Daycholah Center hosts a student leadership group from UW-Madison each year at the end of August.  In addition to holding numerous work sessions, their leadership also carves some recreational time during their stay with us.  Last year their recreation was severely limited by a significant weather system resulting in a number of tornados in our immediate area.  Needless to say, their participants who were hoping to spend time on Green Lake were disappointed in that weather.  This year the weather was not so severe, although a front did move through during their stay.  The weather front brought in lower humidity and cooler temperatures along with a strong stiff breeze.  Some folks might have been hesitant to venture out on the lake with waves splashing over the top of our dock, but this group is keen on adventure.  A number of them are very accomplished sailors, swimmers, and canoers and they were eager to take advantage of our equipment and the stiff breeze.  Great fun was had by those standing on shore as we watched two of their accomplished sailors offer a number of other adventuresome souls rides on our sail boats.  It is exciting and rewarding to simply observe folks who know how to take advantage of the weather in front of them and really make our boats race across the top of the white caps!

There may indeed be a life lesson or two in what we observed from shore.  With the right equipment and the appropriate skillset, folks are able to make the best of whatever situation is placed before them.  At times it also takes a certain level of trust in order to appreciate the opportunities that life presents.  The people who were going for rides needed to trust the seamanship skills of their captains, without this trust the riders would have never experienced the thrill of crashing through the waves, propelled only by the wind.  Our organization also needed to trust in the sailing abilities of their captains.  This was made easier by the fact that those individuals had been with us in years past and clearly knew what they were doing while setting up the boats.

In the end, a great afternoon of fun was had by many.  Strong relationships were formed and new adventures were experienced, that’s what it is all about at Daycholah Center!