Weekend in the Woods

Our diocesean camp and confernce center is nestled deep in the woods on a lake in a state just to the north (yes, it is a bit odd that it's in another state). This weekend forty-five members of my church traveled there for our First Annual Parish Retreat. I am happy to report that a good time was had by all. (And this report is accompanied by more than a little relief on my part since I was in charge of planning this retreat, and much anxiety ensued as the time approached!)

The camp is a beautiful place--rustic enough to be charming and with enough amenitites to be comfortable. And the setting was perfect for an early fall weekend in New England. Although it rained both Friday and Sunday, Saturday was bright and sunny and brisk. We had a nice balance of program time and free time to enjoy the lake and the woods and the wonderful setting.

Saturday afternoon we saw an incredible rainbow.



It was neither the brightest nor the largest rainbow I've seen, but it was the only rainbow I've ever seen that was straight up over head and that did not approach the horizon on either end.

One of the great parts of this weekend was sharing time with people of all ages. Our group's ages ranged from 3 1/2 to 84. We had three couples in their 80s present. Two of these men were prisoners of war during WWII, and one of the women was an ambulance driver during the war, and they love to tell stories about their experiences. Saturday night we had a bonfire by the lake, and sang songs from just about every generation present.

As usual, I took lots of pictures and I'll leave you with just a few, taken Saturday afternoon during free time.