It's All Quiet on the Western Front.

Hello Troops,
Its 11:37 P.M.
All Quiet on the Western Front.
We are on the first day of the Space Center's very first Ultimate Camp. Twenty five of the 44 campers here tonight are on the Ultimate Camp.
Last February, as I contemplated this summer camp season, I created the Ultimate Camp by joining an EdVenture Camp to a regular one night Overnight Camp. Campers could sign up for just the EdVenture Camp, or the Overnight Camp or Both - thus, the EdVenture Camp.

Our Ultimate Campers will compete this EdVenture Camp on Wednesday at 3:00 P.M. At 3:30 P.M. they will get an additional three hour mission, then supper. After supper they sign into Overnight Camp four and join twenty new campers coming for just for the OV camp. I thought the concept was brilliant, if you don't mind me tooting my own horn. We have a four day, three night camp without all the work of designing a completely new camp.

Will it be successful? Ask me Thursday morning at 10:00 A.M.

This is our fourth EdVenture Camp. We are on the downhill slope toward the end of the summer season. As a staff we are praying for a peaceful camp. Last week's EdVenture Camp had its moments. We had several severe ADD campers and one young man that loved to roam the sleeping areas in the night. At first I thought it was sleep walking but now I'm not so sure. I don't think it was anything sinister - the kid was barely 10 years old. I think he was exploring. I'd get him settled then as soon as I went to bed he'd be up again. Finally four of the boys came to get me. They said he was pretending to be Golum from Lord of the Rings and was scaring them. I finally had to put him closer to me and the other staff.

I didn't get much sleep during that camp. He would lay there watching me to see if I'd drift off. If I pretended to go to sleep he'd slowly get up, testing the waters so to speak. I'd then open my eyes. He'd see me and lay back down. It was cat and mouse for several hours. He finally went to sleep.

It's all OK. It is what we do. We run a children's camp and we all know that children say and do the Darnest things.

It's 11:51 P.M. I'm hearing creaking in the loft. The boys are settling down and hopefully falling asleep. Jon and Todd are on the bridge. The younger male staff are asleep in the Odyssey. The girls are at the other end of the school with Mrs. Houston and the other female staff. Our high school boys are sleeping in Discovery. Kyle, our maintenance man, is working on the Galileo in the Cafeteria. It's difficult for him to work on the Galileo during the day. The ship is far too busy. Instead he's shifted his working hours to work during the night while everyone else sleeps. He was under the ship drilling something when I left him twenty or so minutes ago.

There's more creaking in the loft. That is the only sound I hear that tells me others are in the building. The sound of air moving through the air ducts is the underlying melody to the still one rarely finds at our Space Education Center.

We have a good staff. They are real troopers, each going the extra mile to ensure our campers have a good experience at the Center. I'm hoping they all sleep well. This will be one of our longest weeks of work yet.

I'm tired now. Midnight lies two minutes away. At the stroke of twelve the Space Center ghosts and goblins come out to play. I hope to be snugly tucked into bed before the last chime with my blanket pulled tightly over my head. Perhaps luck will take pity on his poor traveling companion and inspire our spirits to search for mischief elsewhere.

Good Night Troops,
Mr. Williamson