Hey, Pumpkin People!

Carving pumpkins is typically the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Halloween. After all, Halloween without Jack-o-Lanterns would just be weird…and wrong, wouldn’t it? During this time of year, pretty much everybody tries their hand at carving. It only makes sense that we recognize National Carve a Pumpkin Day.

Halloween is just days away. If you haven’t carved your pumpkins yet, I suggest you get to it today—despite the fact that National Carve a Pumpkin Day is actually on Friday, October 31…

This makes less sense.

Having National Carve a Pumpkin Day on the SAME DAY as Halloween seems last-minute and after-the-fact. That’s exactly why I’m posting about it today instead of Halloween (in order to give you a little bit of time and a fair warning).

It makes a little more sense to carve your pumpkins a week or so in advance and give your neighbors a chance to see your carving handiwork. Your pumpkins won’t go bad in just a week’s time.

You can trust me—I like to go ALL OUT when it comes to pumpkin carving! MY pumpkins have already been out for a week! So get out your carving knives and find some spooky stencils to use, or you can flex your own creative muscle while you carve your pumpkin freehand.

If you have enough pumpkins, it can be a lot of fun to make a night out of it. Enjoy some apple cider while you sit with friends or family and carve away! The more the merrier for an activity like this. You can exchange ideas for faces and help each other with stencils. Also, don’t forget to save your pumpkin seeds for a delicious and healthy, roasted snack!

Thanks for reading, Blog Fans. Now go cut up some pumpkins!

- John

Hey there, Fall Folks!

In case you’re unfamiliar with the Fall season (as the climate varies rather dramatically across our lovely country), this is the time of year when the leaves lose their green color and shift to a yellow, brown, orange, red, or even purple kind of color. After that they fall from the trees below to carpet the ground and blow distant in the wind.

Wisconsinites like all of us here at Everything Summer Camp (located in Boyd, WI) have grown accustomed to the pretty fall season, but never forget what a beautiful part of the cycle this season is! The colors are so vibrant and surreal. It’s fun to go tramping through these colorful, crunching fallen leaves. Autumn speaks loudly.

The fact that these leaves turn amazing colors and fall from their branches means that they’ve died, of course. As the temperature cools and the earth’s northern hemisphere moves away from the sun, the leaves are no longer getting the amount of sunlight they need to perform processes that are essential to their life (like photosynthesis).

Photosynthesis is the process in which leaves and other plant life obtain that lively green color. The same way that animals eat food to get their energy, leaves feast on sunlight. When the leaves don’t get enough sunlight, they can no longer obtain the energy they need for survival. But despite the certain doom this spells for leaves and other plant life, it makes for a stunningly beautiful season.

Accompanying today’s Blog post, we’ll be sharing our own fall pictures with all of you. Check out the beautiful, changing environment surrounding us here in northern Wisconsin. We hope they fill you with as much awe and inspiration as they do us. We truly do live in a beautiful world!

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Lovers!

True, it can be difficult to watch the summer season go by, but it’s important to remember that, for the time, it’s still here. I know, it’s not really the same with school back in session and the days getting shorter, but it’s not technically fall until September 23. So make the best of the rest and go enjoy the beautiful weather of the great outdoors.

Last week I talked about what a fun activity apple-picking can be. It’s always been one of my personal favorite end-of-summer activities. But that’s not the only fun activity you can do that marks the end of summer…

Idea #2: Sitting around a campfire. This time of the season provides perfect temperatures for campfires! Who doesn’t love keeping warm in a circle of friends sitting, hypnotized, around a fire? Enjoying some hot chocolate or some tasty s’mores makes a fire even better and keeps the chills away.

If you’re unfamiliar with the seasonal shift toward Autumn that we experience in northern Wisconsin as the climate varies rather dramatically across our lovely country, let me tell you, I’m sorry you miss out on this beautiful landscape.

Most people who live in northern Wisconsin revere the Fall season as their favorite of the four. It’s mine. The temperature’s typically in the Goldilock’s Zone of being JUUUST right! That’s what makes it so nice to sit around a campfire in the late evening and warm your bones.

As perfect as they are, campfires can suddenly become dangerous if they aren’t properly controlled. Here are some helpful tips from Everything Summer Camp to stay safe around a fire:

• Keep a shovel and bucket of water nearby.

• Keep extra wood away from the fire.

• Keep a safe distance away from the fire and watch for flying sparks when the wind picks up.

• Always assume that the firewood, fire pit, or anything else involved in the fire is HOT!!!

• Don’t leave a campfire unattended—not even for a minute.

• And, of course, make sure you have the help and supervision of an adult when dealing with fire.

Stay safe and thanks for reading, Summer Fans!

- John

Hey, Summer Lovers!

It’s hard to watch the summer season go by, but it’s important to remember that, for the time, it’s still here. Sure, school’s back in session and the days are getting shorter, but it’s not technically fall until September 23. And, until then, it remains summer. So make the best of the rest and get out and enjoy the beautiful weather of the great outdoors. The weather’s perfect this time of the season!

Everything Summer Camp will be helping you out with some great ideas for outdoor activities, not just today, but for the next three Mondays in September.

Idea #1: Apple-Picking. This is always one of my favorite end-of-summer activities. There’s nothing like taking a trip out to an apple orchard and filling your bushel with apples that were picked straight off the branch, touched by nobody but you. Doesn’t that sound good?

I have so many fond memories from when I was a child, walking through the seemingly endless aisles of apple trees with my family, climbing ladders to reach the perfect apple, running with my cousins because my dad and uncle scared us pretending to be bears…

It’s pretty hard NOT to have a fun time when you’re out apple-picking! After all, the picking process is its own reward in itself. All the delicious apples that you’ve picked along the way are a bonus for the days to come.

Luckily, there’s no such thing as picking too many apples. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but aside from an awesome snack, there are lots of things you can make to enjoy your hand-picked apples. Make apple sauce, apple cider, apple juice, apple crisp, apple pancakes, apple pie, CARAMELED APPLES!…

There’s really no downside to apple-picking! I know I’m planning a picking trip in the near future, how ‘bout you? Till next time, readers.

- John

Hey, Sports Fans!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!!! We sure are here at Everything Summer Camp! It’s finally September—when the weather approaches the fall season and turns ripe, providing us with cooler temperatures and relief from the merciless summer heat. It’s perfect outside and it all means one thing’s for certain—football’s back! This time of year, in golden, autumn weather like this, it’s only right to watch some football on TV and play a game of 500 with your friends during halftime.

That’s what a Sunday afternoon in autumn is all about! The 2014 NFL, regular season kickoff, however, is not launching on a Sunday. Instead, it’s TONIGHT with the Green Bay Packers facing off against the current Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field in Washington. The game starts at 7:30pm Central/Standard Time.

As Wisconsinites, here at Everything Summer Camp, our team is Green Bay. I think we’re a little nervous about starting out the season against the reigning champs, but we’re a good-lookin’ team who definitely could make this year the year we reclaim the championship and bring it back to Lambeau!

Football is football whether you’re a Packer fan, a fan of the Seahawks or if you root for any of the other 30 teams that make up the NFL. No matter who’s playing, it’s just good to see that it’s back!

So celebrate along in America’s most popular sport and join in the fandom that grows more and more every year. Football appeals to a lot of people which is good because the more people you watch it with, the more fun it is! (That’s partially why it’s so cool to actually go see a game at a stadium with a thousand other fans.) Throw a party and enjoy tonight’s game with all your football friends.

Thanks for reading!

- John