DMC is Finished for the Summer

It was a great summer at Durango Mountain Camp. Everyone had a blast - learning a ton, having fun and making friends.  Hopefully we see you next summer!

DMC connects with the White House

Dear Mr. Biden,

You may remember me; my name is Atlas Loutfi, I met you at the embassy meet-and-greet in Tokyo and had you sign my book. Recently I’ve been researching you and have been highly impressed by your political ways, especially with your vote for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002 and your help with securing the brief release of Fathi Eljahmi in 2004.

I am also impressed by your vote in favor of your $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 because it takes a lot to stand in front of your nation and vote for anything, let alone over a matter of $700 billion.

I thought that it was interesting that your birthday is only 17 days after mine yet you are 62 years older than me. I was wowed by all of your titles including Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, and United States Senator from Delaware.

I was looking at a chart of your advocacy organizations ratings and saw many high ratings among which public health, progressive taxation, and labor unions played large roles. I am amazed that you have come so far in such a little time.

Yours truly,

Atlas Loutfi

The Final Installment of the Yeti Chronicles by Paige

The Final Blog:

Well, hello all you Yeti lovers and Yeti stalkers. Yedboto and I went hiking the fourteener for Extreme Weekend. He carried me up half-way, and we made it up one fourteener. He decided to come back down to the camp with me because I was not feeling well. I had some altitude sickness, I puked twice the night before and still went up the mountain the next day! Yedboto spent the night outside looking at the starts, then he snuck into my tent because it was cold outside and all the other tents were full. After the hike, we went to the gas station and bought candy. I bought three things of chocolate, two are gone and I’m almost done eating the last one. The Yeti and I don’t do as much now, since it’s almost the end of camp, and I have to leave soon. We did hula-hoop with a really cool hula-hoop. It’s a weighted hula-hoop that is used for exercising.

That’s pretty much it. Yedboto and I are signing off. kbye.

End of Camp Thoughts by Sebastian

This is the best camp I’ve ever been to, I hope I can come again next year. It has been the best year because I was able to finish a really long book with Brittany. The book is Percy Jackson. I have learned a lot and improved in my writing and reading because of her. The activities here are so much fun. My favorite part of camp is the academics because I have fun doing them, not like at school where I am bored. Because Brittany does it in a fun way so that I am happy about what I am doing. My least favorite part of camp is leaving the camp because there are no bad things about camp!

My favorite memory of camp this summer was the camp out and being able to make lots of friends.

Important Snake Info from ENZO

The Western Diamondback snake is a very dangerous snake; it is a poisonous snake found in western Texas through New Mexico, Arizona and into southern California. The diamondback is a pit viper and venomous. A pit viper is a snake that senses body temperature, and a venomous snake is a snake that can eject venom. They live 15-20 years in captivity and 10-15 years in the wild. Because the diamondback can be lethal, it is important to know what it looks like.

A diamondback snake has a diamond shaped pattern on its back that is black, white, and gray. It is 3 to 5 feet long and weighs about 10 pounds. Diamondbacks have a rattle at the end of their tail; the rattle is made up of hollow segments. The rattle is composed of keratin, a protein found in human hair and fingernails. When threatened, the diamondback uses its rattle as its last warning.

Diamondback snakes eat numerous things. They eat chipmunks, prairie dogs, gophers, squirrels, rabbits, mice, and birds within reach. It kills its prey by injecting venom into the animal; the venom destroys red blood cells which makes it fatal. It usually eats one animal every two or three weeks; the snake swallows its prey whole.

The diamondback has many predators, but these predators do not always eat them. Horses, cows, and deer see the snake as a threat and try to stomp on the snake. Some animals do look to eat the snake, like eagles, kingsnakes, and foxes. Humans will also deliberately kill diamondbacks because they think the snake is bad.

Even though many people are scared, diamondbacks do not try to kill humans. Diamondbacks just defend themselves.

Make sure you come with anti-venom when you go on a walk were snakes are located. It might just save your life. These snakes are dangerous but if you have anti-venom you will survive the bite.

            While diamondbacks are dangerous snakes, they are an important species in the food chain. These venomous, pit vipers are decreasing in numbers because of human activity; humans should stop building where the snake lives in order to protect its habitat. Because their bites can be fatal, humans should be careful to leave the snake alone. Most bites occur when people try to capture or kill the snake. As a deadly snake, it is important for people to respect the snake. 

The 3rd and Final Edition of the DMC REVIEW

A Poem by Yana

They love to watch TV and movies says the large TV and stack of DVD’s under it.

There are dog bowls, and the dog toys say there are so many of us, and the dogs chew on us until we die

And that’s our story.


A Poem by Steven

Future Life

The creaking wood in the dense rickety forest told a story. A story of a college student trying to pick a major in photography.

A college student who loved to mountain bike with friends and sit around the crackling fire.

