Fall Cruise

The last time I took a trip out to Spectacle island was in the summer with All Access. But going on the cruise this weekend it had a different feel to it. As always I had an amazing seeing the familiar faces at Save the Harbor. But seeing all of the families that came out to the island is probably what made my day the most. Although it was a chilly day, the amount of people that came out for a day on the island was remarkable. We had people who have never been to Spectacle before, and people coming from different countries to study abroad, just to spend a day with us. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my Saturday afternoon.

The last time I was at Spectacle, it was about 80 degrees and nearly 350 children running around with footballs and water bottles. Now, it was about 30 degrees cooler and not as many children. If its one thing that didn't change were the smiles on everyone's faces. From people searching for marbles or just simply taking a walk to the top of the island. I had an amazing time, and more importantly, everyone did as well. It was actually my first time walking all the way to the top of the island and it was pretty fun. The grass is even greener! Took a look over and I think I could see my house from here! I had an amazing time sharing my experiences and memories with everyone that came out on Saturday. See you next time, Preston.

Goodbye!

I first want to thank everyone at Save The Harbor for making this summer a memorable one. I have met so many new faces and to be honest, I'm glad that I did. I spent my last day at Carson on Friday and it made me sad that it was the last day of Save The Harbor. Over the last two months I have did things that I have never done before, thanks to the amazing people that I worked with this summer. Whether it was trying to do back flips on the beach, or interact with kids more than usual. Everyone this year was able to get me to do something new, and break out of my comfort zone, This year was about new relationships and new experiences. I have new friendships with people I would have never thought. And I've had a chance to experience new things based off of those friendships. It was an amazing summer with amazing people. I am saddened that the summer has to come to an end. It was a great summer to work with Save The Harbor as is every summer. I wish everyone luck in their fall travels. Until next summer everyone, Preston.

                        

First Time At CHV

I spent my first day at Camp Harbor View on Monday. It was  to be at another site other than Carson for a day. I met so many people. Some of them being close friends relatives, such as little brothers and sisters. Some of them whom I haven't seen since they were about six or seven. Seeing them now, they were about 13-15. And it brought back so many memories of them being so little and tiny. On top of the familiar faces, I had a chance to meet a bunch of new people as well. I had a chance to meet the fishing club as well. They are total pros when it comes to fishing and they are all so young. One kid even caught a Skate!




While kids were fishing, I took Abel down to open up one of our crab traps. There were about six crabs in all. We put the crabs on the table so we could put the trap back into the water, and all of the crabs took off! They were running down to the other end of the table. If you were just looking on, it looked like we started a crab race. Here's a picture of Abel and I hold the proclaimed winners. Although it was my first time here at CHV, I had an amazing experience! From the new faces and old ones, to the epic crab race. I had a great day at CHV. Until next time CHV, keep on exploring, Preston.

Last Day on All Access

Thursday was a beautiful day with bad news, All Access came to an end for the summer. My summer was made by the hundreds of kids that come out to Spectacle island with us everyday. The kids swimming, fishing, and playing sports is truly an amazing thing to watch and take in. At first when you look around, it looks like summer madness. But when you look around again, everyone is happy and enjoying themselves. All the kids have smiles on their faces. All the adults have smiles on their faces and phones in their hands trying to capture the moment. Throughout the heat, everyone managed to keep that big grin that they had when they arrived on the island. I had a chance to learn more about everyone who worked with me this year on All Access. I thank all the kids and all my coworkers for making my summer great! This summer was amazing with All Access, I hope for more summers just like this one in the future! Until next time All Access, and keep on exploring, Preston.

Sandraking A Masterpiece

Friday was one of the hottest days this summer at Carson. But we didn't let that get to us, as we stocked up on water bottles and hit the beach for some sand raking with our sand rake artist, Andres Amador. He's known for making amazing pieces of work on the beach with only a sand rake. His work never goes unnoticed when you're on the beach. We took a group of kids down to the beach and many of them had never used a sand rake before. While it was most of their first times using one, they all made wonderful art. It was my first time being taught how to sand rake properly, and I think I did a pretty good job!


