It's been a little crazy in these parts

So, I have finally managed to respond to Lara's meme. It only took me a month. But things have been a little crazy around here lately. Not only has work been a whirlwind, but the evenings and weekends seem to come and go faster than I can manage them. Luckily for me, they have been filled with friends, family, and fun out-of-state activities. But still, this summer has seemed to slip between my fingers. There is so much more I want to do, people I want to see, and Fall is already knocking on my door. That almost indescribable feeling of crisp air, new school year excitement, the balloon festival, apple pie, the Washington County Fair, changing leaves, the subtle scent of earth preparing for winter, and all the other things imprinted on my heart as the meaning of fall are quietly creeping in. I keep my windows closed now on the way to work in the morning, the chill in the air just a little too brisk for my morning skin still used to the warmth of my bed. The ending of summer comes all too soon, and it is a bitter sweet goodbye. As honeyed as the never-ending days of summer are, with warm, sun-soaked beaches, and outdoor entertainment in the slowly occurring dusk of evening, Fall is my season. I feel connected to the earth, to its sweet smells and rich colors, the way it nurtures life, and responds gradually to change, its constancy and adaptability. When the leaves change, I rejoice in their colors. They are my colors, browns and glowing reds, orange in all shades, deep greens, the azure blue of Fall's night time skies. They are the colors I feel at home in, colors that compliment my pale skin and red hair. In Fall, the tan skin of summer beauties no longer wins lingering stares, instead it is the fair complexions with pink kissed cheeks. Yes, it is bitter sweet. But before I lose myself in thoughts of changing leaves, summer will have a few more glorious days and I will recap a few such days I spent last weekend.

As we do every year, my family visited our camp in Massachusetts for a weekend of relaxation and reflection on times past. For me as a fourth generation camp-goer, I am overwhelmed by the family history our camp contains. Originally a hunting camp owned by my great grandfather in the late 1800's, it has seen the birth of his children, Albert and Clark, their trips overseas to the War, their marriages and the subsequent birth of children, including my father, and then my father's generation of marriage and children. And even now, the oldest of my generation, my cousin Kelly is married and having children of her own, continuing the history. It is a campy place that has seen limited changes over the years. Some basic stuff, like running water and hot showers, electricity, and recently, a tv have been added, but for the most part, the camp has looked the same as it did when my father was learning to swim between the docks and catching fish in the shallows by Toomies.

A game of family trivia was made years ago posing questions about members of the family that died before my father was even born. Each generation has added their own questions along the way, I recently found a question I wrote at some point in middle school about one of our adventures. There are questions about my father and his comical delinquent moments as a child, about my grandfather and his brother making friends with people down the shore, about Annie Gretchen, who one summer as a child had moldy hair because she was in the lake so often it never fully dried. She died in the 50's I think.

It is an incredible place, our camp. I sleep on the big wrap around porch in a bed that used to be my dad's, and before that, his Uncle Clark's. I water ski, or I should say, I try to water ski. You can hang out in the boat, on the dock, up on the porch, take naps, go for walks, take out the canoe or the row boat. There is no pressure, do whatever you please. And in the evening we will all have a few beers, roast some corn for dinner and marshmallows for dessert, and then turn in for fresh air sleeping, watching boat light cross the lake before falling into dreams. Here are some pictures. Though I am sorry to say, they can give you the smells, the laughter and the relaxation, they are at least a good image of what "Camp" is all about.