A college student who woke up early on summer weekends just to drink fresh-brewed coffee and watch the glistening sunrise. 

But in his eyes, the college student has just gone through another day.

To be continued…with life.

A Story by Objects by Ben

A love of reading
says the piles of books

A love of cleanliness 
says the lack of dirt on the floor

The hate of getting rid of things the over-crowded closets say

The love for the dog
Speaks the picture of him

The piles of things
shows the lack of organization 

He was tired
said the sounds coming from the figure in the bed

who finally got to go to sleep


A Poem by Alex Leal

The nicely kept sleeping bag, and the nicely kept pillows both say how he must be orderly.
The unkempt sleeping bag and pillow on the bottom of the bunkbed say how there must be two people in the room, and that he must be disorderly.
The nicely kept chest of drawers and the nicely swept floor say how they must take care in making things look neat.

The empty walls say how they must not be staying long.
The empty garbage can said how they must not have much trash. The mud-covered bike outside says how one of them must like to do mountain biking.
The lights that are turned off while they’re not there, say how they must care about saving energy and the environment.

The nicely kept rooms all say how these must be awesome people.

Sunny Day by Jeremy 

The garbage cans said the place was a wreck
The smell of rotting flesh gave the sign of a gang battle 
The blood stains on the ground was haunting the survivors 

The sirens made the hood sound like home 
The lines of empty bullet shells told the length of the battle 

The young girl watching in horror laid in in her own blood wishing she had the strength to leave 
The fire from the flamethrower filled the night 
The disembodied arms and legs showed the work of a mad man 

Then a soft voice came from the alley saying, “Turn back if you value your life.”  
The darkness makes a rush of cold and fear in your soul 

The flash of light reveals the headless standing figures 
A chilling voice makes a harsh indication that you are in the wrong place 
The pest devouring on dead bodies shows a filthiness 

The chill of night gives a ghostly feeling 
The beating heart tells someone is still there 

The flash of light warns of a gun shot 
The rush of pain shows the shooter was a pro 
You look down and you’re covered in blood 

The chilling voice from the shadows gives a warning “I’m going to killing everyone”
The shadowy figure approaches knife drawn to finish the job 

The burning of rubber sounds of rescue 
Then a soft voice says it’s too late 

The mad man approaches and puts the bowie knife to your throat and says “Justice is Death” 
It seems as if you are looking down but then you realize you’ve lost your head 

The sirens get closer and closer almost as if they are running toward you 
The scene goes black as you are headless and bleeding on the ground 

You regain consciousness after 2 months of horror and tragedy 
The man tells you it’s a miracle that you are alive 
You try and look down but all that is there is a body 
You look into the corner at your arms and legs reminding you of the horror you experienced 

Then you wake from the nightmare and realize 
That was the best dream you’ve ever had 

Another YETI Tale by Paige

 

Yedboto, the yeti, and I went rock climbing last weekend for the mini-extreme weekend. It was pretty cool! We had five kids, five counselors, and a yeti. We were assigning partners in the van before we went out to climb; Justin was paired with Andrew, Ben with Dana, Greg and John, and Sydney was paired with Hope. Zane had run into the house to grab his snorkel and wetsuit, so he and I were paired together (with Yedboto, of course). Clearly, I was supposed to babysit Zane, because we all know Zane…

 

First, we went to Adrenaline and I jumped from the tallest rock that we were allowed to jump off of. Most people jumped off of it a couple of times. Hope also jumped off it. It took her a bit of time so we don’t have a picture of it, but it was really cool. Josh busted his toe really bad, so now his new nickname is Toby, but he was a great sport all day.

 

Next, we went to Cascade but it started hailing so we hid under the rock for a few minutes while Justin was still on the wall. After a few minutes he had to take down the route and when the rain finally slowed down we went back to the van. We left because it’s hard to climb on wet rocks and not safe to use a wet rope. Zane and Toby were sitting in the car playing a license plate game and laughing at us all in the rain. Then we totally did not go to a hot tub and hang out there before going to Bakers. We jumped Bakers and then came back to camp. Yedboto had fun the whole day. He jumped Bakers and Adrenaline, but he wasn’t allowed in the hot tub (that we totally did not go to) due to shedding.

 

Overall, it was a good weekend. The rest of this week has been a little vague. I don’t remember much of what has happened but tutoring has been the greatest thing I have ever done in my whole life. Brittany is the greatest teacher and I wish I could be as cool as her. (Editing by Brittany)

 

Next weekend, Yedboto and I are going to camp out and hike a fourteener for extreme weekend! 

Repelling Off Bakers by Elle

Yesterday, during outdoor pursuits, I went repelling down Bakers. Repelling is when you go down the mountain instead of climbing up. You need a climbing harness and a belay to attach to the rope. You also need a bathing suit because we dropped into the water at the end of the rope. Bakers is a bridge near camp that is really high. We usually jump off the rocks into the freezing cold water, but yesterday we also repelled. It was fun and scary because I thought I was going to drop. I even jumped off the extremely high rock.

