(Monday evening)

Well, the craziness has begun. The campers have arrived, most everyone is here, and camp is up and running. It seems that they're trying to tighten up some of the rules this year - imposing a mandatory bedtime of midnight being one of them (which no-one seems to think will actually be enforced or observed). One of the reasons I love this camp is because it's so free... there are very few rules, restrictions or regulations, and yet everything seems to run smoothly and nobody ever seems to get hurt or into serious trouble. I'd hate to see that loose, care-free environment disappear, but perhaps it's for the best. Maybe it's time for Zosna camp to grow up.

It was sort of bittersweet to see some of the kids from the orphanage again; good to see them, of course, but sad to realize that they're in the exact same situation and place as they were last year when we parted company. One of the kids, Vladik, was elated to see me, but that quickly turned to sadness when he realized that his best friend from last year, Alan, wasn't here this summer. I felt awful for the poor kid; life is hard enough for him without having to face a big disappointment like that during camp, of all places. How do you fix that sort of problem, besides keeping on coming back every summer? I'm not sure.