Goodnight, Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bears Bite

The result of last night's late night visitor

Tonight's Revenge

In place of our welcome mat

We screwed this board in front of our door, so we don't expect any visitors tonight, bear or human.

Ethan attempting to make his own bear board

Just a note to those of you who are worried about the bear's health, we don't intend to hurt it, just keep it out of our house.

Still here!

I just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten about my blog. We have just had company for the last 10 days and will still have a house full for another week. Ethan turned 5 this last week and John turned 34 today. Needless to say we have been celebrating a lot. In 2 days my mom, who is visiting right now, has a birthday and I have a birthday in a week!!!! Whew! Just wanted you to know that I fully intend to continue to keep you updated, it may just be another week before I get back to it. Oh yeah... I also planned and put on a wedding on the 14th. I was the florist, decorator and caterer... (sigh).

Ahhh...

Last night was the end of summer camp. We celebrated with a large banquet and a time of sharing. I love to sit and hear stories from the summer and the lives that were changed. But today is quiet, peaceful and void of voices. One thing you get used to during the summer is the hum in the air. Voices of children and over-excited teenagers fill the night and day alike. Laughter, cars, squealing, footsteps on the gravel, army trucks, camp vans, work trucks, guitars and slamming doors, have all ceased (at least for today). Most of the 70+ summer staff are in planes and automobiles headed home. As sad as this day may sound to you, I love this day. I feel for an instant that we ARE in the middle of nowhere (which is the case, but with the uniqueness of living at a youth camp, you forget). It is a sign of seasons changing. There is a hint of fall in the air. I am not sure if I think that because it is quiet or if I actually detect fall. The last 3 nights have produced a light fost on some of the roofs. My favorite thing that Fall brings, though, is a sense of family. In the 12 summer weeks of organized chaos, you will find a couple close relationships out of the 70+ staff members. But fall only brings about 12 seasonal staff. They all become part of our lives and families. It is a sweet time of fellowship. So just for today, before Monday comes and camp springs back to life, I am going to imagine I am smack dab in the middle of fall and put on a cozy sweater. I know I am slightly crazy since it IS only the 11th of August, but I did notice one, lone tree turning yellow in a sea of green on the mountain side today. For some reason that tree put me in the mood I am today. Peaceful, happy and sleepy.

Staff housing

Here are a few pictures of house #1's basement walls. They arrive on an eighteen wheeler in large pre-fabricated panels and are assembled at the job site using a 40 ton crane to lift them into place. You can see the window and door already cut into the walls and as well as the factory-installed insulation. A type of caulk/sealant is used join the panels and then seal the inside and outside seam. It is a very cool process and done in a day. Now cement will be poured inside the basement for a floor and bring it all together. Tuesday the second basement will be built. The last picture shows a seam and the bolts that will connect the logs to the basement.

I'm Radioactive

I was not sure how I would get radioactive, but I was sure I wouldn't like it. My stomach was in knots during the 2 hour drive to Montrose. I was starving and bought a bagel sandwich but was never able to tolorate more than a couple bites. I am not that afraid of needles but when it comes to sticking them into an organ, spine, face or neck, then I am. Arms are meant for needles, buttocks are meant for needles. I was not sure if it was going to be my neck or my arm and I was pulling for the latter. When I finally got escorted to Nuclear Medicine and my escort was seriously wondering if I would get a radioactive sticker to wear the rest of the day, I was sure I was in some movie. A few minutes in the waiting room and I was whisked away down another hall towards a door with a large "RADIOACTIVE" sign on it. I knew that door was for me and then I started wondering if they WERE going to make me wear a sticker. Behind the door was a very normal, sterile room with lots of huge scanners and contraptions. Before me was a surgical type tray, laden with the blue sterile paper. I started looking for the needle that wasn't there and I honestly don't remember what else was on the tray. My eyes were searching for only one thing. And as he was talking about something, my eyes fixed on a large, solid cylinder that resembled the bullet proof glass/plastic windows found at a bank. There was something in the middle of it. Next thing I know he headed towards me with what I can only imagine was a protective cylinder that was only protecting him. I was going to have whatever was in that container coursing through my veins. Well in turned out it went through my stomach first. They were only pills. Radioactive pills nonetheless. I don't know if I let out a sigh of relief or not, but relief flooded my body. PILLS!! I can take a pill and come back in 6 hours. I could eat anything I wanted, do whatever I wanted for 6 hours WITHOUT a sticker. I am not sure if Wal-mart would have let me in if I had that sticker. I had a wonderful day shopping in stores I had never seen, eating a 2 hour meal just me and my magazine! The scan I wan't worried about. When I arrived at 5:00 that evening for my scan, I was wondering what the big deal was about the MRIs and such. You just lie there and stay still. So he lays me on the table and says, "I'm not going to smoosh you in here, just get close. He lowers this large panel close to my face and chest. "Not too bad" I was thinking, I have like a foot of wiggle room. He gets it all in place and then says, "ok we are going to start the scan." The panel starts closing in and the next thing I know, it is about an inch away from my face. It wasn't touching me but I stupidly started wondering what people panic about. The machine falling on me? A fire and not being able to squeeze out of there? Ok, Now my blood pressure is starting to rise. What if I DID need to get out of there quick? So I closed my eyes and fell asleep for the next 15 minutes. That was much better. I ended up not establishing an irrational fear that day (not that those of you who fear those types of things are crazy, I almost had myself there). The next morning I did a second scan in which I closed my eyes imediately and took another nap. Then I got blood drawn and I was on my way. That was so simple and I got a mini vacation. Later in the afternoon, all of my tests came back normal. No thyroid cancer and all my bloodwork was normal. I still don't feel normal so we still need to explore some other possiblilities. So please continue to pray for me and the doctors. I am exhausted among many other things. But for now my only question is, am I still glowing inside?