Masks

In writing class campers worked together to put on a short play. Also, they made masks for the performance.

Check out some examples!

The History of Pants by Natalie

 
I was getting ready and putting my pants on, and I thought, why? Why do we wear pants? Pants are comfortable and functional; there are many types of pants for various activities. I was interested in knowing about the history of pants. Surprisingly, I found out that the history of pants was connected to one of my favorite activities, horseback riding.

Before pants, people in many cultures wore skirt-like bottoms. For example, in Japan people wore kimonos, in Scotland people wore kilts, in the Roman Empire tunics were worn, and in China they wore traditional robes. People wore skirt-like bottoms because they were the simplest way to cover up.

 

Although the exact date is unknown, people started riding horses around approximately 4000 BC. People wore the skirt-like bottoms when they started to ride horses, but skirts were not ideal clothing for horseback riding. Overtime, riders started wearing pants because it was practical and comfortable. People who rode horses were often of higher-status. The new garment spread quickly because the wearing of pants was linked to people of high status.

 

In 2014, the oldest known pair of pants was found. The pants are roughly 3,000 years old; they were found in Central Asia. These pants were found on a nomadic horseman; scientists think he was a horseman because he was buried with a bridle, bit, battle-ax, and leather bracer. The trousers were made of wool and have a woven leg decoration; they resembled modern riding pants.

 

Men started to wear pants because of horseback riding, and I found out that bicycling played a roll in why women started to wear pants. Before women started wearing pants they wore long billowy skirts and corsets. Bicycling started to become popular at the end of the 19^th century. Women started to ride, but it was uncomfortable to ride bicycles in these clothes. Women traded their long skirts for bloomers, flowy pants that went just below the knee. Bloomers made it easier to ride a bike. Women wearing more practical clothing, like bloomers, started the Rational Dress Movement at the end of the 19th century.

 

People started wearing pants because of horseback riding. I was surprised to find out that pants-wearing was so closely connected to one of my favorite sports. I also found it interesting that the popularity of bicycling got women wearing pants. Today, I can see how other sports, like yoga, have influenced the types of pants people wear today. 

Proudest Camp Moment by Sophia

 

So far at camp, I am most proud of jumping off the cliff into the water 30 feet below. I jumped during when the camp was out at McPhee reservoir. It would make me even prouder if I did a flip or jumped in backwards. I am also proud of doing the extreme tubing because I stood up on the tube. I went tubing with Sebastian, and we had a fantastic time. Tubing and jumping were fun to do with my friends cheering me on. These were scary experiences, but I'm glad I tried. I'm looking forward to other extreme camp adventures. 

Hermosa Creek by Enzo

The Hermosa Creek Trail was the longest trail DMC mountain bikers have ever rode. The ride was challenging and rough but also absolutely beautiful. We saw a baby cub with brown fur blowing in the wind. I could smell the trees and dirt. I heard animals moving and the wind blowing by me. I heard leaves rustling against each other and rocks tumbling when bikes rode over them. The water flowing down the stream rushed by, making a swooshing sound. All around me were dense trees whose leaves were illuminated by the sun. The path wiggled next to the creek and through the trees. The trail felt rough under by bike. The steep slope made my muscles cry. After a climb, my mouth was desperate for water. Despite the scorching uphill, the trail was beautiful and picture perfect.

Sophia's Mini Extreme Weekend

On Mini Extreme Weekend, we went hiking near the Animas River. We saw
abandoned houses and old train cars. When we went to the beach near
the river, there were about a million mosquitos and at least ten were
on you every second. Right now I probably have at least 104 skito
bites. When the train came by we were screaming at it and waving to
all the people, and they waved back. After the train went by, I made a
fishing rod out of a stick. Fishing with the stick was difficult, and
Steffi tried it but fell in and lost it. We were also trying to skip
rocks, and Natalie accidentally hit Logan. Luckily, he was okay and it
was really funny. The hike down to the river was really steep, but
hiking back up was even worse. I fell about three times; my falls were
humorous, but I’m okay. The trip to the Animas River was exciting, and
I am looking forward to Extreme Weekend!

Horseback Riding by Kyra

Horseback riding is awesome. When you go horseback riding, you need a
horse. It is important to get your horse ready. You need to brush your
horse and feed your horse. You’ll need to saddle up the horse and get
reigns.  After that, you might want to do a couple of tricks with your
horse. Lead your horse to the corral. Get on your horse and start
riding. Try galloping. When you are done, you’ll get off your horse
and take it to their pen. Hopefully you enjoyed your horseback ride!

The End

DMC REVIEW: Vol 2

Check out some more works of literary art by our resident poets. Stay tuned for the final volume!

