Almost Heaven

Almost Heaven Photos and Lost Items

2008-06-24T09:29:12Z

Almost Heaven Attendees

Thank you so much for coming this year!

_____________________________________________________
There are PHOTOS of the weekend for you viewing at:
http://www.contradancers.com/heaven/ah_photo_index_08A.html
_____________________________________________________

There are some unclaimed items in our LOST AND FOUND.

*** PLEASE CONTACT JAMIE AND BETSY PLATT TO RECOVER YOUR ITEMS ***

call 301.717.4641 or
email dancingplanet@erols.com
to make pickup arrangements.

Towels:
1 mauve bath towel
1 grey bath towel
1 beige bath towel with faded peach and blue flowers

Toys:
1 light blue snuggly bear
1 small green flowered mammal of indeterminate species (dog? bear?)
1 pink soccer ball

Clothing:
1 very cute black/brown striped hat (already claimed by Mary Lou)
1 black tankini-style bathing suit top - ladies 10
1 dark green Stemboat baseball cap
1 pair men's size 10 Thom McCann sandals
1 pair small blue children's flipflops
1 purple and red scrunchie
1 green satin skirt with silver sequins at the hem and waist (tres chic!)
1 navy hooded sweatshirt - ladies L?
1 olive green fleece jacket - men's L
1 black fleece jacket - men's XL
1 emerald green corduroy lined jacket - men's M
1 blue Gap workshirt - (Men's?)M
1 grey polo shirt - men's M
1 black Dance Flurry tshirt - XL
1 grey tshirt with maroom edging - child's small
1 light blue pintucked blouse - size 4
1 green v-neck shirt with Almost Heaven button for Anna affixed
1 pair new-looking white sport socks
1 small single black tennis sock

Other items:
1 blue REI naglene water bottle
1 wide ace bandage
1 blue circular brush
1 oddly shaped brown plastic multitoothed hair accessory - don't know what
to call it
1 orange extension cord
1 suitcase with $250K in small unmarked bills...

Subscribe to Almost Heaven via email by entering your email address below:

Almost Heaven Attendees Message

2008-05-17T17:18:05Z

ALMOST HEAVEN DANCE CAMP 2008
TIMBER RIDGE CAMP
MAY 23-26, 2008

Attention: Registered Dancers

The following is a list of highlighted items in preparation for AH this year. This, combined with the information in your confirmation letter, should help you prepare for this wild and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend tradition. Don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any other questions. Marti Schweitzer can be contacted at almostmarti@gmail.com or at 703-437-0766 (10 am to 10 pm only). The AH committee will be at Timber Ridge by Thursday, May 22. Contact us using the camp number below. See you soon!

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER AT CAMP:

The Timber Ridge Camp Phone Number is 304-856-2630. The answering machine will be checked frequently and a message will be delivered ASAP to anyone receiving a call. Most cell phones do not receive service at camp. Public pay phones are located outside the building housing the camp office.

For any information you don't see here, check our website: contradancers.com/heaven

BABYSITTING:

While there is no committee-organized babysitting at AH many parents have networked together to provide supervision for their children. Most families with small children are housed in the Lodge making networking more possible. Sometimes teens come to AH who may be available for parents to arrange and pay for babysitting. We will introduce them at a meal if they are available.

AH is not run in quite the same way as a CDSS camp. We have informal workshops set up for the children, rather than an official program. Last year some of the workshops included fossil hunting, t-shirt making, birdwatching, assorted arts and crafts, and a family dance.

For the most part we ask that either you attend the workshop with your child or designate a responsible person to attend with them; it's not really childcare per se like the summer programs have. For more information, seek out our program coordinators, Cindy Rury and Emily Aubrey.

DRUM CIRCLE AND OTHER LATE NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT:

On Saturday and Sunday nights, both during and after midnight snack, there will be opportunities for more music, dancing, and improvisation. On Saturday night we will feature an open mic/open band format for spontaneous singing, dancing, and playing in the Playhouse. On Sunday night, the entertainment will feature a drum circle. Bring any drum-like instrument you can think of for late-night, good vibrations, also in the Playhouse.

GEAR FOR SPORTS:

Timber Ridge Camp has a broad range of sports facilities available to the participants of AH. One favorite is the skate park. All skate park users, especially, are expected to wear protective gear including helmets and pads. Bring these and any other sports equipment and gear with you for full use of the facilities. The camp listing of facilities available can be found at: trcamps.com/about_us/our_facility.html.

It is important to remember that any child under the age of 18 is the responsibility of the parents, the guardians, or the authorized adults. This is especially important when children are using the camp sports facilities.

WHAT TO BRING:

See this page on our website (click me).

The ten day weather forecast for next weekend is beautiful, but you might keep and eye on it. Click here for the weather forecast.

LIFEGUARDS:

New for us this year, the Timber Ridge Camp has been fully accredited by the ACA, the American Camping Association. As a result, we are required to have a lifeguard on duty whenever swimmers are in the Olympic-size swimming pool. Pool use hours will be posted throughout the weekend.

