Intern Play

This week the interns all played Human Clue. There were about 20 people playing. Each morning we'd each pick a person, place, and thing from baggies. During the day we'd have to"kill" that person. Once we killed them we'd get their person, place, and thing. You can make as many kills as possible before 4am. Then whoever is still living the next day picks a new person, place, and thing. The last person standing wins! Day 1 I had to kill Sarah at Wardle's Landing with a high heel. I lured her there with a bike ride and managed to get her out. Then she gave me her papers and I had to get Kelly in water with a tie-dye staff t-shirt. It was such a fun game and I lived for three days then my boss killed me. He got really lucky. He had to kill me in Staff 2 with a pillow. It wasn't hard because that is where I live so he knocked on the door and when I answered he hit me with the pillow and got me out. Bummer. There was so much scheming and back stabbing going on which made the game very interesting and fun.

So an update on Watermelon Festival... 4 interns made a little road trip over to Hampton, SC to visit fellow intern, Jake's home town and to celebrate the Watermelon Festival. One person we met said they would put watermelons on anything that wouldn't crawl away. They shops and craft booths contained everything you could imagine decorated with watermellons. Friday night was the street dance. They closed down main street. There was a band at each end, one country and one beachy. We have a good time dancing until the bands stopped playing. That night Jake told us we'd be sleeping in an unfurnished house. Little did we know it was an unfinished house. It was so hot inside when we arrived we opted to just sleep outside on the porch. We covered ourselved in deep woods bug spray and went to sleep under the stars. We woke up a bit stiff but it was a good experience and something to laugh about. Saturday morning there was a great parade! We laughed because there was so much royalty in the parade. Little Miss Hampton, Little Miss Watermelon Festival, Little Miss That, Little Miss This... I think 20 pagent winners or contestants went by.


Last night I went to a cookout at the Mitchell's house. Stuart Mitchell is the general manager of Fripp Island. He's kind of a big deal. Collins, the head naturalist, and Stuart's daughter, Marjory Lee, put on the dinner. I was imagining burgers and hot dogs but it was so much more. Collins slaved over food for 6 or 7 hours before. He made stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped scallops, salmon, talapia stuffed with crab, plain talapia, 2 kinds of shrimp, asparagus, green beans, potatoes, pound cake with strawberries, and dirt cake. He cooked for 17 people and did a great job! It was a big success and it was so fun to socialize over great food in a beatiful house. Mrs. Mitchell painted their kitchen walls black. I never would have considered that but their house was full of black and white. Nothing really matched but it all went together in a very modern kind of way. I hope we do this more often!

Friday I helped Collins find a 3 foot alligator! I got a video of him catching it. It was one of the most fun things I've done yet. When I get the video and pictures I'll post those soon!

Free Time

I finally got a babysitting job on the island and I'm very excited about. It's for a little girl from Camp Fripp. Her name is Zoe and she is six! They adopted a kitten from the activity center and they have a HUGE St. Bernard named Chubby Bear. Plus, I get to drive Zoe around the island on a very sweet golf cart thing! I'm looking forward to hanging out with her more and making some extra money on the side.

I went crabbing today for the first time. The program on the island uses make shift fishing lines and we use chicken necks (gross!!) for bait. I was kind of a dud at crabbing. When I first tossed in my line the chicken flew off and so I had to use a friends line. I only caught hermit crabs. I'll have to try again soon.

This weekend some of the interns are going to Hampton, SC for the Watermelon Festival. It's about two hours inland. I'm not sure what to expect but I'm really looking forward to it. So I'll update everyone about that soon.

More Nature

Happy Father's Day Dad and to all other dads as well!

This past week I went on my first dolphin cruise with Camp Fripp! It was so enjoyable and the kids and I learned a lot about ocean life! That's been one of my favorite parts about being here. We got to see live conks and whelks, jelly fish, hermit crabs, starfish, oysters, dolphins, and we pulled up a crab pot. For those of you who know how much I love Deadliest Catch, unfortunately or fortunately pulling up the pot was nothing like that.

The campers were very excited to see an oyster bank.

Captain Ralph put a pregnant crab on Jill's head.

Me holding a Horseshoe Crab.

Me holding a live Whelk.

I'm learning so much and I get to hear about all the behind the scenes things going on. I've seen a rattlesnake that was found and relocated to a different island. I've seen a baby deer that a family thought was abandoned and so they tried to raise it in their house. I've seen pictures of two bonnet head sharks that got caught in a tidepool. I've seen a turtle that was hit by a lawnmower.

This is Collins, the head naturalist, rescuing the sharks.

Fripp Tour

You can click on any picture I post on this blog to see it bigger.

This is off Maxwell Bridge.









The Marina









The Cabana Club










Parts of Forrest Gump were filmed on the island because of the scenery. This is one of three benches used in the movie for the chocolate scene. This bench is on the Ocean Creek Golf Course.

Ocean Creek and Ocean Point are the island's two golf courses.












This is the south end of Tarpon Road at low tide. Lots of fiddler crabs live.









This is the beach! I love spending weekends laying out and playing beach volleyball!

Wild Life

Wild Life

There's lots to look at around the island! We have tiny toads, snakes (6 venomous kinds), logger head turtles, snapping turtles, sharks, dolphins jelly fish, alligators, crabs, herons, and tons of deer. I don't think I'll every get tired of going on Dolphin Cruises with campers on Thursday or driving past a pond and seeing a gator soaking up the sunshine. It's captivating! I went Kayaking last weekend in the marsh water near the marina with other interns. Apparently they sometimes see turtles, dolphins, or gators while kayaking. We didn't get so lucky though! Gators will only venture from the ponds to the marsh waters if they need to get rid of parasites. I'm learning a lot working along side the head naturalist and his interns. I think this information will be useful and interesting to kids when I start teaching!

Fripp Island Life

The beach houses here are beautiful and huge! I drive around picking out which one I'd like to be my future home! Most people drive golf carts around. It's fun and the breeze is great. Some people have tricked out golf carts! I've seen Jeep and Hummer golf carts too! Over the fourth of July there will be a gold cart parade. This year the theme is Music Through the Ages.

Lots of people bike too! I'm so glad I brought mine! I've enjoyed riding by the beach and getting some good exercise. The speed limit is 25 mph except when it drops to 15 mph. The island is only 3.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide but it take ages to get where you're going when you move that slow.

Anlee and Amy are coming to visit from UGA this weekend and I'm soo very excited! I cannot wait to see them!