You should have seen it ...

I took Chris to the birthday party at the house of twins from his group at summer camp. Chatting with the mother, she asked about the upcoming parents' BBQ and the forecasted threat of rain:

"What do they do if it rains?"

It's never happened.

"But they are predicting a terrible thunderstorm during the time of the picnic"

The camp owner has it all worked out with the Guy who arranges the weather. Graduations, picnics, field days - never rained. I also told her that I present the counselors' tips to them at the picnic. Whether it rains or not, I'm going for that reason, at least.

"Do you follow the tipping guidelines?"

Yes (and then some).

"Well, I have it times two!

And I have it times three.¹ I bet mothers of twins trot out that line often among their friends.

I'd gone to the bank in Monroe for the tip money. The sky was dark and even light sprinkles hit the windshield. But when I got home, only a distance of a few miles, the sky to the south was sunny. I had nothing to lose by taking the kids over there but I made sure they wore sneakers instead of flip-flops, in case a thunderstorm necessitated a mad dash for the car! As we parked and got our things together, we heard thunder. Still parents' cars kept pouring in. Jeff called for status on the picnic because he had just driven through hail in North Jersey. I told him:

"I'm standing on the basketball courts and there's a line in the sky: to the north, dark clouds, to the south, sunshine. Come over, it's 'game on!'"

Lots of times the warnings of severe weather are for the City and stay just north of us. Only in hindsight does one realize that the projections were more or less accurate. Despite being spared rain, or maybe due to being spared, it was incredibly humid but the kids had fun. Chris climbed the rock wall to the zip line across the lake.


From their website

I wish I'd gotten that on video. He said he was shivering when he got to the top because he was scared. But he did it anyway!²

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¹ Except this year, Tim has a main counselor, two assistant counselors and one "Counselor In Training (CIT)." I was one envelop short last night because the CIT's existence, much less his name, was never communicated to me. The kid always wears a golden rosary necklace, how can I not tip him?

² He did zipline again tonight during the upper camp picnic but I didn't see him. Jeff rode the parallel line with him simultaneously.