Hi there,

I’ve been home for over a week now… I’ve sent in my feedback to the CNIB Lake Joesph camp, most of it was positive.

My only real issue was, after meals, everyone scatters.

A bit of information for those not in the know; this was not a full DeafBlind camp, where every person was either DeafBlind or an intervenor.

What I know, there were 30 DeafBlind persons, 11 intervenors and, I’m guessing here, 60 blind or partially sighted campers. Of those 30 DeafBlind campers, 14 were DeafBlind with additional disabilities, such as Down’s syndrome et al…

What I’m accustomed to while attending DeafBlind retreats; is every DeafBlind person has an intervenor all day, three shifts of intervenors: starting at 8 AM to noon, then to 4 PM, followed by an hour long break for everyone, the day rounds off with 5 to 9 PM. After 9, that’s when people scatter; some hang out chatting for hours, some head to bed, some pick up cute kitchen girls for a midnight stroll to the retreat’s early 1860’s cemetery!

That did happen!

Oh sorry, derailed again!

Getting back on track, after meals, all campers would scatter like confetti tossed in the wind. With many activities, both lawn & water, happening, it was hard to know where everyone went, I didn’t, for most part, know where DeafBlind persons had vanished to.

On Thursday, there were no camp activities that appealed to me, so I went solo for the day, only having intervenors for meals. Was I lonely? Lackadaisical? Not at all! I was enjoying myself, meandering the campground, finding places, things. It was very relaxing!

It was a different experience and I enjoyed it. Of course, I wish I had known where people had scattered to; I would have scattered too!

Would I do back? Even through the food was five-star quality, no, I don’t think I will return. A one-time camp!

Thank you for reading!

There might be a few more trip journals; so, stay tuned!