Alumni Question of the Quarter: Winter 2024
For the next edition, we want to hear your stories about the legend of Mohawk Charlie. What version do you remember? Do you still avoid wearing red shoes, just to be safe? Send an e-mail at alumni@campmohawk.org or leave a comment on the Question of the Quarter thread in the Camp Mohawk Alumni Association Facebook group.
What was your favorite or funniest animal encounter at Camp?
Tierney Steele Callaghan: Bruce, the great white skunk. He had been spotted around camp and everyone knew to look out for the albino skunk. I was on OD at Jawak’s picnic table and felt a cat rubbing against my leg. But then I realized I was at camp and it WASN’T A CAT! He took off waddling across the Jawak field instead of spraying me, thank goodness. And even cuter, the next year there was a regular skunk with babies…and two were white! So I think Bruce became a proud papa. Perhaps there are still descendants terrorizing camp after Taps.
Laura Maturo: Bruce startled me too when I was on Jawak OD! I radioed the office because I was terrified and Fran radioed back with “You’re at Camp. That’s nature, Laura.” Worst part? I was the nature teacher!
MJ Curtin May: I remember watching over the top of the Quad one night and waiting for Andie Arlen to bring me a little treat from the dining hall. I stood up next to the picnic table and felt a fuzzy, warm touch on my leg. Turning my flashlight down to my feet, I was horrified to see a skunk rubbing my leg like a kitty. I was terrified to move, so when Andie approached with a peanut butter sandwich, I blinked my flashlight on and off a few times and Andie stopped! Whew, in a few seconds, it lumbered away. Needless to say, I was relieved and found that I was in need of some dry pants!
Martha Connors: Bats in your hair :/
Paula Stewart Iken: When I was a Mohican counselor, we took the unit to the all-camp campfire behind the Oscadees to sleep out under the stars. In the middle of the night, I woke up because I felt a weight on my feed. I peered down and saw a skunk sitting on the bottom of my sleeping bag, on top of my feet. “Oh, no!” I thought. “If I move or scream, everyone will wake up, and we’ll all get sprayed.” I relaxed, closed my eyes, and luckily fell back to sleep. Skunk was gone in the morning. Phew!
Cathy Horne: While camping with a unit at Housatonic Meadows, trying to comfort a camper who was terrified of raccoons while a raccoon walked two feet behind us. And then later that night, all the kids asleep, the staff hanging out over the remains of a campfire, looking up to see 10 pairs of glowing raccoon eyes in a semicircle around us. Then we were all afraid to go to sleep!
Lynne Ann: Mice who would somehow grace the window threshold and leave droppings next to my head every night in the Unit Leader’s cabin!! They were so sneaky!!!!
Britt E. Anderson: When I was a CIT, one morning there came a blood-curdling scream from the middle room where Sherry (CIT leader) slept. I jumped out of bed and ran in to discover that a mouse had given birth on her pillow right next to her head. To this day, I don’t really like mice.
Maria Maria: The year a bear family walked through camp, I think through Oscadee or Mohican units. I was safe in Jawaks!
Comentarios