Happy Wednesday, here I am, have you missed me? I spent the weekend away at Girl Guide camp, and spent time in the Enchanted Forest at Camp Olave on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. 

I actually went to this same camp when I was about 8 and again as an 11 year old. The younger branches of the Girl Guides get to stay in lovely cabins, with bunk beds while the older guides tend to sleep in tents and or in tents on raised platforms.

 I remember being shocked and horrified as a young guide at the idea of the hard raised platform and the smelly old oiled cloth type of tent we used to sleep in for the camp...I do however have some truly wonderful memories of the Enchanted Forest and S'mores.

I may have brought back some new treasured memories from Camp this weekend and had one or two S'mores.

Back to the Enchanted Forest. Just off of the Cabin we stayed in called Brownie Hideaway, we were just a few steps to the Enchanted Forest which contains various offerings to the fairies from groups of Girl Guides who have used the forest over the years, each group adding its own offering during their stay. Our group worked on a special offering under the guise of our very experienced "Brown Owl" , ( I myself was Tawny Owl this year). I am thrilled and amazed by what the girls all worked together on, putting it together at the picnic table that doubled as our outdoor craft station. The girls in my group are aged 7-9 years of age.

This Fairy Boot House was made from a recycled pair of boots and the roof was made from Umbrella Fabric that was repurposed and stuffed then hot glued to the top. The girls and I found a magical spot to put the boot and make it a welcome spot for a new Fairy Family to move in.

I had to take a few photos of the brilliant recycled crafts that were also left as offerings. 

The key wind chime was a favorite of mine, along with the driftwood tree...

A fun nod to witches, can be seen here, I found with this Harry Potter themed offering.

Hidden in the Enchanted Forest for all to find at every twist, turn and under every leaf and tree there is always something new to see. A tiny statue, bird houses, mushrooms, fairy circles, owls, statues, crafts are everywhere.

This little sign, touched my heart, as the branch I am most fond of, has always been the time I spent in Brownies, which was originally the youngest group of guiding, now it has been renamed "Embers" as people have lost the meaning of the old word, meaning Fairy Folk Helpers and unfortunately the name Brownies, has been perceived as a racially motivated term that has stopped girls from joining this program in recent past. I hope with the new name others will find the cozy magic that I did and continue to enjoy. We changed the name not the magic I have been assured.

This camp was over the Mother's Day weekend and a bit bitter sweet for me, my mother pictured in one of the above photos of me in my Brownie Uniform, has been gone since September of 2010. My mother was also a guiding leader.  My parents had talked about moving to the Sunshine Coast, to retire, something they never got a chance to do, and here I was on its shore, on Mother's day. I brought up with me this cup which was my grandmothers that my mother had bought for her and sent to Montreal, and now I have it all these years later some 3,000 miles away. Packed it in my back pack for just this special morning tribute and to bring a bit of my mother with me. It was not a sad but proud moment for me, and a beautiful tribute and memory I created.

The morning before I stole a few movements along the beach with my Sign I found at the Dollarama here that said the words that I felt like our camp embodied. 

"May you touch dragonflies, and stars, dance with fairies and talk to the moon...", last September a friend of a friend was moving and offered me this perfect little cup,with a little brown owl on it, which also safely made its way in my back back. 

After such a enchanting weekend I felt like I was thrown back in to reality, back to the, quick tempered nonsensical, non magical daily grind. Filled with warm memories and respect for my fellow guiders, those past, present and future, stuffed with great food, warm and fuzzy thoughts, a song stuck or two stuck in my head and perhaps a story idea or two.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you today and I would love to hear if you were a Girl Guide, Girl Scout etc...Would you be interested in a guiding/scouting cozy mystery?