When we brought the children down to the sand, I started working with my little friend Faith on a flower. It turned out to be pretty amazing actually. At first we struggled because the sand was drying fast since it was so hot. But we made it work in the long run. Our flower looked great! And it put a smile on both of our faces. When the children departed. we helped Andres make a huge picture. It took us about an hour to make but it was incredible to see the final product. I never thought that I'd be part of creating something as big as the piece of art we did Friday. Everyone on the beach kept coming over to see what we were doing. I think they were more amazed than us. It was a great day to be sand raking. I hope i get another day with Andres before the summer is over, so I can truly put my sand raking skills to the test. Unti next time, and keep on exploring, Preston.

Olliepalooza Takeover

On Thursday, some of the staff and I took part in a fun event across from Carson beach, called Olliepalooza. Between fish printing, free slushies, and moon bounces left and right, if you didn't have fun I feel bad for you. The day started out with a few of us fish printing. But instead of putting them on paper, we started to print them on shirts. I think it was a good idea to print them on t-shirts since it was so hot. Besides the heat, no one ever fish prints on t shirts. I'm sort of glad Save the Harbor thought of it first. They came out pretty good and the children loved that they could wear their art home.

After stuffing my face with what seemed to be the sixth slushie, I went over to relive my childhood in one of the moon bounces. I hopped in the moon bounce with Maruicio and to our surprise, it was a race. The two of us took off as a child screamed "ready, set go!" As we took off in the moon bounce. All I saw were kids on the outside racing us from there, trying to see who reached the finish line first. As I came out of the moon bounce victorious. I celebrated by playing GaGa ball. A game where you hit the ball at somones legs in order to get them out. It was my first time playing so of course I was a main target for the kids. I lost the first game, but ended up winning the next one. I had a fun time at Olliepalooza, and hope that its here next year by popular demand. Until next time, and keep on exploring. Preston.

Football at Carson Beach

Over the past few weeks that I've been at Carson Beach, I've been really working on how to improve the athlete side of me. Catching footballs is one thing, and throwing them is a different game. I almost never catch the ball standing up, but for me, sitting down is a different story. Catching the football seems so much easier while sitting down (I don't know why but it just makes it easier for me!). Sometimes Joe or Preston would call "hands!" to Bridget and the best is when she has one hand holding her coffee while shielding herself with the other hand (sorry Bridget but it was funny). We have all learned that coffee is the one thing Bridget will not drop for the hands game. It is her morning priority! Recently however, Bridget has started to be able to catch with one hand, which is amazing, while I haven't progressed at all unfortunately, here's a picture of Preston with his hop game on point.

Now the 'hands' game at the beginning wasn't too bad the warnings were given before the person threw the ball in many cases would be Preston, however throughout the few weeks I've been at Carson things got a bit more extreme with Joe joining in. Now the warnings were given right before the ball hit you which was hilarious when the person receiving the ball couldn't catch it with the small amount of time given to them, but when they do catch it, it was amazing especially when the person receiving caught the ball with one hand which was what Bridget has been doing lately. In the end I'm still bad at catching, I still don't know how to throw a football correctly and the same goes for frisbee, but that's a different story.

Cosmo and Wanda at Carson?

Took a break from being Odell and picked up a piece of chalk on Friday at Carson. It was a totally different experience. I'm usually known for my athletic ability, not my artistic ones. I sort of surprised myself too as I was using the chalk. I went from the tic-tac-toe champ to Picasso himself in the blink of an eye. A little kid asked me if i could draw Cosmo and Wanda, and without even thinking I said "yeah, I can draw anything." After realising what just happened, I find myself on the floor drawing Cosmo and Wanda. Nine out of Ten times I would have never picked up a piece of chalk to begin with, now I'm drawing cartoon characters like I draw on a daily basis. To my surprise, I actually did a pretty good job. Well, for someone who doesn't use chalk in their daily routine, I did pretty well. The kids and their counsellors thought I did a pretty swell job as well. Never knew I could draw. I appreciate that kid who asked if I could draw them, without him I probably wouldn't have tried ever. Now I literally think I can draw anything. This blog is for you buddy!

Family FUN Night!

