Camp Zarahemla

Just a few last words about Camp Zarahemla. It was beautiful. We were threatened with hypothermia if we were even in the water for a few moments so swimming was not allowed. I was highly suspicious of this claim for many reasons one of which being there was no snow along the actual lake edges. Jewel Basin, Strawberry Lake, June. I swam in it I did not get even a touch of hypothermia, Clear Lake was lower in elevation AND there was no glacier feeding it. Don't tell a girl from Glacier country about hypothermia. (I also went surfing in Cornwall in October which was VERY cold.) I did take all 3 of my kids out in a canoe and we had a great time even thought it started raining. I love canoes!

This is Nicki on the porch of our cabin overlooking the lake. The cabins were lush. Real walls no cracks, actual windows with glass and working screens. Lights, outlets a mini fridge, a microwave and......

A gas stove with a thermostat. We had that cabin toasty warm.
There was of course a lodge with kitchen, bathroom and showers. There was a great playground for the little ones, and the big ones too. There were port-a-potties near all cabins and each cabin had a fire pit with cords upon cords of seasoned firewood. The cabins even had Christmas lights hanging outside.
I am so glad we went. We had such a great time.

Kauai day 5

We started the morning by putting down the top of the jeep, driving for a few minutes and pulling over as a surprise rainstorm threatened, and putting up the top as the buckets began to fall. By the time the top was up, the rain was almost done.

Then we met our group from Ali'i Kayaks and began to paddle up the Wailua river.We took a fork of the river as far as we could paddle and then we hiked though the jungle, which was mostly mud (mud not pictured here.) It was perilous folks. The majority of the group were people in their late 20's and early 30's pretty fit and we were barely able to keep upright.
We saw some grannies beginning the hike and there is no way they made it. Water socks were mandatory not for water crossings but mud trudging. This is what they mean when they say "short hike" in Hawaii. Oh, yeah, and we had to dodge killer mangoes as they fell on our heads. Let me tell you the smell of rotting, fermenting mangoes is enough to make you swear off all fruit, forever.
Still, it was worth it as we reached Secret Falls and saw this idyllic Hawaiian scene.
I swam into the cold (but not as cold as any body of water in Montana) water and swam out to the falls. I am a pretty strong swimmer but I had to swim with all my might the force of the water was so strong. And then I tried to stand underneath, but that is a LOT of water tumbling on my head, it hurt. So hats off to all the actors and actresses who have love scenes under waterfalls, it isn't as easy as it looks.
Our guide "Brandon" learned that we had a jeep and that Moose wanted to go employ the 4-wheel drive. He told us about this fantastical place in the mountains where the rocks are white and there is a pool of water that is so very blue, called, "The Blue Place." I think this is how he has fun with the tourists because we never found "The Blue Place." We did find a lot of mud, and huge holes in the road that were the size of a dodge ram. My neck was very sore and we found out what the bar on the passenger side was for -HOLDING ON!
We did find a neat little swimming hole that we discoverd by following this irrigation channel, doesn't it just look so cool...This is an aquaduct type thing where 4 channels converged and there were falls and a pool that I swam in that was not safe for swimming. Once again, very strong current - but I had to get to the man made water falls.
The beginning or end of this journey was at an arboretum that happens to contain cool trees that have bark that reminded me of brown, orange and green clay rolled together and this valley famous for being in the movie Jurassic Park.

My bucket list

A "Bucket List" is a phrase made popular by the movie "The Bucket List" which I have not seen and which I may or may not see sometime in the future. The idea, I believe, is a bit older. A bucket list is a list of things you would like to do before you kick the bucket. Here is most of mine. (be sure to click the links they'll give you a chuckle)

• go to Prague

• see Petra

• write and publish a book

• learn a foreign language

• Have a Library of at least 1,000 volumes

• be a skilled archer

• learn to play an instrument proficiently

• visit England again

• read all of Shakespeare

• go kayaking

• write a free lance article

• sing with a band

• learn about rock stacking

• make a fabulous dress (for me)

• see a flowing volcano

• become a good chess player

• create a masterpiece

• keep a tidy house

• become Liber

• be an artist

• be a scriptorian

• be a cozy grandmother

• learn to tatt
  

• have a fruitful garden

• Learn to spin fibers