Back from the woods

Sometimes I just wonder if I could live in the woods forever. We just got back from several days of tent camping at Eighth Lake in the Adirondacks…a much anticipated trip for me, since I have so many fond memories of camping there with my family many years ago. The smells, the forest, the incredible views…I will always count this place as one of my favorites.

The week was such fun…hiking, swimming and canoeing, campfires and camp cooking. I took plenty of magazines and my nook to read, but found myself most times much too distracted  by the quiet, the beauty, and the wildlife.

We had the best time. Our site was right on the lake, so evenings, we listened for the loons, and watched the fog settle over the lake. For weeks I looked forward to this trip, and remembering the wildlife encounters of my childhood, I was counting on seeing raccoons and chipmunks at our site. And we sure did….daily.

 But what I had really hoped for, the dare-devil thrill seeker that I am,  was a bear sighting, and although we didn’t actually see him, there was indeed a bear right at our campsite one night!!!

…he left his evidence everywhere.

Ben and Rebecca joined us for the weekend for their first tent camping adventure. It was a perfect opportunity to relax and re-connect with my son and his girlfriend, and to make even more Adirondack memories.

On our way home, I insisted on taking the long way, stopping by one of the places that we always camped when I was a kid…Lewey Lake. And with map in hand, we explored the sites and circled our favorites to prepare for next year…when we just may have to make two trips to those Adirondack Mountains.

I am so thankful that we get to enjoy these mountains, thankful that much of it remains just as God created it. Wonderfully made. But now that I’m home, desperately in need of some nesting time and sewing time, I’m just as thankful to be living in a house instead of the woods.