The House by Elle

The trampoline says the kids jump high; the door full with reminders says the kids are very busy.
The broken door handle says that we slam the door when we are in a rush. 
The worn out pool says they swim all day, and the playground says that we play until our arms hurt.
The messy desks say that we work hard in school and a home; the dirty cars say that we do lots of driving. 
The new house says that we will have more memories than ever.   

A poem by Steffi

She sat nervously down on the ground
The square tiles encountered her looking at her instructor, and she did as she was told.
The dripping wet suit, even more wet now, says she splashed into the pool.

The flimsy diving board saw her slowly getting out of the water 
The ticking clock said she was looking quite nervous as she put the rest of the gear on. 

The bubbles emerging showed that she was breathing heavily,
The surface of the water felt disrupted after the bubbles had emerged.   

The clock watched as she moved quite quickly, like clouds on a windy day.
Her fins weakened as her feet kicked nervously.

The sides of the pool watched as she took her regulator out of her mouth--
The life preserver now figured out that more struggles were about to come.

The dripping hose noticed that she was being watched by her instructor
The clock figured out that she might not be able to move on. 

The drain on the ground in the floor gazed upon achievement
The lights on the ceiling cheered as she high-fived her instructor and heard that she passed her test.
The doors opened and glared at the cheerful smiles of the group.


The Attic by Hope 

The mess and the disorganization with the dust piling and piling says she doesn’t mind the disaster.
The musty small says she loves old things; the suitcases say she has not left the country for a long time.
The books all neatly in a cupboard, the authors together one by one 
Say she loves to read. 
But the books are all dusty and one can barely see the title showing

She is getting too old to go back up to the attic 

The House by Sophia

The house was huge said the large, empty space. The carpets were dirty said the dust piling up.
The grass was growing said the buds in the soil.
The food was going bad said the refrigerator.
Everyday is night said the bats in the attic. The window is open on the third floor said the swaying curtains.
There are scratch marks on the door said the newly adopted puppy waiting for her owner to get back.
The mail flag went up said the mailbox. The door opened said the owner of the newly adopted puppy and house.


A poem by Scott

The vacant couch says no one is there; the empty chair explains that everyone is outside.
The clothes in the drawers say that he puts stuff away; the lack of posters and knick-knacks say that there’s a person who doesn’t make a mess.
The garage says that everything is hidden here. The car sitting there tells us the people are home.
The many trees say that they like to keep their house cool on a sunny afternoon
The people within are happy.

A poem by Karina

A dog sleeps under a desk; the desk has books scattered across its surface: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and some graphic novels suggesting that the girl at the desk likes to read.
A paper having the faint outline of a story and a drawing pad with a quick sketch of a dragon say that she’s an artist and a writer, but the eraser’s size shows she disapproves of her art—shows she has plans.
The textbooks are scattered on the floor, math, spelling, science, reading—the list could go on, yet the books seem loved at the same time.
She loves her online school says the computer. She also likes video games say the wii; Smash bros seems the most used.
A cat in a room, the dolls unused, the make-up unwanted. The desk in this room has Legos scattered across it; not Lego friends, but Ninjago. 
This is the life of one out of many.

Climbing Engineer by Jacob

Over the weekend I climbed Engineer Mountain with some campers, Kurt, Molly, and Cassidy. Once we made it to the top, we were very tired.  When we got up there, we took a bunch of pictures. Then, we started heading down, and there a snow patch. No one else wanted to do what I was going to do. I went sliding down the snow patch, but I was stopped by big rocks. Overall, it was really fun until it started hailing, and I got pelted by hail.

- Jacob

What's Happening at DMC by Scott

At Durango Mountain Camp I have been doing lots of things. To begin with, in tutoring we have been working on an essay about China. It is about the unification of China. During the Qin Dynasty Shi Huangdi was emperor and helped bring the warring states within China under his rule. Also, the construction of Great Wall of China began during his rule. Then, over the weekend we hiked Engineer Mountain. We did not make it to the top because it started to storm, but we got pretty close to the top and stopped at a lookout area. When we were coming down it started hailing and thundering, so we ran down and hid under a rock.  Finally, in art class we are starting watercolor paintings. Today we learned how to blend colors. We are going to start painting tomorrow. This is what has been going on at DMC.

- Scott

Important information about S.C.U.B.A. by Jack

There is a lot of information related to training and equipment that a S.C.U.B.A. diver should know.  First of all, a diver needs to become certified. Divers in training take a class that covers the basics of diving. Then, they are tested on what they have learned. Secondly, there is a lot of equipment for diving. Some pieces of equipment include a buoyancy control device (BCD), regulator, dive computer, tank, and more. The equipment is pretty heavy. Finally, after a diver gets trained, she or he can go diving at incredible places. This ability opens up much more of the world to see.  In conclusion, I think that is definitely worth your time, money and effort to get certified.

