There are some parts of camp that are eternal, timeless. A good campfire is one of them.  It could have been PFC’s year one, 1931, last night when girls gathered at the campfire site.  The stars were brilliant and so was the spirit. The oldest campers, our Counselor Assistants (CAs) led the singing with cheers and songs that they brought back from their travels to Costa Rica. Mickey played a song on the guitar and by popular demand led a rousing version of the 3 part round, “One Bottle of Pop…”

Finally, before the traditional “Taps and Friends,” the girls sang a beautiful rendition of the Pine Forest alma mater, “When Lights are Low.” Coincidentally, its author, Elaine Charny (Netsy Wolowitz Black’s sister), was visiting camp yesterday! She wrote the words in 1953 for Color War when the themes were Circus Gold against Showboat Blue.  Its melody is the big band tune, “For All We Know” and its words ring true today as much as they did then, when it was sung for the first time, “…the friendships we made, we always will treasure…”

The campfire ended with s’mores until we were all full! As the fire died down and the embers lifted into the starry night, our hearts were too.