Waterfalls, spring, and summer sun

We escaped the gloomy windy rain of our town this last weekend by heading to the gorge, up north, to capture the new spring growth surrounding the many waterfalls. Photographer husband (aka. Rennaissance man) had a wild time, getting wet, climbing hills, and capturing God's beauty. We hiked about 5 miles in total, seeing about 5 waterfalls in all and hillsides full of apple and pear orchards in full white blossomed glory beneath the gaze of a huge snow capped mountain. Wow!! Is all I can say!!

It was sunny, in the 70s, and so refreshing. It's what I did instead of spending the weekend indoors for our church's women's retreat. I love these retreats! I started them 5 years ago...but in MAY!!??? I am ready to do as the REI marketing campaign simply puts it:

Find Out.

Out has been replaced by too much indoor time and REI is very cleverly calling us all to again, Find Out!! Our culture spends so much time inside!

Every summer, the miles on the trails slowly detoxes my soul and mind from things like: 1. need for bigger house, 2. need for cute things to put in bigger house, 3. need for cute clothes, 4. need for stuff!! and replaces all that with just a total sense of peace, a deep reminder of what's truly important (time with each other, God, His creation and being in it), and a total lack of desire for any of the Free Markets world of Stuff. It really takes the full 2 month summer and usually, full detoxing of these desires doesn't really happen until the last weeks of summer.

By this time of the year, even though I vow it won't happen, the world's stuff procurement allure creeps back in and I feel so discontent with our house, the stuff in our house, the stuff on my body, the stuff in the garage, stuff, stuff,stuff!!

So, for me, this first of many weekends to come, of just being OUT all day, of simply Finding Out, was so absolutely what my heart needed.

I missed my friends that got to be together all weekend...but bummer, they chose MAY!!! and they chose "IN" and I need "OUT!!" So, as REI said last year, "Out is IN!" Now, go Find Out!! ('cause I promise you - God's hanging out there in his mighty chapel!)