This, the THIRD THREAT!

If you're not here, who is? Don't be left out, get to camp

Summer Camp for the Big Kids: Adults, Parents, Singles, Partners Over 18

I worked at a place where the boss handed out a book with the biggest and most genuine smile I'd ever seen on her face. The book was a smaller, large font, hardback talking about the new workplace and how to be a new worker. The gist, don't whine, do more, work harder and enjoy it or hit the road. She thought it was revolutionary, I thought it was a sad declaration. Unfortunately, some 10-years later, many workers, many of you and myself are finding ourselves working away, recording longer hours than ever before and we're not being directly compensated for these efforts. All too frequently these are behaviors to protect ourselves from being fired or downsized. More and more we're spending our time, off the clock but on the job. Where has the weekend gone? Are you having fun?

All of this is exhausting. And if we could only be heard, we could stand up and demonstrate with study after study that proves employees are more productive when they're rested, supported and working in a positive environment. You needn't have a degree in psychology to see this is true, think about the last time you were complimented, by ANYONE. How did you feel? If it was a stranger complimenting your look, did you have a spring in your step? A smile, did a smile sneak across your face? Did you find yourself wanting to pay it forward? Last time you complimented someone, did you notice a boost in warmth/kindness in that relationship. Each time I compliment my daughter, I end up with an 'I love you dad' and a hug at some point in the next few hours.

Many countries close to the equator adopted the afternoon nap, the siesta, mainly due to heat but the effects are a calmer, rested workforce. Offices that employ this concept find their employees don't hit the after lunch wall, make fewer mistakes and are more productive right up 'til the workday ends. More vacation time and group exercising are a couple other examples.

When you cannot take a moment for yourself, you cannot. I understand this. Frequently I hear people in my ear, 'you've got to take time off, you've got to do this, you've got to go walk...' and sometimes I simply cannot. I understand, as well as anyone how difficult it is to carve out YOU time. No matter how difficult, we cannot argue with the benefits of recharging, taking time out for ourselves, recharging. It is good for us and we need to make time for us.

I believe in realistic goals, sure if you can, head to some exotic and quiet place for 3-weeks, but for most of us the steps we're going to start with are going to be much simpler. Take an early morning walk. Steal forty minutes for a book. Call some friends, meet at the local coffee shop Saturday morning. Simple, basic steps to get your mind out of your desk and back into balance. Certainly, if you have the means and can carve out the time, take a weekend away, head to the coast or the mountains. Go on the cheap, stay in a travel motel chain, eat at a local breakfast nook rather than a 5-star restaurant. Grab the towns local free entertainment paper and look for something to do, free. We're talking basic, little things we so quickly give up, take 'em back.

If you have the means, look into something a bit bigger, perhaps something out of your comfort zone. Look for a trip with something like the Sierra Club. Or better yet, look into an adult camp, like a youth summer camp but with adults. Get out, get to know some new folks, challenge those muscles, those bones and dare the child in you to come out and play again.

Look, they have kid camps, they have family camps so, why not an adult camp? Getting out and about in nature is cathartic. There's something about being outdoors that inspires, encourages and supports healthy balancing. So, step outside of the box, do something unexpected and reap the benefits of a camp that challenges you emotionally & physically. The food is great, the staff phenomenal and new friends are always great to meet.

Since you're logging all these extra hours, I hope you're having fun. If you're like so many of us, you're not. You're counting on the ability to cash in on all these hours banked. You need to begin the withdrawal of YOU-TIME now. We all know this to be true. It's the nagging in the back of your mind. We're just incredibly tough creatures. We're able to put our bodies and minds through years of abuse, to put off what is essential to happy living. Our bodies will just keep plugging along. I put it off too long. I'm 100-pounds overweight, had a small heart blip on Mother's Day a year ago and my life had become all work. As mentioned, I'm encouraging baby-steps. I simply want you to take the time you deserve, the time you need to be more balanced, healthier and happier as well as more productive.

Recently I spent nearly the entire weekend working away on my laptop, like so many weekends before; however, what was different were the moments I carved out for me and my family. One of those moments, was 40-minutes. In this 40-minute span my daughter and I grabbed our bikes and cruised the levy of the American River for a couple of miles. It was the best time I spent all weekend. I was rejuvenated and was able to work with a little smirk on my face recalling the conversation and time spent one on one with my kidlet. It'll feel foreign at first, making this time for you, but you'll appreciate those moments and begin to look forward to them.