- Jack

The 17th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta by Paige

Floating at Dusk

Last night was the 17^th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta. As usual, the boats went swimmingly well, except for the boat named Timmay, it didn’t even float, not for a second. My group’s boat was pretty nice, it didn’t get past the first buoy, but it looked good doing it. There were leaches everywhere, a few people got sucked but not as many as you would expect. At the end of the races we had to load all of the soggy, water logged, heavy boat pieces into the trailer. I got to jump on top of them to flatten them. 

While we were racing our boats, some counselors decided to be hooligans. They started launching water balloons at as, but they have the worst aim in the world. I don’t think they could hit the side of a barn if it was standing right in front of them. Since Yedboto, the Yeti, cannot be seen he watched from behind the tree line and tried to scare the counselors. Yedboto also went camping with us last weekend. He helped me with the scavenger hunt, which was good because I was doing a pretty bad job. I ended up with the card to steal Greg’s Jacket for the day. I have also renamed Greg to be George the Durangatang. Yedboto and I send our love to all of you readers, our fans. 

Counselors Taking Aim

A Blog by CRUZ

Mice in My Room

Last night at 12:00 o’clock when I was sleeping I felt a mouse on my shoulder.

When I felt a mouse on my shoulder it was creepy, I hit it off, then I felt my face it was wet.

Check out this first installment of the DMC REVIEW... Poetry by Campers

Salt Lake City by Carlos

The salt on every table and counter say that we are in Salt Lake City and the people rushing downtown like rats in the sewer of traffic and late on time say that it's a very busy and crowded city.

In a small little corner of the city, a little green house says "hello" with his purple door. On a street with college and young kids, the house is lonely, yet that street doesn't seem so bad.

On top of the city is Utah's University with places to go and places to be and places to work and places to build.

My Room by Margaret

When you walk in you are shocked by he brightness of the walls, which say she is a colorful person.

The pictures say what her hobby is, as her feet dance through the room.

Then there is the loft bed, which shows that she can be messy…although she can be clean…says the room!

Rock Concert by Will

The people strung out screaming and shouting until their vocal chords break and their lungs pop like balloons say that Ozzy is loved.

The smell of food and beer come from behind in the hundreds of stands as well as a faint smell of weed in the bathrooms say that everyone is having the time of their life.

The noisy crowd gets louder as the band walks onstage saying that they have been waiting for Ozzy with grand anticipation.

Abstract outfits on the band members’ screen say that they don’t care what they look like.

Bass and electric guitars start first and a soft drum plays off in the background holding the song together as the speakers blast the tune they play—this says that it is free to be heard by all.

A poem by Paige

The mess on the floor says there are a lot of people; the makeup strewn about says girls live here.

The mousetraps on the ground say mice live there, too. The mice bodies behind the building say, they frequent the place.

The hammock out front says that they’ve been there for a while. The water bottles and shorts say it’s hot, but the coats and long warm pants say it’s cold.

The big box of candy says they like sugar. The locked box of electronics say they don’t get them often.

The empty trash cans that lay all over the place say the ceiling leaks.

The books that lay around say some like to read. The pencils say some like to draw or write.

The cabin says it’s old and tired.

Abandoned House by Mike A.

The man that lived here was a master carpenter, said the woodshop and furniture.

Hundreds of liquor bottles strewn across the yards say he was an alcoholic.

There was a woman, say the smashed picture frames, but something went wrong.

Crack vials everywhere say he had a drug problem. 

The stripped cars say he stole them, but he’s gone. 

Something went wrong…

Things by Teddy

She loves to draw say the pens and pencils littering the floor. She has a brother says the room filled with ski posters.

She loves her room says the clutter with the unmade bed and she remembers the kiss says the tin on her dresser.

They love each other say the pictures on the wall.

They have pets say the fur stuck on the carpet. 

They are active say the running shoes and the bikes, but where are they now, groans the house?

They have not been here for awhile whistles the crack in the window. 

Where did they go? Where did they go? Where did they go? Where did they all go?

Home by Payton

The pool says that we love to swim.

The hair on the floor says they have pets.

The toys on the floor say they have kids.

The neat, clean room says the sister is clean.

The fabric and thread say she likes to sew.

The fruit in the kitchen says they eat organic.

All these things say that this family enjoys their time together.

The Empty Place by John

The place was empty, said the sad house.

The xbox and video games were never turned off.

Panes never shut, said the windows.

The logs that made the house were rotting out, they were too weak to talk.

The charred oven said I was never turned off.

The lasagna on the counter was moldy and never eaten.

The car says the people left quickly and never looked back.

They Say by Adaley   

The winter is bringing a cold chill says the coat rack overflowing with coats.

The papers scattered across the table say the family is hard at work.

     

The cluttered room says the defiant children don’t won’t to clean there room. 

