Everybody in the Pool II - Learning the Strokes

After suiting up, these campers learn how to do the strokes that will help them be better swimmers. This day,  it was so hot and humid,  I almost threw my camera aside and jumped in with them!

Today the second in my series from the Summer Learning Program at the Children's Fresh Air Farm. More tomorrow.  Read about the great article that the B'ham News featured recently here.

Everybody in the Pool - Get Your Suit On

I've been doing this blog for 37 months now and never done a series.  Well I'm always trying to keep things fresh and interesting around here and yesterday, I read to the terrific kiddos at IPC's Summer Learning Program held again this year at the Children's Fresh Air Farm in Bluff Park.  Besides getting to read some of my favorite books each week, I get to roam around with my camera. Finally, the afternoon rains have subsided,  so I was able to visit an enthusiastic group at the pool yesterday, learning to swim.  This series will continue for a few days.  I loved so many photos I couldn't choose just one,  so I hope you will enjoy them all.

Sunday Church Series - The Chapel

The chapel at the Children's Fresh Air Farm in Bluff Park is owned by Independent Presbyterian Church.  Built in the 1920's it has served the young people of Birmingham in many capacities. Last summer it was the site of the BELL Program (Building Educated Leaders for Life).  The graduates of the STAIR tutoring program at the church spent part of their summer vacation here learning and having one terrific time. The program was such a success, this group will be asked back next summer , to be joined by this year's graduates.  As a way to stay in touch with last summer's happy campers, Director Gini Williams has planned some jampacked Saturdays during the school year.  I consider it a privilege to be able to drop by and snap a few photos. I'll have more from this past Saturday in the days to come.  Alabama Possible posted this great article about the program.

Holy Moly!!!

I spent a great afternoon at the Children's Fresh Air Farm recently. Owned and run by my church, Independent Presbyterian Church, it has been the site of the BELL ( Building Educated Leaders for Life )program this summer. I got wind that the campers would be using the zipline the next day so I poked around till I found the site. Not an adventurous person by nature, I really didn't give the logisitics a lot of thought. I found the tower, and they told me to come on up! They said to go around and use the bridge, it was easier. (That should have been my first clue) OK, I had to cross this long and swaying bridge to get to the tower and then........... I had to climb this tiny ladder up to the top, or almost the top, of the tower. You don't even want to know what I wanted to scream. Deep breath........I made it. I'm up there and tickled to photograph some of the leaders giving it a test run. I can't tell you how they tried to persuade me to do it, but I just couldn't. I was too worried about having to go back down that ladder and across that bridge. Oh the things I do for a few good photos. Been there, done that , won't be going again. And I hear that the next day those 8 year olds had a ball!

See side photo for proof I actually got that far!

Lauren was far braver than I!

Everybody In The Pool!

The Children's Fresh Air Farm is the site of Independent Presbyterian Church's summer program for inner city scholars. B.E.L.L. ( Building Educated Leaders for Life) is a new program that hosts 30+ happy campers ( second graders from the STAIR program) that have the privilege of spending the morning honing their math and reading skills, and then in the afternoon, they have an abundance of enrichment activities. I had the pleasure of photographing the fun yesterday. As you can imagine, I have a wealth of photos. Today...swimming lessons!