Christopher Pyle is the owner/director of Action Whitewater Adventures of California. He has an adventure summer camp for teens and is offering a mini summer camp for adults this year. If you're interested in a mini-break, and would like to get together with adults, in a completely new and exciting venue, check out their camp page, make contact and share your interest in the adult program.

Sacramento Day Trips Examiner: Long hot summer? Bored kids? Add Lotus' Action Whitewater.

Sacramento Day Trips Examiner: Long hot summer? Bored kids? Add Lotus' Action Whitewater.

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It Is Okay To Make Positive Changes: Easy Tips For Greening Up

There is a debate about global warming. Some feel there isn't such a thing. I know where I stand on the issue, as most of us do. We each know our position. Rarely are we middle of the road. Whether you're firmly in the YES, the globe is warming or NO, the globe is doing it's normal cycle, I believe there are some things we can agree upon. We can agree, these things are just good for the world around us, simple to do and easy enough to employ without feeling forced or as if we're taking up some cause.

I think the focus on cleaning things up is a good, a positive. You could drive yourself crazy trying to have no carbon footprint but there are some things we can do that are simple, many are even free.

Much of daily lives are surrounded by technological advances that made aspects of life easier. Think about the napkin. A simple, mass produced paper product that made take-away food much, much easier. Paper towels? So very convenient. Now we realize how much wood is required to make our throw away face wiping products. At our home, we gone back to tea towels. We throw them in with laundry we would be doing anyway and we're reusing towel. As a special bonus, cloth is so much nicer on my baby fresh face!

This idea is one of my favorites, and I have to honest, I'm really enjoying my switch here. This simple step helps your local economy, your local self employed, yea yea, the environment AND your body. It's as simple as shopping for all natural and or organic meats, vegetables and fruits. You're going to like this because you'll recall FOOD HAS FLAVOR! I didn't realize how bland genetically altered or synthetically boosted foods are. So, this one is more selfish but does a lot of good.

Ditch the plastic water bottles. I know, they're so flippin' convenient: They are! I still grab one on occasion when I'm out and I need water and I've forgotten mine. Remember, I said this is the easy tip article, the no guilt, the realistic. There are new studies on BPAs, bad chemical stuff emitted from certain plastics. Nalgene, you can find them at their name DOT COM, is now making BPA free bottles. You can check them out. There are metal bottles, often completely recyclable. Glass bottles are making a surge too. You can check out LoveBottleDOTnet (I'm typing these web addy's because the article companies don't like a lot of links in the articles, so, I'm trying to give you the resource and comply to guidelines). If you get a decent filtration system at home, Brita and PUR are two that are out there. You can use tap water with an added filter. There are new studies claiming tap water is often better for you than bottled water because municipal water districts aregoverned by the EPA having to test many times daily and water bottle companies are governed by the FDA only required to test once a week and are not held to as strict of standards. So, long and the short of it, tap water is better! Crazy but, okay.

Reduce the amount of packaging and or wrapping you're using. Opt to buy boxed laundry detergent instead of plastic bottled detergent. Decline to have things bagged by the grocer when you can easily carry out the good/goods. Simple, quick and easy something you can do and feel good about it.

This is one we're working on here at our homestead, and my motivation is the wallet. Electricity is expensive, especially so when both you and your wife work from home. Our home is running the household equipment all day, as we have a toddler, and our office equipment. So, our electricity bill is frequently $400 per month. So, I've taken on the task of switching all the lights to the CFLs, compact fluorescent bulbs. These are supposed to last much longer than the traditional light bulb and they use far less energy. The typical 60w light can be produced with a 13w CFL. That's pretty cool. Secondly, I've begun equipping all the TVs and computers with surge protectors that have on-off switches. Apparently, Americans were demanding quicker response times from their televisions and needed all their electronics to hibernate, not really TURNING OFF. So, they sit there, quiet, acting like they're off, but they're really pulling energy 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. So, hitting the off switch,shuts 'em down right good and well. I've not put the cable box onto the surge strip because it has to be able to turn on to record shows. Again, simple, practical, realistic. We cut our electric bill in half, just shutting off power strips and replacing the light bulbs. That's good for the wallet!

