Susquehanna

In the crazy last days of summer, a dozen young men plus leaders 

got out of Dodge and headed to the Chesapeake Bay.  We camped overnight at Elk Neck State Park, on Turkey Point in Maryland. We saw neither elk, nor turkeys, at least of the avian kind.

Greg was supposed to be on injured reserve, but couldn't stay away from the fun.

 It was a hot night, and not much sleeping was actually slept, so there were casualties in the morning.  We now know what zombies look like...

We were graciously hosted on the water by Gavin Duckworth, Troy Williams, and Steve Castleton, who donated a whole Saturday and not just a little refined petroleum product. 

We all suited up in fashionable personal flotation devices.  I don't think a single soul had to wear a MaeWest.

Chillin' before lift-off.

There were some what-if-a-shark-eats-me jitters, but you couldn't tell from the smiles.

Gavin, warning me not to leave my camera in my swimsuit pocket (this is what is known in literary circles as foreshadowing...)

Before the first ride, the grip of death was the common way to hold on.

After a few rides loosened us all up, things got a bit more relaxed

 

There was speed

  

and thrills

and spills.

 And even a little daredevil activity

 

 involving pyramids and tube-swapping.

 

Here is proof (on the one time that I got into the water without the camera--more foreshadowing here, see what I did?)  that old heads are also capable of fun and derring-do.

 Mostly we had a great day of fun in the Susquehanna River.

Although, most of us agreed with Bob, below, that the several gallons of river water we each gulped tasted nasty...

Near the end, several got to waterski.  I only caught Nate Luce on film before...

Say it with me together: I jumped in the river with my camera in my pocket.

Thanks to all of you who wished me and my nine lives camera and my rice bag luck, but it did not survive.  Fortunately, we have a backup camera, and the Philly saga will continue. Yay!

Soaring

Since its founding in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has served over 114 million youth.

2012 is the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout award. 

Through 2011, at least 2,151,024 scouts earned the Eagle Scout.  It is a long path,

but about 55,000 more earn it each year. By my calculation, less than 2 percent of scouts earn the award.  This summer, Thom Sorensen, 

son of Apryl Martin and Kelly Sorensen,

became one of the 2%, in the centennial class of Eagle Scouts. There were pins for mother,

father,

and the newest Eagle to join an elite aerie.

One of the capstone requirements to earn the award is to organize and conduct a service project.  Thom organized awareness and fundraising campaigns to emancipate slaves in the Sudan. The world is a better place because Thom Sorensen is an Eagle Scout.

Good luck to Thom as he soars to new heights in a new set of mountains.