The pile of cluttered, tiny shoes say the family is active.

    

The basement scattered with computers say the father is hard at work. 

The cars constantly driving past the white house says that we are not the last house on the block. 

      

The patio with its ant-dusted table says the family likes to have dinner outside. 

The old piano sitting by the front door says the daughters are both musical talents.

        

The faded sidewalk chalk says that the children love to draw and the underwater photographs say the dad is an artist.

        

The wrap around porch says the family likes to see the view and the plants scattered around the porch says the mother has a green thumb. 

The empty house says it is waiting for its family to come home.

The Abandoned Mansion ~ Atlas

He was a rich man say the many well-stocked butler closets and polished wooden floors.

And a famous man, too, say the signed celebrity photos.

A man who liked parties also said the well-worn pool and deck.

But something went wrong says the blood at the edge of the pool.

Something done on purpose says the bloody knife at the back of the butler closet.

Something went wrong, they say.  

A poem by Enzo

The walls were dusty and very dirty said the huge stain on the wall.

There were very rough kids and mean kids said the tractor that was missing all its wheels.

There were many rooms said the half destroyed room in the back.

They had no neighbors said the long, lonely road.

There were crops destroyed said all the fallen crops.

They left and never came back said the whole house.

One day a machine came, said the tracks behind the machine.

The machine destroyed the house into pieces said the broken piece of wood.

Then a huge tornado came and swept the house away said the grass next to the place where 

the house used to be.

Now a new house came and was built said the same exact grass.

The new family came in well-dressed said the new house.

And these kids are very friendly said the new toys.

Now everything is ok said everything in the house.

Us by Jacob

Us guns were organized.

We hear the ammo say that they’re disorganized.

The bows say we’re right next to each other, but sometimes we’re separated because they take us out.

Us knives are just stuck in a bucket.

The gun’s closet says that I hold you all.

Poem by Natalie S. 7/13/2015

It was an old cabin says the creak on the front porch when you walk through the door, but it was full of laughter say the games and art supplies on the living room floor. It was mussy says the shampoo and makeup on the bathroom counter.

In the cabin there are many girls says the ten made beds all fluffy. There was plenty of heat says the sunbeam shining through the window.

There was drama say the slammed doors and weak hinges, however there was love says the couch with the imprint of where everybody laid.

They lived in the mountains said the cool evenings, but the hot days. They have lots of mice said the mouse traps that lay all over the cabin. They love candy said the massive box of candy laying in the counselor’s room.

No One Lives Here by Andrew

The walls were dirty said the coffee stain on the wall.

The floors were coming apart said the rusty nail in the floor.

The light said in a muffled voice I’m drowning in a heap of dust as the sun blinded it.

No one lives here said the bed frame waiting to be used, but the moldy old food disagreed with the bed as the mice munched away.

The house said no one lives here as dust fell from the ceiling.

A Poem by Sebastian

The gray feathers all over say a bird lives there and means that they’re not the cleanest campers around the camp.

The sawdust on the porch says that someone likes to create cool figures with wood material.

The walls covered in rockstar posters say that the cabin belongs to rockstars. The sound of the music is so loud and says there’s cool and crazy kids there.

The bunk is forced to pick up put stuff away.

The Lonely House by Rosie

There once was a lonely house that sat on a hill just waiting for someone to come, the green grass blowing around the house just waiting, waiting.

I wish someone would lay on me and dream sweet dreams, says the neat tidy bed in the empty corner.

In the kitchen there lay pots and pans, plates and bowls, shiny spot-clean silverware and knives, says the broken-down old coffee machine on the tiled counter. Maybe a cook lives here?

There is a lovely garden with tomato plants and roses, says the rusty rooster on top of the red wooden house.

They all say, I hope someone comes soon!

                           

Cabin at Camp ~ by Jack  

He likes to hang out and loves to chill says the Grand trunk hammock and he loves to be warm and cozy says the North Face sleeping bag and the two blankets. 

He loves to ride bikes says the scratched bike helmet and outside, the well-used bike says he rides every day.

He has big feet says the size 10.5 new DC shoes and the clothes in the dresser say that he put them away but not neatly.

He loves to play baseball says the very used Yankee cap, but the lack of equipment says he is taking a break.

In his small community he is known as Jack.

A Poem by Josh

The lack of people says that this is a secret place.

The wet spots on the rock says that they had fun in the water.

The crumbs on the floor say they were here all day.

The fresh turd on the ground says that the whole family was here, including the dog.

The forgotten towel says that they were having too much fun to remember to grab it.

The dragging footsteps say that they were tired.

A note from Jenny about the Work of DMC Poets

Oh! I wanted to say: These poems are modeled after the poem 'Abandoned Farmhouse' by Ted Kooser and were written in the DMC writing class.  Jenny

Abandoned Farmhouse

He was a big man, says the size of his shoes

on a pile of broken dishes by the house;

a tall man too, says the length of the bed

in an upstairs room; and a good, God-fearing man,

says the Bible with a broken back

on the floor below the window, dusty with sun;

but not a man for farming, say the fields

cluttered with boulders and the leaky barn.

