In the past 5 or 6 years my daughters and I have had the great fortune to reconnect with a cousin. She lives just down the road from Mt. Cross, an Outdoor Lutheran Ministries Christian camp (www.mtcross.org) [shameless plug] where my daughter and I spent much time as members of the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (www.spsyc.org) [yet another shameless plug].
My cousin’s house is a retreat of its own. A beautiful custom-built home surrounded by majestic redwoods and bordered by a babbling creek in the back yard and a branch of the San Lorenzo River. There is nothing more peaceful than sitting out on the front porch as the morning sun warms, the sweet smell of the earth rises and the birds sing. The danger of living in such a fabulously special place is you never want for visitors–even when you’re not home!!!
Here’s proof, dear cousin, that we did indeed visit while you were away:
Let me tell you, while Boris (the little guy with the long wet tongue) and Sabrina (the Bassett beauty) were all too happy to make us feel welcomed (especially after I found the stash of doggie treats), the rest of the neighborhood dogs not so much. The peace of the above-described sanctuary was broken by a network of canine sirens warning neighbors in a 3 mile radius of us would-be intruders.
P.S. Thanks for the lettuce–it was delicious!