Here's one I love, it's easy, easy! If you're a social network user, specifically Facebook and Bebo, they have an application you can use. It's free. It's called, Lil Green Patch. All you do is click it, daily, and click your friends' names in your group and send them a virtual flower. For every 10 you send, the advertisers of the site, save 1-sq foot of rain forest. They cap how many people you can send to each day, but hey, I'm at 20 people a day. So, every day, I send 20 people a virtual flower and I'm saving 2-sq feet a day of rain forest. It's quick, it's free and it's something simple you can do to help. Your friends don't have to send one back nor do they even have to click to accept your flower for their virtual garden, you simply have to send 'em.

Here's a quick hitter for you: the ACEEE new greenest car in America report was released. A Honda Civic took the top spot with the Toyota Prius right behind.

Wanna help shoe children in other countries, check out Toms Shoes DOT com.

Green Is Sexy DOT org is a newer website with growing sophistication and information, it's worth a look.

Sometimes doing good for goodness sake is rewarding. I hope the tips and ideas here are easy and worthy of your consideration.

With more than 2-decades of outdoor whitewater experience, Christopher Pyle, brings his knowledge of the sport and experiences to you via his writing and his company, Action Whitewater. Chris' primary focus is on the youth of today and outdoor summer adventure camps, check it out here.

Summer Camp, a Guide For Parents on How to Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

It' s because you care, you're reading this article. Chances are you've explored the options and are getting close to sending your child or children to a residential camp. It doesn't matter whether this is the first camp experience or whether you're an old pro, it's a near certainty a couple of things have crossed your mind.

One of the first things you noticed and contemplated, there are many camp types to pick. In this sea of camp offerings, many appear to be the same camp re-branded. Of course, you want to choose the right one because they're not inexpensive. Lastly, you've wondered if it's possible to find a camp the kids will love but will benefit them, you know, a little education or something.

You're exactly correct in each thought. The volume of camps is overwhelming. They do cost a fair amount of money, there are similar programs and yes you should be able to have your child's person positively impacted while away.

In the perfect scenario your children are receiving the educational benefit without them being aware of it as they'll fully participate and not rebuff your camp suggestion. There are camps with programs aimed at tackling both fronts: fun and education.

The most obvious camp for education are camps specific to college prep programs or that offer summer classes, often on a university campus. Often kids will rebuff the idea of these camps because they don't appear fun and seem like more school. In these cases you need to be more discrete in the program you're looking at.

Look for a camp that references team building, a then look for what they do that builds a team. For example, a whitewater rafting camp may point to the teamwork required to paddle a raft down the river. An adventure camp might point to the supportive environment required to hike a mountain or complete a ropes obstacle course.

Query camps that refer to behaviors requiring people to interact one on one and in mass. Familiar words and phrases to look for include discussions, community, leadership, evening campfire, interconnectedness, etc. Camps using these words are, at minimum, reaching to achieve the benefits these activities offer.

Look for a camp that speaks of experiential-education. This is not a new term, but one that's gaining momentum. As our schools remove programs, college entrance becomes ever more competitive, school sports becomes more about winning and less about learning how to be a teammate, the need for education through experience, experiential education, is ever increasing. Camps that note this type of experience are cognizant of this need and are at minimum working towards providing this type of experience to the campers they host.

For an example of experiential education applied, we'll look to the rafting camp model. Given the camp is offering experiential education here are the experiences they'll emphasize and reinforce: teamwork is exercised and applied in each phase of a rafting trip from preparing the gear, to suiting up, to learning to paddle as a synchronized crew, learning safety techniques, and learning to swim in moving water. These skills encompass the physical, the mental and the verbal. All of these are employed simply during the one activity of rafting.

If you have the means, summer camping is an excellent place for your child to spend part of their vacation each year. There is much data touting the benefits of experiential education, learning while out of doors and the benefits of learning while in an entirely new environment.

Of course camp should be a positive experience, but you can look for the industry terms to hedge your chances of finding a camp that will please you as well as your child. Best of camp-hunting and to having the summer of a lifetime!


For two decades, Action Whitewater has provided professional rafting trips: always a leader in youth trips. Adventure summer camps are the natural extension of this focus as they work to create the best youth programs on the river. For information, video and photos of what you can expect at an adventure camp, check us out!

Vacation You Won't Soon Forget

Here are the basics you need to know to have the confidence to book a whitewater rafting trip for your next vacation. There are a lot of misconceptions and unknowns about this vacation option. When you know what to expect, what's protecting you, what you get for each dollar spent, you'll quickly conclude this is one of the most memorable, doable and valuable vacations you'll experience.