A woman lived with him, says the bedroom wall

papered with lilacs and the kitchen shelves

covered with oilcloth, and they had a child,

says the sandbox made from a tractor tire.

Money was scarce, say the jars of plum preserves

and canned tomatoes sealed in the cellar hole.

And the winters cold, say the rags in the window frames.

It was lonely here, says the narrow country road.

Something went wrong, says the empty house

in the weed-choked yard. Stones in the fields

say he was not a farmer; the still-sealed jars

in the cellar say she left in a nervous haste.

And the child? Its toys are strewn in the yard

like branches after a storm—a rubber cow,

a rusty tractor with a broken plow,

a doll in overalls. Something went wrong, they say.

PHOTOS

Check out some photos from the last few weeks via the link below. The link is also now updated at the bottom of the blog.

DMC PHOTOS!

Andrew's Thoughts about Camp

Over the last three weeks of camp I have had so much fun, and it has definitely been worth three weeks of my time. I have done some activities that I would not have been able to do at home.  I have had the most fun doing sling shot paintball.  We ran around MJ's yard shooting paint balls at each other with slingshots. The other thing that falls very close behind slingshot paint ball is cliff jumping.  We first jumped Adrenaline, a waterfall with two cliffs on either side.  The second place we jumped was Baker's Bridge.  We didn't actually jump from the bridge because it is illegal, but there is 20 foot cliff right below the bridge that we jumped off into the freezing cold Animas River.  The third thing that we did that was really fun is river running.  We rafted down the lower Animas River through a huge rapid called Smelter.  The guide bribed us with Otter Pops to paddle through Smelter even when we were already soaked. Somedays we went on the upper Aminas where it was a lot calmer and slower and go stand up paddle boarding.  We did this with Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Touring.  The people who guided us down the river were really nice and kind.

     Cabins: One of the things that makes camp really fun is meeting new people.  By the end of camp I expect to know everyone's name.  All the counselors are awesome and really fun to hang out with.  There are four different cabins holding up to eight or nine people.  There is the youngest boys cabin with Zane and Greg as their counselors.  Zane guides Wild Colorado Outdoor Pursuit and Greg is a huge climber so he guides Climbing Outdoor Pursuit.  In the middle boys cabin, which is my cabin, there is Kurt and Spencer.  Spencer went to this camp two years ago and he is only 19 years old now.  Kurt, aka Truk (name spelled backwards), teaches Wild Colorado along with Spencer.  Then there is the oldest boys cabin with Justin, Kurt and Greg's friend who teaches climbing with Greg.  The other oldest boys counselor is named Daniel.  He is from Texas.  He goes to the Horse Riding Program.  Those are all the boys cabin, but their is still the girls cabin with 8 or 9 campers.  Cassidy and Molly are their counselors.  Cassidy teaches river running the first week and Molly teaches river running the second week.

     Tutoring and Academics.: Because most dyslexic kids don't get to go to a school for dyslexia, they have a really hard time learning at their school, but when they come to DMC the main goal is to focus on dyslexia.  It makes learning fun and so much easier.  They make it so much fun to learn and read and the context makes so much more sense.  For example, learning why different vowels say different sounds and learning Latin words and how they work and how the English language was formed.  They will help you with whatever you need help with.  They help you get ready to go to the next grade or to the next school for instance from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. Right now I am being helped with my typing and handwriting and spelling and reading.  They even have a daily class that focuses on writing.  In all, DMC is really fun, that makes learning really fun and also incorporates it with tons of outdoor activities.

John's Take on the Last Few Weeks at DMC

The last three weeks at DMC have been fun.  During the afternoon adventures, when I was scuba diving, I went straight down to 14 feet. Last year I was not able to go straight down, because I was not able to equalize.  I like the feeling of joy that not many people have been down there.  Climbing has been fun. Yesterday we went to Baker's Bridge and I climbed up the rock face that is under the bridge.  This was fun because it was a new place to climb. Tutoring can be fun too.  My tutor brings her doggy on Fridays and will bring her turtle on the last day of camp.  She adds a lot of movement to my lessons and I think that helps me.  I have two more weeks left and am looking forward to extreme weekend. 

Buddy Beads

Buddy beads are a great tradition at camp. After lunch and dinner campers and staff have the opportunity to recognize members of the DMC community for extraordinary achievements. Examples include taking extra steps to help out, achieving above and beyond expectations in tutoring, or being super kind to someone else. It is a great time for people to share what they appreciate about each other, and we are glad to have such a strong buddy bead tradition at DMC. 