PETS:

Don’t even think about it!

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

The schedule, as it stands now, can be found on our website. You will receive a printed schedule at the time of registration at camp.

RIDE SHARING:

This is our first year attempting to more completely facilitate ride sharing and while we have a strong interest in the conservation aspects of this, we were unprepared for the volume of interest. The result has been the posting of a ride sharing document for anyone expressing interest in saving on gas and, perhaps, making new friends. If you did not participate this year, please consider joining the effort next year. If you are still in need of a ride or a rider, please contact the registrar, almostmarti@gmail.com. We are also seeking input for improving this aspect of our program.

RECYCLING:

Just one more place where we feel we can help the environment. The dining hall will be using regular plates and cutlery. The dance areas will have water provided in large coolers. Cups will be provided to campers for reuse. Feel free to bring your own water holder or ceramic cup for hot drinks. We will be using the clothesline method in the gym for holding re/used cups.

WILD ASPARAGUS PLAY LIST:

Wild Asparagus has a web page up for the tunes they are going to use for the “Play with the Band” workshop. We are passing on the URL to potential participants: wildasparagus.com/PlayWithWildAsparagus.

At this point the “Play with the Band” playlist is the MP3s that Becky Tracy recorded. Eventually they will have dots as well but the band members feel its better to learn the tunes by ear rather than reading them.

For any additional information contact: George Marshall, george@wildasparagus.com. Phone: 413-323-9604. Web site wildasparagus.com.

SPECIAL DIET NEEDS:

If you have special dietary needs, bring your own food. A refrigerator is provided in the dining area for any campers’ food. If you have any questions about food, seek out our dining hall coordinator, Kappy Laning.

SNACK CONTRIBUTIONS:

Late night snacks this year will be provided and coordinated by the AH committee. If you have any contributions you would like to share, do not hesitate to bring them during snack time. We will be making an effort to provide hot water during these late night periods, so bring any hot drink options you might like after dancing. (We know this seems odd when last year’s weather was so hot, but you never know what the weather is going to be and some people truly like a hot drink before sleep.)

MAPS AND DIRECTIONS:

Timber Ridge Camp operates on a beautiful property nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Mountains of West Virginia. While the camp is situated
among nature in a very quaint setting, it is in close proximity to many major cities: Washington DC is only 90 miles, Philadelphia is 230 miles away, Pittsburgh is only 185 miles away, and New York is 300 miles away.

Check the AH website for a detailed local road map, and a link to the Google directions, at contradancers.com/heaven/directions.html

Also, a map of the camp layout can be found on our website at contradancers.com/heaven/camp_layout.html

Directions to Camp from Baltimore:

Beltway #695
70 West towards Frederick (Approx. 40 miles)
Merge onto US-340 W via exit number 52 toward CHARLESTOWN/ LEESBURG. (24 Miles)
Go about 5 Miles past Harpers Ferry and just prior to Charlestown get on Route 340 S towards Berryville (Approx. 13 miles)
Make a right onto Route 7 / Berryville Pike towards Winchester and Travel about 8 more miles
Just prior to Winchester take 81 North towards Martinsburg (2 Miles / 1 Exit)
Take the US-11 exit- (exit number 317)- toward VA-37/ WINCHESTER/ US-522 N/ STEPHENSON/ US-50 W (1/4 Mile)- take a left at the light
Road Divides Stay to the right on Route 37 S (3.8 Miles)
Exit at Route 50 and take right at light heading West
Go approx. 11 miles on Route 50, then make a left at Route 259 (just after you pass the Gore Fire station on right)
Stay on Route 259 for 6 miles (Enter the State of West Virginia) - Take 1st right onto Christian Church Road (Just past Case Tractor Dealership)
Follow signs to Camp go approx. 2 miles to Hooks Mill Road (fork).
Turn Left and follow until pavement ends at entrance
Turn left into Camp entrance and follow dirt road (bear right at top of hill into Timber Ridge).

Directions to Camp from Washington, D.C.:

Take 495 By-Pass to Route 66 West. Take Route 81 North Exit. Take 81 North to Exit 310, which is Route 37 North. Take Route 37 North to Route 50 West Exit. Take a left at the light onto RT. 50 and then proceed as above from step 9.

Directions to Camp from National Airport:

Upon exiting National Airport, pick up Route 66 North to Route 81 North to Route 37 North to Route 50 West and follow directions above from step 9.

Directions to Camp from Pittsburgh, PA:

Take Route 70 to Route 522 through Berkeley Springs and past Cacapon State Park - 13 miles to Route 771. 1/4 mile and turn right on Route 701. Go about 1 1/2 miles, and turn left on Route 703. Follow it for 5 miles until you reach Route 50, and turn left go 7 miles to Route 50 East, go 1/2 mile to Route 259 and follow directions above from step 10.

