November is an interesting month. In Northern Michigan, leaves lay in a brown blanket on the ground, except for the tenacious oak leaves that cling high on the tree line and remain there until spring. November is sandwiched between the festive seasons of fall and winter, both full of cozy traditions and holiday celebrations. I find it fitting that November has Thanksgiving. A challenge to the most thankful among us. It's not easy to be thankful during the most dreary, brown, rainy month of the year. Thankfulness isn't a happy face you paste on. Thankfulness isn't a vague 'gladness' for things and people. True thankfulness is only possible if you know the One to whom you are thankful. The Giver of life itself. Last November five friends gathered together on the shores of Shear Lake.
The 70 acre spring-fed lake surrounded by thousands of acres of National Forest. We enjoyed good conversation, good coffee, walks and the beauty of walking down nostalgia lane. Bumping around two tracks of the Huron National Forest, North Star bowl and of course lots of laughing. One is married with older children now, one is married with a young child, one is married with one on the way, one is married with no children yet, and one is unmarried with no children. Five women in different walks of life, who remain joined by the unity of Christ and the memories of hours of fort building, forest wandering and American Doll playing. Last November after twelve years without the joy of being together, we had so many reasons to be thankful. Thankfulness to the God who graciously gave us each other, and who graciously gave us the greatest gift of all - Himself. My dad used to sing silly songs with us while we did the dishes after dinner. "Have you ever been to Boston in the spring?" My latest evening singing has been changed to: "Have you ever been to Arizona in the snow?" These are the memories of childhood. These are the memories of adventures. Winding our way out of the desert of Phoenix with it's Saguaro cacti and beige colored horizon, we eventually spotted the red mountainous monolith cliffs of Sedona. Successively hitting roundabouts taking us through the vortex and crystal obsessed town. After a flight and time spent in the car, a short hike among the juniper sounded delightful. Hiking at the speed of Todd (short for toddler), the newest catch phrase used in life with friends of small people. Delightful to see the world of prickly pears and red rocks through Todd's eyes. Rumors of snow, and news of the road to Grand Canyon being closed had me apprehensive of traveling to Arizona in the snow. However, "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." I believe the author of Hebrews wrote that in relation to faith in God - but I have found this to be a helpful understanding of faith in a lot of things - snow plows and weather patterns included. I really expected to be satisfied with one trip to Grand Canyon in my lifetime. Standing on it's edge and walking a short distance down into it, I never expected to be so overwhelmed by it's magnificence. No photograph I have ever seen as done it justice. Both the canyon itself and the God who created it are entirely mind-blowing. Of course the trip wouldn't be complete without a Route 66 general store to mail postcards from. And another day spent in Sedona with crystal clear blue skies, red rocks and snow capped cacti. "Have you ever been to Arizona in the snow?"
I think you should. February of 2020, right before the world shut down, I rode four hours north after work in a 2002 Toyota 4Runner named Barty. The name came from an Arabic man in Colorado who had sold it to my new found friends, Scott and Mia. I had recently announced my intention to be friends with them when Mia came to my church and spoke about her work as area director for YoungLife. We had scheduled dinner two months out from that speaking engagement, and enjoyed a hike together when they invited me to spend a couple nights in a yurt in the western UP wilderness of Craig Lake State Park. Arriving at the trail head at 10:30 pm, 7 degrees Fahrenheit with -5 wind chill for a 4.5 mile hike in to the back woods of Marquette. Faith in action. Trusting my new found friends that there really was a yurt at the end of the trail. Turns out my faith was well founded and they weren't planning the latest news headline. Three years later, and the fourth yurt trip, we have grown not only in friendship, but in wisdom. Hiking in in the daylight and spending three nights instead of two. This allows for more rounds of games, snacks, naps and hikes. Definitely a win win situation. This year we rang in the New Year in the yurt. Leaving my phone locked in Barty allowed for the most amazing, silent, undistracted way of ringing in 2023. I highly recommend this way of celebrating! Scott and Mia, thank you not only for your friendship, feeding me countless meals, fostering my biking skills and forgiving my habit of leaving my water bottle at your house - but for loving me like Jesus and providing a family in Petoskey! Here's to 2023 and all the adventures to come!