If you knew about buddy beads and ever wondered where they came from, look below. Here are a group of campers and staff making some. Also, in the image is one of our amazing musicians at camp providing some beautiful background music. See if you can see who is who?

Week Two Update

Hello All,

Week two is winding down at DMC. Counselors are reviewing the events of last week and discussing logistics for the next, tutors are prepping or resting for tomorrow morning, and campers are relaxing and watching some movies. 

During the second week of camp academics really get going. This summer is no different, and we have settled into the morning routine of tutoring, writing, study hall, and art. Day campers are reading after lunch and nightly reading, for those living at DMC, is happening every evening after dessert.  Tutors are prepping and delivering OG lessons. Study hall proctors are assisting the reinforcement of those lessons. Writing teachers are working hard and helping campers produce sentences, paragraphs, essays, and creative works. Art was full of drawing, decorating the basketball court, and making t shirts. 

Outdoor pursuits have been a blast as well. This past week most campers switched their afternoon activities. Some campers are trying their hand for the first time with horses, mountain biking, and running the river. Wild Colorado and climbing are underway too. Also, a group of campers started working on their SCUBA certification. Afternoon rain showers put a tiny damper on activities a couple of days, but quick thinking counselors kept things fun with a trip to the Rec Center or just figuring out how to avoid the clouds. 

Finally, this weekend everyone had a great time out past Dolores, CO at the McPhee Reservoir. We had a blast boating and just hanging out at the camp ground. There were some great meals, relaxation, running around, and rainbows!!!

Brittany's Students Checking in with a Camp Update, Bucket Lists, and a Second Volume of Yeti Tales

Blog Week Two.

Sebastian:

I’m having a great time at this camp. This camp was epic for me, it was extreme! I have learned many cool things from Zane and a lot from Brittany. Brittany has taught me a lot of things, given me lots of homework, and helped me with my mistakes, my grammar, and my reading. She is lots of fun because I like to throw things at her like water balloons. I have been having an explosively good time with my friends, my counselors, Pete, and Brittany. This was an extreme week and I hope that I am coming back next year.

Elle:

Bucket list

1.       Go skydiving
2.       Have a pet hedgehog
3.       Get SCUBA certification
4.       Go to Bermuda
5.       Go in a cage with sharks
6.       Squirrel Suit diving
7.       Spearfishing
8.       Go to Costa Rica to surf (again)
9.       Learn how to do a flip off of my surfboard
10.   Learn how to do a regular backflip

I hope to do these before I die! My real goal in life is to have a hedgehog, I really want a hedgehog.

Cruz:

Bucket list

1.       Go skydiving
2.       Have a pet chipmunk
3.       Have a dirt bike
4.       Have a motorcycle
5.       Have a quad

Paige:

The Yeti: Volume Two

Hello human and yeti readers, since the last blog update the yeti and I have been talking. We started a book club and he is joining the camp ‘Trail of Pages’. Our first book club book is Shoe Size 42: One Yeti’s Story by Big Foot. So far, it is a good book, except for the chapter where he explains how he removed a large stick from his foot after being chased by yeti hunters. The book is hard to get a hold of due to the library’s yeti-to-yeti borrowing policy. That means only yeti’s can borrow the books and hunters cannot get ahold of them. Due to my honorary yeti status, I was able to borrow the book. The next book we read will be a human book, in order to be fair to both species.

Signing off,

Paige 

Honorary Yeti

Alex shares about mountain biking...

At DMC this year, I am doing mountain biking.  The first day of mountain biking our two counselors (Pete and Sydney) took us on a bike ride through the river trail.  When we got back to where we had started, we rode on the BMX park.  Then we went back to Camp.  The next day, we went to the rec center because it was raining too hard.  Then the following day we went to Horse Gulch and rode through there.  The weeds at Horse Gulch were all about three feet or higher on either side of us.  It was very exciting!

Thoughts about DMC Dining from Steven

The food at DMC is some of the best I have ever had. It is delightful to have this food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast they serve some sort of carbs (like pancakes) some sort of nutrients (like eggs) and some sort of fruit or veggie. Then you head in to a long day of academics and after all that you come back for an amazing lunch. That can from anything to tomato soup to a spectacular BLT. After lunch you get to go so many different places for outdoor pursuits which can make you very hungry. This is perfect timing for when you get back to dive into a ravishing dinner, which could possibly be a scrumptious pulled pork or a intriguing pesto pasta. But don't leave out dessert which may have some cake if it is a birthday or some pudding or even a brownie. After such a full day you get to have a long sleep and wake up to eat through the next day.

- Steven 

Poetry

Responding to a prompt in writing, Adaley wrote this...


The heat from the 
fire blazing so high, that's red.
The juices from a perfectly ripe 
cherry, that's red. 

The squeal from a fire truck 
rushing to help, that's red. 

The prick from a thorn
from a rose, that's red.


- Adaley Rhea