Today began with a beautiful snowfall that coated all the trees and somehow did not impede travel. We revelled in the beauty of the day and rallied to meet the demands of the weather. These days are such an opportunity for building strength and resilience, picking up some useful outdoor (and life) skills, and meeting the day fully- on days where we usually might be inside. What wonders await when we dive into a new experience?
Almost everyone was dressed for success today! A few cold folks that could layer up a bit more in the next few weeks, but we kept everyone warm, busy and happy. After some gratitude and some fun during Opening Circle, we oriented to the craft of the day.
Atlatls: This tool appears in the archeological record right smack in between the spear and the bow and arrow, to put it simply. It’s a hunting tool (and target practice weapon for us modern folks!) that uses a long dart, three to four times as long as an arrow that is launched using another stick. Sound complicated? It’s really not. It’s so darn simple that even a caveman could use it- and so do we! Today, at camp, students skinned the bark off their long Dogwood darts and began the process of heat-straightening them. Next week we will pick up where we left off, to get ready for a final hunt and feast!
During our time at camp, each group was tasked with preparing a natural adhesive of two different kinds. These will be useful for fletching the darts. The Grey Foxes essentially turned a can of Birch bark into a thick viscous tar that will be simmered to the perfect thickness for a glue that was once produced by own distant cousins, the Neanderthals (I know there’s a lot of nerdy Stone Age stuff going on, but it’s so darn fun!). The other group, the Bobcats, simmered scraps of animal skins to produce hide glue, another tried-and-true method that only recently was replaced by a petroleum-based Elmer’s glue. Both groups had a successful morning, working on their crafts, talking and laughing, telling jokes, listening to scary stories from staff and telling their own.
Over lunch, we shared a bit about the old Celtic traditions, as we understand them, that gave way to Halloween. We pondered what it would be like to be facing a long dark winter with only the fruits of our own labors to sustain us. We also indulged in some Hemlock tea, picked and brewed right on site, that’s chock full of vitamin C and good for colds and flus. Alana brought in honey to sweeten it- from her own bee hive.
To wrap up the afternoon, we concluded with another round of Hive Wars (a Capture the Flag–like game that is based on honeybees’ natural history).
—Josh and the Cobblers staff, October 30, 2020