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Winter Wonderland
Oh, what a sight it is!
I got a Christmas card from Isaac saying he wanted to see camp in
the snow over Christmas break. He was "crossing his fingers."
Well, dear friend, come on over! It is still snowing and the
camp is a winter wonderland. So much beauty. I am
staying cozy with my tea cup and interesting school books. It
is a bit of a trick keeping the critter's water buckets full of
liquid water, not ice. Chopping ice on the pond reminds me of
the never ending hope of the changing seasons! I hope some of
you can make it over to see the beauty. The sled is calling
for the hill in the high pasture. Have a blessed, cozy
winter...Sue, 12/22/04.
Winter
Awaiting/November 27, 2004
The colored leaves have blown away on their journeys
and the woods has taken on a different beauty. The horses have
dawned their winter coats. It makes it all the more cozy
giving them a hug in the morning. Grace, our Australian
Shepherd, has seven puppies. She is a natural mom. They
are the most amazing babies, four of them look just like her.
Even at a few weeks old, they let out little barks! I can
still see Judy sitting in the hall with her as she delivered them.
She was so comforted by her human friend being near. The animals are
such an example of how we can take care of each other. Even
those who seem so dependent on us for life and care can be the
givers of the gifts. I hope all of you have a wonderful
winter. I will keep you posted on the little ones! May
all beings be free...Sue (Camp Caretaker)
Autumn Reflections:
Unless a Grain of Wheat...
I watch the leaves, day by day, answering their
sacred call; a call that deepens with each passing day, so too,
their beauty deepens. They flirt and chatter in the wind,
flirting with their Creator, until at last they surrender in total
trust. I watch them float to earth:; gift to re-nourish their
earth mother. The branches that free them, move, as squirrels
glide over them harvesting winter stores. Many of their
catches will never be found, but left to also nourish the earth.
Like our lives, the richness and beauty of autumn is
so brief. We want to hold on to it for a while longer each
year, but we too must listen and surrender to the dance.
Unless we, like the leaves, fall to the earth, we cannot have life
to the fullest.
With all creation, I feel the call of our God.
He has wrapped all of nature in a mantle of beauty that is
transcended only by that of human creatures, created, as we are, in
His own image.
Like the leaves with the wind, my mind flirts with
the beautiful phrases, ever old, yet ever new. All manner of
beauty surrounds me and, so too, God's word comes to me this morning
in the gusts that harvest such bounty: "The earth has
yielded its fruit, for God, our God has blessed us. (Ps 67)"
-Judy Colby
Camp Memories,
September 20, 2004
Camp 2004 is now a fond
memory. New friends, lots of laughs and growth. I
make my daily rounds to the camp kitchen each morning to feed to
porch cats. Somehow I still hear the lingering sounds of
campers waking up, the cooks' pans rattling with breakfast and the
smell of a fresh pot of coffee. I miss opening the dining hall
door and seeing the campers and staff enjoying pancakes (guess I
miss the pancakes too!!). I miss the big smiles and hugs that
greeted me each morning. Those memories will stay with me for
a long time, through the long winter, to warm my heart and cabin.
I'm sure Grace, the Australian shepherd, misses all the attention.
I tell her that the campers will return! You wouldn't believe
the baby horse. He's growing so fast. He told Judy
his name the other day. It is SKY. It is fitting because
he was born under a big blue clear sky in the high pasture.
His eyes have the clarity of the sky on a cloudless day and his
spirit as vast. We have a new goat named Namaste. He's a
cutie! He plays with the lambs and tries to take herding
lessons from Grace! I hope you all are well and enjoying the
end of summer.
Sue, Camp Caretaker
I Am Really Happy
I am really happy when I am
volunteering up at Anderson Woods. Anderson Woods is a camp
for mentally and physically handicapped kids and adults. I
have been volunteering there for two years and it is a great
experience.
To start with, at Anderson
Woods we stay in log cabins in the woods. There is a cabin for
the boys and one for the girls. There is a dining hall and a
caretaker's cabin. There is also a barn where there are many
kinds of animals such as, horses, sheep, ostriches, llamas,
peacocks, beefalo, cats and a donkey. The barn is one of my
favorite places because I feed and groom the animals plus I love
animals.
In addition, it makes me feel
good to help these special people because they can't do basic things
in life like taking showers, eating, walking, getting dressed and
even communicating, so I have to help them along and help them
through whatever obstacle it is. You basically guide them
through that week. We do fun activities like tie-dying,
hiking, swimming, fishing, playing kickball and going up to see the
barn animals. This year we built a tee-pee; both campers and
staff had a blast.
Another example is the thing
about helping them might be strange to most people, but it feels
good to help them. They can teach you a whole new way to look
at life and other people in all positive ways, not negative.
They don't complain about things they want or don't have. They
appreciate people helping them, playing games, and having fun with
them. They are always happy and make you laugh.
Even though they all have
disabilities, some mild and some severe: they're the same as
us just more special. Most people think they are totally
different because of their disabilities, but they aren't.
Helping them, and being at Anderson Woods is what makes me really
happy.
-Katie Goad, 7th grade
Note: Katie's piece won
a state writing competition. Good job, Katie!
First Day of Camp
2004
It is hard to believe the
campers are really here! The staff and volunteers finished
training this weekend. It is a wonderful thing to watch old
friends embrace, new friends meet and wonder unfold. We have a
new staff member, Christine, who is a wonderful addition. The
kitchen is buzzing as Rita and Ruth create food for the body and
soul. They are great! Yes, watching the gifts of the
heart is what it is all about. Learning, growing, giving...the
gifts return again and again. Like the foal born last week,
all of us are called to wobble a bit on new legs, then run with the
wind! I watch each of us take steps we never dreamed we
could...supported by the gifts of each other love. Welcome
back!
-Sue, camp caretaker
A Letter From Anna
Hello Judy, Dave and all!!
I cannot tell you how uplifting it was to find the and visit the
Anderson Woods website. I know you know, but camp shaped and
molded me into the person I am today. The experiences I had
there will stay with me forever...I really miss being part of such a
simple and great mission...Love, Anna Telligman
Springtime at
Anderson Woods 2004
After being gone for
a week of meetings, I am back at my home in Anderson Woods.
The first Spring Peepers voiced their song this evening and dawn
brought the call of the wild goose as a flock winged northward.
One day soon a pair
will drop from the sky onto the upper pond. It will be that
pair's seventh year here and each morning they will spend the very
early hours on the lower pond by our home. They will bring the
first sounds of my day. As dawn lengthens, other songbirds
will join them in wild harmony.
A walk through the
woods will gift me with tiny wild flowers and herbs pushing through
the forest floor to begin their renewed journey. I am grateful
to a God who has graced me with eyes to see and a heart to
feel, for it is here, in this place, that my heart sings and my soul
is at rest.
-Judy Colby
Sweet Springtime in
the Woods
Spring starts
next week. Judy and I heard some spring peepers the other day...awwwwh....welcome back, dear ones! The daffodils and
crocus blanket my cabin door. The birds have returned as my
morning wake-up call for chores! Somehow, that makes it so
much more inviting. The garden is tilled, peas are in, lettuce
and spinach, onions...all stirring in their little seeds. I
have a little mouse in the greenhouse. He is enjoying all the
squash seeds I try to plant. I thought a cat might enjoy the
warmth of the sunshine in there! The geese are making their
nests in the barn. The peacocks are in full glory with their
fancy dancing. So much life fills the woods. So much
more to come as we get ready for the return of campers and staff.
Spring cleaning will soon have the windows shined and the cabin
doors open...
-Sue, Camp Caretaker |
