Pebbles in my Boots: Training, more training, and a bit of fun!

GUYS. I figured out how to get pictures again! YAY! We are back in business!

Week two of training has gone splendidly!

I was assessed in my Archery, Team Ropes Course, and Shallow Bouldering and passed each one! So now I am ready to lead my group of kids through the weeks to follow! We got our assignments a couple days ago of what age group we will be working with this next week. I get to work with 6 and 7 year olds! I am quite excited :)

On the 4th of July, I didn't really get to celebrate. Honestly, I have not been able to keep track of dates or days at all while I've been here, so it kinda slipped my mind until my sister asked me what I was doing for the 4th, and it was dinner by that time! But that evening we went on a Bivi Out (campout) and I got to make some smores, so that was my 4th of July celebration! ;)

Ryan, me, and my smore. They didn't have graham crackers and chocolate, but they had chocolate chip cookies. So pretty much the same thing... ;)

The bivi out was fun! We hiked to the camp site, made a fire, set up our tarps and sleeping bags, then sat by the fire and sang, had smores, sausages, and stick bread, and talked!

My stick bread! A German treat - bread with chocolate on a stick, roasted over the fire. YUM.

Also on the 4th we did an Emergency Procedures training which was quite effective and intense! We were given two big first aid backpacks and then the trainer would take 2-3 people off a ways and create a scenario which we then had to run to the scene and help the injured people not die. Quite intense and lots of blood. Fake blood, don't worry! The first scenario was a disaster and we for sure killed our injured people. But then we kept doing countless scenarios until we finally felt more comfortable in our ability to take care of any type of accident. I never got to have any serious bloody injuries, but I got to panic and then faint when my friends had fallen down into a pit and one of them got their eye stabbed with a stick. Then I also got to act as a drunk person, trying to force people to eat dinner. My director afterwards told me that, for never having been drunk before, I did a pretty good impression! haha And now I have a nickname of "DINNER" because of that. If I can get the video from my director, you will see why!

I got to go deep bouldering this week.

It mostly consisted of us going down to the sea and jumping sliding down large rocks into pools of water and then jumping off larger rocks into the sea!

And we went into a large cave, which had tons of jellyfish at the entrance! The first time we saw the jelly fish we all swam as fast as we could out of there. But then we found out they don't sting, so we went back! :)

This week I didn't adventure down into town as often. And when i did, it was for my phone to get it fixed. But while I was killing time yesterday in town while waiting for my phone, I came across a big community yard sale! After meandering through that a little while, I continued on and found a little farmers market right in front of the town visitors centre with people playing live music! That was fun :) Then a little ways further, I found an entertainer! He juggled some axes that were on fire, balanced spinning plates on sticks, rode a unicycle with three wheels stacked on top of each other while juggling some other stuff on fire! It was fun to watch! :)

And then after poking my head into some shops, watching a bit of FIFA in a pub, walking along the beach and in the sea, and reading a book at the library, my phone was finally done and I headed back to greenhill for a BBQ and soccer match. Summer Camp vs. Staff vs. Residentials. Staff won.

It has been a good week and I am so ready for summer campers to start arriving tomorrow! :)

Some more pictures for ya

Newcastle's Castle