Dear Mom,

Day 2 at Ockanickon was great!  We barely saw Mr. Vohs.  I think the principal or whoever is in charge took him away.  Don’t worry, the Polar Bear, Mother and the Real Fisherman know what we are supposed to be doing anyway.

They got us up real early.  And by real early, I mean oh-dark-thirty, for some kind of Polar Bear reunion at the pool.  Mr. Vohs told us to just swim in our shirts because they were dirty.  It was kind of like doing laundry while you got to wear it.  Can we try that at home?

After swimming, we hustled to breakfast.  Good thing, because it was pancakes and sausage.  Did you know that coffee can really wake you up?  No wonder you and dad drink it all the time.  I sure hope my teachers next year let me drink some!

You really didn’t want me to take a bunch of silly merit badges, did you?  There so much more I can do here.  Mr. Vohs even agreed that I could be in charge of cleaning the latrine, whatever that is, if I didn’t want to work on any merit badges.  I bet you didn’t know if you don’t drink water that you get to visit the air conditioning building and see a really nice lady who ooos and cooos over you almost like you do mommy!  I sure can’t wait to see her again…and get in that air conditioning!

Lunch time got here real fast…and they didn’t even wait for me to go to the dining hall.  Seems kind of unfair to make me and my buddy be responsible to walk to the dining hall on time, every meal.  You told me the leaders would serve us our meals.  The cook is pretty nice and he does a great job, especially considering he is cooking for like 800 people.  Of course, no one cooks like you.  Will you make me my favorite meal when I get home?  Better yet, can you make it tomorrow and send it overnight?  The mailman here has to make several trips a day.  He said he wouldn’t mind delivering dinner if you send it.

Oh yeah, lunch was meatball subs.  Except the meatballs were a lot smaller than you make.

The afternoon was as busy as the morning, except it went even faster.  I’m going to be home before you know it.  The adults tell me I’ll get to go home even sooner if I keep playing with those cool matches I brought from home.

I still don’t get why I have to drink water and wash my hands before every merit badge class.  I mean, seriously, how much water do they expect a kid to drink?  And if I wash my hands one more time, I am sure the ink will come off and I will have no clue what my schedule is the rest of the day!

Dinner sucks…oops, can I say that?  They make us wear our uniforms, which are all wrinkly.  Apparently, no one comes by our tents and picks up our clothes and folds them during the day.  I really miss how you wash and fold my clothes!  The food was great though.  The cook made roast pork for everyone!  How in the world does he do that all by himself?  He must have a really big oven.  He also made cheesy potatoes, but not they way you do.  They were good, but it still isn’t like home.  And the green stuff…don’t get me started.  No kid should ever have to eat that!  The pie was great.  Mr. Vohs said it was only for the leaders, but I snuck a piece anyway.

After dinner we get to line up and take the flags down.  They fired that stupid cannon again…and I think I need new underwear.  Brennan gets to report we are all present and accounting or some other math question.  I still don’t understand it, but it is fun anyway.

After dinner we finally got some free time.  The pool was great.  There weren’t any Polar Bears in it this time, so we didn’t have to watch out and worry about any bear attacks.  Mr. Pinder even tried Mountain Boarding.  The took him away in a cool ambulance with lights and sirens, and the works.  I sure hope he gets to come back soon.

Magic.  Do you know what that is?  Well, I need you to send me money, because I want to buy Magic cards.  Some of the fellows play all night.  We also played another game, I think it was called Mao.  I don’t know the rules so don’t ask.  It’s pretty cool, every time I talk they give me another card.  At last count, I had over 20!

We have to be in our campsite by 10PM and lights have to be out by 11.  It’s past 11, I think (I already lost my new watch you sent) so I’d better start the long hike in the dark back to our campsite.  I’m sure Mr. Vohs will be upset that I am late, but “It will be fineeee.”

I miss you!  Don’t forget to send me that homemade dinner.  I’ll try to write tomorrow night.  If I ever get all this photos uploaded, I’ll send you a link.

Good night!

PS.  The photos finally finished uploading…check them out!