Saturday, October 8, 2011

McCall: Solo Theraputic Road Trip (Women's Retreat, Sept 23-25) . . .

Even at $75 for a tank of gas, it's cheaper than therapy any day.  It was a long, busy, intense season.  My psyche requires alone time but my schedule rarely accommodates it.  When Ellen asked me to help with the music at women's retreat at Quaker Hill last weekend, I jumped at the chance.  Mostly because I knew I would be driving up to McCall.  All by myself. 

When I take a road trip by myself, it means:

- I can roll the windows down.  Or not.
- I can listen to whatever music I want to listen to.  As loud as I want to listen to it.
- I can stop whenever I want to.  Wherever I want to.  For as long as I want to.
- I can pass those slow drivers or just slow down myself.
- I can think.  Or not.

It's therapeutic.  It's a beautiful drive to McCall.  I left early in the day and made the most of it. . .

















This is the same boat dock just outside of Donnelly that Gloria and I hung out on back in July.  She jumped off the end into water that was at least waist deep.  Not sure how the water receded so quickly!!  I'm pretty sure the dock is in the exact same place. 

I sat right here in the sun and ate my Subway sandwich and enjoyed the view.  And the silence.  I was the only one there.








About 5 hours after leaving Boise, I arrived in McCall. . .

To assist in my therapy, I made the time to go back here:

I lost something here this summer and I thought I might find it if I came back. . .



Nope, still missing. . .

Payette Lake holds some very fond memories for me.  I started going to church camp up here when I was in the fourth grade.  The camp was called Victory Cove and we would swim in this lake every day.  I visited Victory Cove a few years ago and it was a ghost town.  Ghost camp, I guess. . .

The first time I successfully got up on water skis was right here on this lake when I was in about the 6th grade.  My family vacationed in McCall whenever we could and we just happened to be there when some friends of my parents were there with a boat.  My memory of that is day mostly good- I loved the boat and the water.  I just wish someone would have told me how to take a corner on skis. . .

Over the last 18 years, we've been to camps and retreats right here at Quaker Hill. . .

Such a beautiful, restful place.  Plus someone else does the cooking and cleaning so that's hard to beat.

Dot, Katrina, Ursula and Tresa. . .

We had a long chunk of free time on Saturday afternoon so Katrina and I decided to hike up to Boulder Lake which is about a 30 minute drive and a two hour round trip hike away from the camp. . .

It was VERY therapeutic. . .




When we reached the lake, we sat and talked about our lives. . .

I love Katrina. . .


As we sat talking, small fish kept jumping in front of us in the lake.  I kept taking pictures with my phone hoping to catch one in action. . .

I finally snapped a picture of one as it jumped out of the water but it's still hard to see it in the photo. . .

When I was in high school, my church youth group took a 4 or 5 day back pack trip up to this lake.  I'm pretty sure we hiked up to the lake above it as well.  I don't remember too much about it except that it was really fun.  For some reason, the one thing that really stands out in my mind is that we dug holes in the ground and set up make-shift his and hers porta-pots complete with a tarped enclosure and a plastic bucket (with a hole in it) to sit on.  There wasn't a flusher, but it was the next best thing. . .



We weren't in any hurry to get back but we had places to be so back down the trail we went. . .

Even though I've considered this trip as cheap therapy, we actually had "work" to do while we were there.  I can't really consider it work though because I love singing and being with my girls.  We don't have an official name yet but it's been suggested that we call ourselves "Tanya and the Pussycats".  Or "Tresa and the Pussycats" (etc) depending on whose "territory" we're on!!  Hmm. . . not sure how well that will go over. . .

This is the only picture I have of me and the girls and I had to steal it off of someone's Facebook page!!
L to R: Pam on the hand drum, Ellen at the piano, Lynne, Me, Tresa and Katrina. . .

The weekend was the perfect way for me to find some perspective. . .

Sunday came too soon and I went down to the lake to say my good-byes.  Thanks for everything. . .

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