Hours of Planning

In the extension world I have come to learn that hours of planning goes into anything that has to be done. Whether it is planning for a county fair, 4-H day camp, agriculture field day, or a meal for the elderly, there seems to be just enough time to plan. Since my last post I have been planning for my summer project: Getting in the Garden, a summer day camp for youth 9 to 18 years old. I have planned this event while standing in our livestock arena during our county fair livestock shows, in the announcer stand waiting for the rain to stop (and by the way… I am still waiting for the rain to stop), in the back of the van holding groceries in my lap, and while in the office finishing up paperwork. However, some days you have to take a break from planning and help others complete their tasks. The 4-H Summer day camps started two weeks ago by our fantastic 4-H Program Assistant Andy Lewis. Mr. Andy, as the kids call him, seems to always have a plan for everything! He works hours and hours to ensure the day camps are fun and educational for the youth participating. So far we have held two day camps: Clover Bud Day Camp and Naturals Wonder Day Camp. Working with Clover Buds is always exciting but by far the best day of my internship thus far was the day of the Natural Wonders Day Camp. Andy planned a trip for 16 to go to the Red River Gorge and hike the Rock Bridge Trail. During the hike, Andy would stop along the way to talk about different plants and types of rocks in the area. His plan accounted for rain but luckily we only experienced a minute of sprinkles during the entire trip! Secretly, I enjoyed the trip more than the 13 youth that participated. As I am ending my eighth week of the internship, I am still planning and revising the “Getting in the Garden” Day Camp as well as other responsibilities that have been given to me for the last few weeks of my internship. Four weeks to go and still lots of plans to put into place!