Thank you for dropping by!
Enjoy film photos and thoughts from 2022. If you're interested in getting notified of new posts, send me your email address, and I will let you know when there’s a new post up. Here's to more adventure in 2023! Adventure is one third anticipation, one third execution, and one third remembering. These snippets of memory don't seem to do the middle third justice, but Olympic definitely checked all the adventure boxes. This trip was also a testament to the wonders of natural wool, and man-made GORE-TEX. Thank the good Lord for both. Winding our way from Port Angeles to the entrance of Olympic National Park, fresh with adventure and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest covered in a layer of snow, Lake Crescent couldn't be a more perfect welcome to this gem of a park. Lunch in La Push. We enjoyed chatting it up with two local ladies who gave us hike suggestions for second and third beach where we were greeted by gulls, low tide, and sunshine. After a night spent at Minnie Peterson camp ground where the only voice we heard was a Bard Owl, the next morning included coffee in the Hall of Mosses, and a hike along the Hoh River with a lone trail runner and heard of Roosevelt elk for company. Ranger Todd would have talked for hours - with no working heat or telephones in the ranger station, and apparently very little human company. He told us about his morning sighting of a bobcat fishing and his love of all things National Parks. Ranger Todd was cool. I wish the world had more Ranger Todds in it. Ranger Todd suggested Mount Storm King as the best mountain hiking since Hurricane Ridge was closed, and once again Ranger Todd scored more friend points. We enjoyed lunch at the top with a couple from Pennsylvania, trekking across the country in the back of their Jeep - committed conversationalists with stories from their adventures. Bogachiel State park served us well the last two nights, and Forks Washington lived up to its title as the rainiest town in the contiguous United States. But "The In Place" had good burgers, and was a warm, dry place for writing postcards, drinking tea and washing our hands in warm water. It's the simple things in life. One last hike before winding our way back through the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest, back to Port Angeles, and of course a ferry ride to Seattle through the Puget Sound. Pizza and a hotel room never sounded so good.
It only took us two hours to realize the air-conditioning was turned on in the hotel - a good sign of adjustment to the conditions we had enjoyed. But the heat was nice once we turned it on. Here's to more adventures with you, Jennifer! 51 hours of travel.
44 miles of hiking. 5 friends. 4 days. 1 incredible park. Words don't seem fitting for this post, so I'll let the film speak for itself. The county fair is iconic. It's the stuff of country music, and your great grandpa's stories. It's small town America. It's the smell of popcorn and elephant ears, the sound of children screaming and the clacking and clanging of the carnival rides, the garish neon flashing lights, the feel of sweat dripping down your neck on a hot August night, and the taste of a corn dog and pop. I could go on about how the County Fair isn't fair - how it robs you of your hard earned money quicker than the five minute ride you just took - or how it costs $100 to take your family and eat "dinner." But that would ruin the fun. The County Fair only comes once a year, and just like Christmas, it's meant to be frivolous, enjoyed and savored until next year. This year the fair was especially fun, not only observing the crowning redneck jewel of the week, but participating in it's excitement. I still have my pit crew pass bracelet and card tumbling around in the cup holder of my car - a daily reminder of the glory that was. The glory that was the Autocross. Some call it a demo derby, some call it a bump and run, but all I know is it sure was a heck of a lot of fun. The smell of old engines and dirt. The constant comparison of modifications, tires, and driving strategies. Pit crews cheering on their driver, or maybe a total stranger's car who stole their loyalty with it's crazy pop-wheel underdog take over. The first rule of order for drivers, of course, is to stay out of the beer tent. Jason, the young life student who drove that old Buick LeSabre, managed to pull out third place overall out of sixty cars.
What a kid. The powder puff started at 10:30pm, with the last few remaining die hard fans - or are those just the family members of the women who enter? I don't know, but either way, this kind of event is a first rate example of the differences that exist between men and women. I know those aren't recognized by some people anymore, but I'm here to tell you- there really are differences. But even if the powder puff is more tame, I had fun that night. Pulling fourth out of eight, running my nose in a couple of jams and completing a PIT maneuver. What a night. The county fair is iconic. |
Naomi JoyI was born a month early, and to the surprise of my parents, I was a girl! Archives
June 2023
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