So much happened on Family Fun Night! So many families came down to enjoy a night at the beach, along with exciting activities for the kids. I started out by making bracelets with my friend Brian. He made me a blue one with a football. I made him a green one with a baseball on it. He said it was better than the one his older sister made him and he wishes that he made her a cool one like the baseball one. The one he made me was the third one that I got that day! I just might have to wear them all at once since they're so great.

After making superstar bracelets with Brian, I stormed the beach with a 12 foot beach ball! It was probably the most fun that I've had so far this summer. Just seeing a 12 foot beach ball going back and forth across the beach is a sight in itself. People stopped just to watch us play with it. Kids were teaming up together to push it up and down the beach. They even pretended it was a super monster beach ball and were running away from it, pretending it was going to get them. So many smiles and laughs were produced by this over sized ball of fun. It was a great family night and can't wait for more to come. Until next time, and keep saving the harbor, Preston.

Beach Bash!

The Beach Bash we had on Friday was epic! So many kids came to see what was going on at Carson! It was so fun. There were camps from all over Boston that came down to enjoy a hot day at the beach with Save The Harbor. From frisbee, to soccer, to football, to free ice cream on the pavilion, everything made the kids smile. I love the free ice cream that was provided. My favorite flavor, vanilla. Not to mention the free jerky they were giving out as well. These two kids bet each other that they could out eat the other with the cups of ice cream. As you can see, my friend John on the left easily beat Wence.  

Everyone meet my friend Madelyn here. She's five years old, and we were in the middle of the face painting line. She's come down to the beach with The Ollie preschool many times before this, and she's a great kid. I taught her how to throw a football one day and now she's always itching to play catch. She loves frisbee and digging in the sand. We saw each other in the face painting line and it was a must that we take a picture together. She ended up with a tiger on her face, and somehow she convinced me to let her draw a jellyfish on my arm. It was a great day to be at the beach, especially if you were a kid. Until next time, keep on exploring, Preston.

Messy Mondays

It was another great day at Carson on Monday. Between our hula hoop contest, and the kids trying to build the biggest sand castle, it was a close call for highlight of the day. Many of the kids from this program had never built a sand castle before! And for a few of the foreign kids it was their first time on of of Boston's beaches. It was a day of many first's at the beach. These kids were in the middle of constructing "the biggest sand castle ever" as one of the kids called it. They were determined to make it bigger than themselves, until it was time for them to go to lunch. But the fun didn't stop at launch time. After the kids stuffed their faces with pb&j sandwiches, the kids were back on the beach. This time they started a hula hoop contest. Personally, my hula hooping skills are sub par at best. But some of these kids would still be twirling the hula hoop on their waist if their camp didn't have to leave. It was fun seeing little kids between six and eight, hula hoop better than the staff. Both of these girls, Sasha and Tonya, were named the best hula

hoopers in their camp. They both kept the hoop spinning for about two minutes! I can't even keep the hoop up for fifteen seconds. These two girls kept going and even when it was time for them to leave they still wanted to stay and hula hoop more. Guess I need to brush up on my hula hoop skills. Until next time, keep saving the harbor, Preston.

Welcome Vertex

Friday was a little different than usual. It was a wet and rainy day, and instead of children, we had teens from a program called Vertex help us out with a little arts and crafts project. These teens are probably some of the smartest teens around. Vertex interns came to the beach to learn about STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. But we added art to the equation and made STEAM. We had one of our friends, Olga, come down to give us a little demonstration about low tide and high tide. First we started out by painting 13 rocks a bright red color and lined them up from smallest to largest. After successfully painting the rocks. We learned about how much the tide moves every hour and how long it would take for the tide to go from low tide to high tide. Theres actually a "rule of 12's" that explains how much the water moves within the hour. For the first hour it moves 1/12 the total distance. The next hour 2/12. the next two hours 3/13 each. the fifth hour 2/12 total distance. and the last hour the tide moves the last 1/12. The process takes about six hours for the tide to switch from low to high tide, or vice verse. After painting the rocks, we brought them down to the shoreline, and started to place the rocks the specific distance between each other. Even though it was raining it was still a cool lesson. I didn't know there was a specific equation for the tide at all. My friday was fun, yet at the same time educational. Thanks Vertex for coming down and learning about the harbor with us! Keep on saving the harbor, until next time, Preston

I... Am... Odell

Hey guys its Preston again! Let's get a few things straight. shall we? Yes, that was a catch. Yes, that was a touchdown. And yes, the kids do call me Odell. Now that we've gotten that out of the way: Tuesday's football game was honestly the most thrilling game of football that I have played in a while. Both teams weren't giving up an inch. But as we all know, there had to be a winner. 

Team Odell vs Team Joe; it was a hot day, but the kids came with their game faces ready to play. At first, it was a hard fought game. With neither team scoring in the first 20 minutes, the words "10 minutes left" echoed the beach as the camp counselor screamed at the top of her lungs. It was crunch time for both teams. With a quick score for Team Odell, Team Joe was now pressed for both time and points. With 4 minutes left to go, Jaylen from Team Odell quickly turned around and scooped a fumble all the way to the end zone. Now up two scores, Team Joe needed to turn it around, and needed to do it fast. 

As both teams huddled up for what was about to be the last play of the game, it was do or die: next score wins. Team Odell came too far to let Team Joe take the victory! I remember it since it was yesterday. The ball was in the air, and it felt like slow motion. Whose hands would it fall into? Mine, followed by two members of Team Joe. I looked up with one eye, while sand was in the other. The ball hit the ground. Incomplete pass. Team Odell took the win, but narrowly. The kids celebrated as they jumped and skipped to a well-deserved lunch break. I looked at Joe and said "that was an amazing game." We both laughed and started making sand castles. It's just the beginning of summer, and I hope for more football games like this one. This one will go down in the books for me. Until my next blog, Preston. 

Soccer is life!

Hey guys, its Preston again. This week was by far one of the hottest weeks of the summer. This didn't stop the fun at Carson one bit. Throughout the heat it was a struggle staying hydrated, but we managed to do it for the kids! This week, we had huge soccer games with all the camps that came to Carson. We had campers vs counsellors, campers vs campers, we even had camp vs camp games as well. I'm not much of a soccer player myself but it's a pretty good workout when you're on the beach. And ever since the summer started, I became a better soccer player, along with many of the children.






We played soccer from sun up to sun down. And when the sun went down it was Family Fun night with the South Boston Neighborhood House. They had face painting, bubble machines, Norah Dooley was there telling pirate stories, and my favorite...FREE SLUSHIES!

It was an amazing day for families to bring their children down and have a fun night with Save the Harbor. The children got to fish print and collect coins from a pirate. If you didn't see smiles earlier during soccer, you definitely did at Family Fun Night. It was a great event and I hope to do it again real soon. Until next time, Preston.
 

"We Need More Crabs!"

Hey guys, its Preston again. I had an amazing day today with the groups of kids that came to the beach. I played can jam, played a little football, and I even helped make a homeless shelter for hermit crabs. Yeah that's right, a homeless shelter for hermit crabs. Or, as I heard it called,a "sanctuary" for crabs! Joe and I helped them make a huge hole, that was then followed by an even bigger trail back to the shoreline. We left it up to the kids to go find hermit crabs, and periwinkles, to bring them to their new little home. Bucket after bucket, hermit crab after hermit crab. The shelter finally became a success. "We need more crabs" was the phrase of the day. Even fifteen crabs weren't enough for the determined children. They just needed more. Soon enough, there was more than one crab shelter on the beach. Each sanctuary (if you will) was filled with more and more crabs. You just can't beat playing in the sand with kids. Til next time, Preston.

Carson's Nothing but Fun

There is nothing but fun at the beach! From 10 on 10 soccer games, to hermit crabs and clams, there is never a dull moment with the kids. Kids come from all parts of the city to have an amazing day at Carson. And they never go home disappointed. Personally, I had a blast my first week back. It was nice seeing some new faces as well as some familiar ones. Kids participated in sand raking, and we even had a camp vs camp football game!

For many of the kids, we were able to provide something new: holding a hermit crab! For many, it was their first time even seeing a hermit crab. They were a little freaked out when they all had a turn to hold one, but I could tell they all enjoyed it. It was a good experience for them, which was the best part.




One of my high points of the week had to be learning how to properly throw a Frisbee. it may sound simple, but trust me it's way harder than it looks. Things such as wind direction and distance are a few things that you need to consider when throwing one. Luke taught me that. And the same day that I learned how to throw one I taught about five kids how to throw one as well. I didn't know playing frisbee could be so much fun! I can already tell that this summer is going to be great. See you next time, Preston.

Let's get Kraken

Welcome all! For those who may not know me, my name is Preston and I am returning for my third year with Save The Harbor. This is my first summer as a Lead Harbor Explorer and I am pumped about it! Returning for a third year was an absolute must. From playing in the sand with kids, to pulling up crab traps, and fishing like the pros, I could not wait to return this year. Save the Harbor has been the highlight of my summer for the past two years and I'm glad I could be here for a third.




During this summer I am looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces at Save the Harbor, as well as the new ones. I am also looking forward to all the kids that we are going to interact with this year. Teaching them how to fish, and how to hold a crab the proper way may not seem like a big deal, but it is to them. Some of the children have never been fishing before. Or have never pulled up a crab trap. For many of these kids at Save the Harbor, it'll be their first time. It doesn't get any better than seeing a kid reel in his first fish, and it will never get old. This is a new year to meet new children and get new tan lines. I hope everyone is ready for an amazing summer!
 - See you soon, Preston

Nothing but Fish Prints

There's nothing better than making fish prints with tons of kids at the Seafood Festival at the Fish Pier. That's how I spent my Sunday afternoon. Children came down to the Fish Pier with their parents to enjoy a wonderful day of festivities. We were there making fish prints with the kids for the whole time we were there. From red and blue, to orange and grey, to yellow and blue fish, every color of fish you could have imagined was probably made at the Seafood Festival. It's always a blast helping kids make fish prints too. I helped make a print with a kid. He said it was his first time in America, and his first time seeing a flounder; the type of fish we used for the prints. I was excited that I was able to help him with his fish print and I was even more thrilled that I was of of his first experiences in America.

Although we were there making fish prints with the kids, there were other things going on at the Seafood Festival. There were street performers, and food trucks of different seafood. There was a street performer there that was amazing! He was a dancer from Boston. Anything you threw at him he could do. He could tap dance, he could pop lock, and he could do flips at will. He was one of the most exciting performers of the day, and by far my favorite one. See you on my next blog, Preston.

A Day Full of Selfies

It was a great day on all access! The sun was out, the water was cold, and the kids were happy. You couldn't ask for much more than that on a summer day. This week we took the kids to Peddock's Island; one of the two better islands along with Spectacle. Here, we played a enormous, and competitive game of kickball. But before we played, we had lunch. During lunch, I challenged all of the counselors to get a group selfie with all of their kids. There was no winner to this little competition, but it was funny watching all the counselors rally up their kids for a selfie.

After taking selfies and playing kickball, we headed down to the water to cool off. And before we went down to the water it was mandatory that I get a selfie with all of the staff too. They really didn't want to take one. But I told them put on their best happy face and pose for the picture. It was a hassle getting them together, but we finally did it. Tell me what you think of it.

Till later,

Preston.

Pockets Full of Sand

Hey Save the Harbor! 
It was one of the hottest weeks of the summer so far! Thankfully, that didn't stop the kids from coming to Carson beach! Many of them headed straight to the water for a chance to cool off. It was a blast! Bucket after bucket of water, the kids were playing no games as they splashed each other with water. Plenty of them also had a chance to bury each other in the sand! Never have I seen so many heads just peeking out of the sand at once. Most of them were surprised to find tons of sand in their pockets as well. This little girl was thrilled that she had the chance to eat lunch in the sand.

It was also a nice day to go fishing with the kids. They always seem to have fun casting the line and waiting for a bite. Whether it is their first time fishing or their 100th time fishing, they always come back for more! It's all smiles fishing at Carson. I just can't wait to see their face when they actually catch a fish. See you next time!

 Preston