Let's start at the very beginning, what is whitewater rafting? This is the maneuvering of a vessel down a river. Rafting implies the vessel is a coast guard approved raft, more on equipment in a bit. This raft can be maneuvered in a variety of ways, by one person with large oars rigged to the raft, with a group of people holding individual paddles and led by a guide calling paddle instructions (most common) or in a combination referred to as an oar-paddle combination with the oarsman in the rear compartment of the raft acting as both the major power and the guide calling instructions.

Rivers are exactly that, flowing water from some elevation working its way towards some body of water. Most rivers are given a class-rating for rafting. This helps folks determine the intensity of the ride. Most rivers are graded on a scale of I to VI. A I is near flat water with little current and class VI is un-runnable in a raft. While this can mean Niagara Falls, it also means the stream running alongside a road. This classification is specific to rafts, as different watercraft such as kayaks can run incredibly intense areas. For the average rafter, class II to IV is doable with class III being the sweet spot. This is why the South Fork of the American River in Northern California is such a popular river. It's a class III offering fun pop for most everyone, it's great for families, youth groups, the young (about 7 years of age (give or take depending on the child's psyche)) to the active elderly (80+ depending on activity level).

The typical raft trip includes: a professional whitewater guide. These people, male and female alike, are quality boatmen who make their living whitewater rafting. Some follow summer around the globe, literally. Don't be surprised if you meet your guide and hear a New Zealand accent or the aboot of a Canadian, ay. They are used to the river you're rafting, they're used to folks of all fitness and competency levels. They know how to read water and navigate the river you're rafting. You can have complete comfort in the professional in the back of your boat. Don't forget, if you enjoyed your trip, tip your guide. It's very appreciated and completely acceptable on a raft trip. The average guide earns about $65 dollars a day and their average day runs some 10 - 14 hours. It's a lifestyle choice, not a retirement option.

Your trip also includes a whitewater raft. These boats are specifically designed for the use of whitewater rafting, they're incredibly tough. There are two materials commonly used in crafting a raft: Hypalon a rubber based material and Urethane/PVC a plastic based product. These boats can smash rocks, pound waves and take people climbing in and out of them for quite a few years. Please do make sure you rinse your feet before climbing into the raft however, sand is the worst enemy of a raft, it wears holes in the seams and causes leaks. The average whitewater raft costs nearly $5000.00.

You'll most probably be handed a paddle so you can do your part to get down the river. The paddle will be near 6' in length, an aluminum shaft coated in a colored plastic with a durable plastic blade.

You'll be fit in a class V coast guard approved personal flotation device (PFD). These vests will float the small to the quite large. They're the most buoyant, top of the line PFDs in use today.

More and more outfitters are providing their guests with helmets. The helmets will vary in design but they're made for getting wet, are light weight and a smart thing to wear. In many other countries wearing a helmet is not an option, everyone dons a helmet. Outfitters exposed to foreign guides are adopting, by choice these safer rafting practices and providing their guests with helmets.

It depends on the river but speaking about the American River and the outfitters that run that river, you will receive a gourmet deli-style lunch, often right on the banks of the river. There are small variances between companies but a typical lunch will look like this: 2 - 3 bread choices, sprouts, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, onions, 2 cheeses, 2 meats, mayo, mustard, pb&j, chips, fruit, cookies and water.

If you're on an overnight trip, your camping is paid, your dinner is made and served by staff, breakfast the same another day rafting and another lunch.

The typical price for whitewater rafting is near $100 per day, per person. When you consider all you get, professional guide, professional equipment, the unique opportunity to see the beauty of a river canyon in a way you couldn't see otherwise, the opportunity to travel through whitewater rapids, an excellent lunch and stories to tell over and over.

I often compare the cost of whitewater rafting to the cost to visit Disneyland. My whole family loves Disneyland. When you go to Disneyland you're not provided a personal guide, you're not fed, you're not experiencing something natural and majestic and most often you're paying more than you will for whitewater rafting. Value is in perception and knowledge. It's our hope this brief article on basic whitewater rafting knowledge will help you to overcome some fears you may had with regard to the unknown and has encouraged you to try this incredible and affordable vacation.


Christopher Pyle has a Baccalaureate degree in Humanities emphasizing children' literature and the coming of age saga. Christopher has more than twenty years of whitewater rafting experience and is owner / director of Action Whitewater and a youth summer adventure camp. He aims at building better people through better experience.