Directions to Camp from Dulles Airport:

Exit the Dulles Airport and pickup the Dulles Airport Toll Road to Leesburg, Virginia and follow that to the end. It is called the Greenway. Then pickup Route 7 West and follow signs to Winchester, Virginia. Take Route 81 North one Exit and then Route 37 South, then Route 50 West and follow above directions from step 9.

For any information you don't see here, check our website: contradancers.com/heaven

Subscribe to Almost Heaven via email by entering your email address below:

Almost Heaven Attendees Message

2008-05-06T16:57:24Z

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

Just a few more weeks! The Almost Heaven Dance Camp Committee is looking forward to seeing you in West Virginia. You will receive a pre-camp letter from us shortly, but these two items seemed too important to wait.

Visit our website at http://contradancers.com/heaven for the preliminary schedule and other up-to-date information.

PLAY WITH WILD ASPARAGUS

1) For all of you who might be planning to join that contra band of contra bands, Wild Asparagus, their "Play with the Band" play list for Memorial Day Weekend has been posted. Get out your instruments or hum or practice. Those of us who only dance, cannot wait to hear the Wild and Wonderful West Virginia Wild Asparagus with you playing along.

-----Original Message-----
From: George Marshall [mailto:george@wildasparagus.com]
Subject: Play with Wild Asparagus workshop

We've got a web page up for the tunes we're going to use for the
workshop. Please pass the URL along to potential participants.

http://www.wildasparagus.com/PlayWithWildAsparagus

At this point its just the MP3s that Becky recorded, eventually we'll
have dots as well but we all feel its better to learn the tunes by ear
rather than reading them.

Looking forward to camp! Best regards, George

SHARE A RIDE - (and be carbon friendly :-)

2) We have many participants, some coming great distances, who are being challenged by the transportation aspects of the weekend and thus are looking for rides. Please consider sharing a ride. Let me know if you have room for riders and whether I can share your name, phone number and email address with fellow dancers for the purpose of ride sharing to camp. The same holds for any of you looking for rides to camp. You can help us and the environment. This could make the weekend even more enjoyable. Think clean air and new friends.

From Your Almost Heaven Dance Camp Committee

Subscribe to Almost Heaven via email by entering your email address below:

Almost Heaven Lost and Found

2007-06-05T17:54:13Z

ALMOST HEAVEN 2007
LOST AND FOUND

MISC. ITEMS
Penny whistle
Jansport water bottle with mountain picture
Child�s �Little Mermaid� umbrella
Black umbrella
Woven fan
White washcloth

WOMEN�S CLOTHING
Wrap skirt, 9, browns/tans w/floral and geometric stripes
Skirt, 11/12, blue/green/purple tropical fish, elastic waist
Fleece hooded sweater, L, black w/gray trim, zipper front
Allison Taylor hooded sweater, M, black w/mother-of-pearl buttons
Aeropostale sweater, M, white w/pink flowers
Scuffs, 8, black mesh w/bead flowers
Capezio dance shoes, ~8, black leather/cloth lace-up
Ankle socks, white w/pink and blue trim, �Max Grey�

MEN�S CLOTHING
T-shirt, L, �Happy Tr�ales 1996 Mixed Morris Ale�, light blue
T-shirt, XL, �Clearwater�s Great Hudson River Revival 2000�, bright green
Black socks
Dark grey socks w/black stripe around top

IMPORTANT: TO RETRIEVE YOUR ITEM, CONTACT:

Kerry Wilson or Craig Laub
9512 Falls Bridge Lane
Potomac MD 20854

home 301-983-4977

ker5wil5-d@yahoo.com

Subscribe to Almost Heaven via email by entering your email address below:

Almost Heaven Attendees Message

2007-05-22T21:23:39Z

Hello Almost Heaven attendee,

We are very happy that you are joining us this year at Timber Ridge Camp.

Here are a few last minute items that we hope will make your dance weekend even more enjoyable:

We need to take care of the new dance floor the camp installed for us. Please bring clean, soft soled shoes to dance in, and change when you get to the hall.

The weather forecast is calling for temps in the 50s to 80s and some rain. So come prepared.

Weather for High View, West Virginia:
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/26808

Preliminary Schedule:
http://www.contradancers.com/heaven/schedule.html

We have a nice swimming pool at this camp. Bring a suit. Sorry, no sauna (yet).

We are supplying tap water only. If you want other drinks, bring them. There are refrigerators to chill your bubbly in.

Other things to bring:
http://www.contradancers.com/heaven/what_to_bring.html

Directions:
http://www.contradancers.com/heaven/directions.html
http://www.contradancers.com/heaven/roadmap.html

Play with Swallowtail workshop song book:
http://www.swallowtail.com/PlayWithSwt/PlayWithSwallowtail.07.html

Skating/boarding. The halfpipe and jumps are available. To use them full protective gear (for head, legs, and arms) must be worn, and adults must supervise. The camp does not supply any gear for this activity.

Bring your own tennis rackets and balls. Soccer balls will be supplied by the camp.

Looking forward to seeing you at camp!

the Almost Heaven Committee

Subscribe to Almost Heaven via email by entering your email address below: