January, 2016

This weekend I joined the Pathfinder unit camp to make leader ratio.  We stayed at Shirley’s Cottage.  Shirley’s Cottage is a pleasant cozy cottage. I really like the cloak room and the general layout of the cottage. The site’s grounds are perfect for games and the old apple trees add charm.

Things you should know about Shirley’s Cottage:

1. There is no plumbing. Water is retrieved from the pump outside and it is latrine use only.

• RV anti-freeze should be poured down the sink drain to keep the drain flowing. This is on the cThere was a heater and light in the latrine, but we couldn’t manage to reset the breaker for these until we were packing up to leave.

2. The website says there are 12 beds (actually it sleeps 9).

• We were only 9, so there wasn’t an issue. Honestly anymore than that in Shirley’s cabin, especially in winter would have been too much.
• Actually there is 1 bunkbed in the leader room (sleeps 2), 2 bunkbeds in the girls’ room (sleeps 4) and 3 fold down futons (sleeps 3). Even though the futons were double, as per SG the girls’ need to sleep in separate beds.

This was a Pathfinder led weekend, so pretty chill for leaders.  The girls led the meals and the activities, which included hiking to and through the Brownie Trail, capture the flag and lantern making.

The Brownie Trail at the back of the camp is probably the best marked trail I’ve been on. Though it certainly was designed for the younger girls, the Pathfinders enjoyed it and another group enjoyed cross-country skiing through it.

We filled our cans with water on Friday night when we arrived. On Saturday afternoon we wedged our cans into the snow and took our hammers and nails to them.

Tips:

• Leave a little room at the top of the can for expansion.
• Hammer your handle holes first.
• Don’t be afraid to hammer larger holes for best impact.
• Larger cans are best, because the insides become sharp, which becomes tricky when lighting candles.
• Put them into a tub and bring them inside to melt.  Within a couple of hours the remaining ice will slide out.
• When creating the kit list ask the girls to bring empty can and a wire hanger.

Guider luxuries:

For me it is coffee.  My Bodum and freshly ground True North are my Be Prepared kit for sleepless nights.

Lights Out,

Torch