6:30 AM came way too early for all of us.  It’s tough to get teary first thing in the morning, but the buses were ready to roll. 

“See you next year!” was heard over and over.  That’s the phrase that makes us feel better.  Just a few hundred days, and friends will pick up exactly where they left off.

Your camp director got teary today, too.  It happened as she walked onto a full bus to say her annual final good-bye.  “I love you guys”, she said, without thinking twice.   The touching words in response came from a chorus of seemingly tough and stoic guys who said, ”Love you, too, Arleen”.    

Words such as these are the greatest of gifts.

This evening was the first real rainstorm of the season.    It was an odd feeling to know that each and every boy didn’t need to be cared for, because he instead was safe and sound with the most wonderful parent in the world.

Thank you to so many who made the summer of 2026 the greatest in Skylemar history.  We’re most grateful for our wonderful parents, who entrust us with their most precious possessions.

The next thank-you goes to our energetic and incredible Skylemar campers, who warm our hearts and make us smile.  We believe in you, and are proud of how this summer you learned that you really can do it, whether it’s about improving in sports, becoming more independent or building better relationships. 

To every single staff member who cared for our campers in a hundred and one ways: Thank you for inspiring interest, for your patience, for reading chapter books at night, for nagging about teeth brushing, for managing a household of six to eight fantastic boys, and for doing whatever it takes to keep them all safe.

And finally, thank you to Lee and Herb for creating this special place in Naples, Maine, and for teaching us that we can make a positive difference in the world, one boy at a time.

PS

A million thanks to the Color War ghost writer who’s up at 2 AM , editing this Blog.  Friends like these are hard to find.