me excited. No more strategic placements of buckets to catch water through leaks in the roof. No more lying awake on a stormy night wondering just how much it hurts to have a building collapse on your face. No more trying to guess where the mouldy smell is coming from and what long-term effects it’s going to have on my respiratory system. Again: can’t wait.

Apart from all these special excitements, Camas is going to have yet another season of fun. We have a terrific bunch of people lined up for the summer. A lot of groups coming back from previous years, and many new people are about to experience Camas this summer.

That is all from me at this time. A wish I had a camera so I could show you pictures of what Camas looks like in January. But I don’t. Maybe you can all draw a picture of what you think Camas looks like in January, post it on our facebook page, and then I can say which one is closest and everyone will know what it’s like. Do that.

…

New game!

Allow me to apologise for the lack of blog post the last little while. I understand that you have all been waiting eagerly for the latest updates of what goes on at Camas. The truth is, not very much.

I don't mean to say that Camas is boring during winter. Or that the staff are sitting on their bums waiting for spring (although, today has been one of those days). There are lots of things to do. And there are lots of things (if slightly fewer) getting done. What I mean to say is that the things that I do do are not very inspirational. Starting a blog with 'today i was feeding the chickens', or 'today I was sitting inside doing office work all day' doesn't really seem like (or at least not very good) creative writing. Today I feel like there are enough collected moments from the past few days worthy of a blogpost.

If you have been in Scotland over the past week or so, you probably felt the breeze that came over us. We did too. I am happy to announce that Camas is still here. There were some scary moments but we all survived it. People, cats and chickens are all standing up. I spend most of the day inside listening to roof slates clattering above, wondering how many I would find, or not find, on the ground the next day (none were found, it's harder to account for how many were not found). Occasionally I had to run outside and pull a wheelbarrow from the sea, tie things to other things, close doors, etc (was contemplating tying string to chicken, and using as kite). It was an interesting day, but glad it is over.

And now to the title post. Today has been another windy day, and I'm proud to say that another Camas game has been invented. Track surfing!

• For 1 - 99 participants
• 18 - 30 years of age (if you are an old person you tend to not track surf, weak bones and all that, under 18's would not get parents consent anyway)

Needed:

• A windy day, preferably a northerly or southerly wind.
• A big jacket
• a wet track
• bad boots

How

Run with the wind in your back. Step on to the slippery track and let the wind carry you along. Longest continues surf wins. Broken bones, pierced skin, scraped face and sore bum will result in not only pain (and enjoyment by other participants), but also in minus points or in the case of serious breach of rules, disqualification or possible hospitalisation. Let the fun begin!

(don't try this at home without parental consent)

Also

Camas would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope to see you at Camas next year!

Saws, Soup and Sunshine

Huath in Celtic, the fine Scottish native also known as Hawthorn was no match for our newest volunteers who had tree surgery at the top of their list of Camas tasks.

Two lads who had visited Camas earlier in the year decided to come back for more... and this time with much more hard work involved! They brought two tutors along, who also turned their hand to pruning branches and toppling timber on our first day of work exchange.

Sprucing up our native woodland area, and letting some light through!

Totally rearanging the polly tunnel, to have lovely low veg beds, accessable on all sides was made into a short task by some of the team!

After a tea break there was often a mysterious disappearing act, followed by the ghostly thud of footsteps upstairs, and the clatter of table tennis balls. Sometimes our hardy workers reappeared in the kitchen ready to cook, or do a track run, or lay the table for lunch.

Some delicious chutney was brewed, veg neatly chopped, and wood sawn for the winter.

The weather was dry for some fabulous green carpentry outside.

And an arched, gothic seat was created.

Of course a highlight was the beautiful last night reflection, where we looked back on how the week, and all that hard work had made us feel. Although it could be argued that gasious emissions were at an all time high, there was plenty of laughter and good feeling to go around, especially as we each got to sit in the seat of glory!
I hope you managed to open the windows sometimes on your way home!
We look forward to visiting you guys, and exchanging work in the garden.
Rosie Speakin signing out x

Camas Volunteers - a tribute, yo

Here we are, the ragtaggle and rather splendid Camas crew of 2011.

Our season is finished and we hope it was full of the best sort of memories for all of you who braved it down the track. Thanks for sharing Camas with us. Without these swashbuckling volunteers the good ship Camas would surely have floundered. Big love and a big hand to:

Adam
Autumn
Hamish
Kieran
Maddie
Natalie
Rachel
Rob

We've put up some flattering mugshots to remember you by as the long, cold, lonely winter descends...

The Autumn Collection - Part III (Exploring Creation)

Kathy Galloway hosted another creative adult week at Camas. We welcomed fifteen folk from all over Britain and beyond. They contributed to the common life and enjoyed the autumn colour of Camas, exploring nature, creation or 'The Big Book'. Some got the full sensory experience plunging into the big old sea for a swim. Others took the water in kayaks and got up close to the lichen-crusted coastal rock. Others took on the rock and abseiled! Folk were encouraged to pick up paintbrushes and pens and make art. Evenings were spent in cosy conversation. One highlight was a gorgeous sunny, sunny day (the last of the summer, perhaps?) spent on Erraid, the tidal island of Robert Louis Stevenson's Shipwrecked fame. The end of the week was celebrated with a delicious curry night, entertained at our seats and a final, thoughtful reflection from Kathy. We hope your sunny days at Camas stay with you all.