My Last Time

Today was probably the last time I had the opportunity to pick someone up from the Anoka KMart after Girl Scout day camp at Camp Elk River. I have done this for maybe 9 years? There was a few years she didn't want to go to camp. Every day during GS day camp week, parents line up in the Anoka KMart parking lot. Some sit in their cars and some parents get out and talk to each other. As the buses approach you can hear the girls screaming or singing as the bus turns off Highway 10. Sometimes they are singing/screaming at the top of their lungs. They are singing silly Girl Scout songs they have learned at camp:

Black socks, they never get dirty. The longer you wear them the blacker they get. Someday I'll probably launder them but something keeps telling me don't do it yet, not yet, not yet.

The girls get off the buses and their parents approach them. All the little girls are sunburned, sweaty, mosquito bitten, tired and some of them have wood ticks. Some are still wearing their bathing suits. All have back packs. They are all carrying something they made at camp. This year the theme was Hawaii some some were wearing "grass" skirts (made out of a rope waist band and strips of brightly colored nylon). Some were wearing hibiscus barrettes. The girls were full of things to tell their parents. They start explaining their day as soon as the parent reaches them and they keep talking as they get into the minivans, SUV's and cars. The parents (mostly Moms but some Dads too) were bent over to look at the treasures while still leading them to the cars. Some parents are obviously coming home from work because they're wearing medical scrubs or suits and ties.

I am a little amazed that no girls are crying. Some of them are really young.

I will miss waiting for the Girl Scout bus to arrive at the Anoka KMart. I am grateful I had the opportunity to participate in this little piece of Americana.