Camp Benefits Home Schoolers Most

It's difficult to strike a balanced tone when speaking of reasons people choose to home school their children. In our day to day lives, it's common to happen upon discussions which reflect only one point of view be it on the radio, on television, in classrooms, in our own homes. Unfortunately most major issues are simply too large to tackle from the middle of the road and so people take a side and battle from that position. That said, it's fair to say there are very good schools available to most all US citizens, places wherein children can get a quality education. Of course, there are others and it may be these others that has lead so many to educate their own children, in their own way.

While many have chosen to educate their kids, an honest discussion needs to take place within each parent's self. This is a fresh approach, a sincere approach to improving the home school child's life. The message is straight forward, it's purposely honest and lacking in soft, passive tones. Parents who have chosen to eductate their own, deserve the respect this tone imparts: matter of fact, simple, non-labeling or blaming, a voice of aid.

One cannot be all things to a child. Even if the parent/educator is incredibly well adapted and versatile, socialization with others is a positive in personal development. The discussion needs to recognize the incredible strength needed to make such a decision and if the most is to be made of the decision, needs to recognize each parent's weakness in teaching.

A significant drawback to pulling a child out of school is the socialization aspect. Speaking here of socialization in general. Children learn, experientially, that is to say, through experience, by simply being in a structured environment. Our world is filled with rules, structure, it's how we are able to function without stepping on one another, both figuratively and literally.

There are rules of the road, unspoken rules of behavior in a grocery store, rules at the theater, at the movie complex, etc. So, being out and about, in the world is a good thing for kids as they're developing. As a home school parent/educator, one must be hyper-cognizant of getting the home school child into the world, out of the house. Americans have extremely busy lives, this busyness is amplified when the task of educator is added to ones role. School then, is a place kids go and learn life is a series of rules, especially so at school. Home school children can get this experience, school's don't hold exclusivity rights but parent/educators must make concerted efforts make it so.

In addition to this "worldly" type of socialization is the more specific peer-socialization. More and more home school families are getting together with other home-schoolers and allowing the kids to mix. This is better than no peer-socialization; however, it's tough to compete with a school in this regard, simply because school is generally 6 to 7 hours of non-stop peer-socialization. Of course there are drawbacks and "drama" with school relationships that adults can find tiring but it's exactly these interactions that help shape the child's ability to cope with real life situations when they're grown. Above all, this element, socialization, should remain in the forefront of the parent/educator mind. Of the home schooled children we have contact, this is the single weakest element in their development.

On the flip side, most home schooled children have a far greater breadth of knowledge for familiar subject, they converse with a topic-maturity not often found in similar aged kids. This is why so many parents have made the home school option. It is certainly a benefit to have such focused attention and time dedicated to improving the life of one, two or more children but most often less than the teacher to child ratio found in schools.

So, what can parent/educators do to improve the schooling provided their kids? Take time to augment the learning with subjects and experiences outside of the core education courses. In many ways the advantage to provide incredible learning experiences is in the home school parent/educator's favor. School can take place on the parent's terms, in a place of the parent's choosing. This allows for tremendous diversity: zoos, live theater, construction sites, bakeries, galleries, news papers, local businesses etc., all offer incredible learning experiences. Being the home school parent, party of very few, one can impose on these areas, ask questions and use the place to teach about life and how school ties into life after school. Create opportunities to get the child exposed to the world. take advantage of the incredibly brave decision made to home school.

As we conclude the first part of this mini-series on how to get most from the home school decision, one tip to achieving all three points above. Parents can look to getting a group of home schoolers together and enroll the lot of them into an experiental education based program. Outdoor education centers will provide this. It's good to get the kids into these types of programs once or twice a year for concentrated periods of time. Camps are excellent for this.

Look for a camp that focusses on outdoor eduction and or experiential education. If the camp is noting experiential education, that's excellent. At this point you need only make sure you're comfotable with the company. These programs will take the kids from a few days to a few weeks. You'll address everything mentioned above and everything addressed in the next segment of this series: greater socialization as the kids learn the rules and boundaries of the new environment, peer-socialization as they come together to form a community, a new little society and they will learn a variety about themselves and the environment by being in an outdoor setting, challenging themselves and interacting with staff.

Christopher Pyle holds a BA in Humanities/Liberal Arts. He's a former group home counselor, corporate trainer and owner/director of an Outdoor Education / Experiential Education Summer Camp located on the South Fork of the American River. For more information on the benefits of summer camp, special home school programs and the camp experience, visit Action Whitewater.