BOOK 08, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 20

Summer afternoon--summer afternoon;

to me those have always been the two

most beautiful words in the English language

THIS IS THE LAKE AT OUR CAMPGROUND

There’s nothing that builds up a toil-weary soul

Like a day on a stream,

Back on the banks of the old fishing hole

Where a fellow can dream.

There’s nothing so good for a man as to flee

From the city and lie

Full length in the shade of a whispering tree

And gaze at the sky.

Out there where the strife and the greed are forgot

And the struggle for pelf,

A man can get rid of each taint and each spot

And dean up himself;

He can be what he wanted to be when a boy,

If only in dreams;

And revel once more in the depths of a joy

That’s as real as it seems.

The things that he hates never follow him there—

The jar of the street,

The rivalries petty, the struggling unfair—

For the open is sweet.

In purity’s realm he can rest and be clean,

Be he humble or great,

And as peaceful his soul may become as the scene

That his eyes contemplate.

It is good for the world that men hunger to go

To the banks of a stream,

And weary of sham and of pomp and of show

They have somewhere to dream.

For this life would be dreary and sordid and base

Did they not now and then

Seek refreshment and calm in God’s wide, open space

And come back to be men.

Edgar A Guest, A Heap O’ Livin’ / Just Folks

GOOD AFTERNOON!

It was so great to get away a few days, but now I’m home and hopefully renewed and refreshed for another work week.

When I arrived at the camper Thursday evening after work I was very tired and weary for sure. On Friday I had a very peaceful start to the day as all was quiet and I was the only one there. By noon DS#1 and family came in and we went spent most of the afternoon at the pool.

Friday evening DD and her hubby arrived with their 2 dogs and also DS#5’s dogs as they are watching them while DS#5 and his wife are on their trip.

Saturday was very hot and steamy and the section in front of where we camp filled up with weekend campers. We spent some time at the pool and just tried to keep cool. In the evening we went out to get ice cream then sat around the campfire.

THIS IS THE TENT AREA ACROSS FROM WHERE WE CAMP

It was so hot that you really didn’t need any more warmth, but it’s always nice to sit around and chat. DSIL said that if we turned on a fan to move the air where we were sitting we would get rid of the hungery mosquitoes that were trying to devour us. So there we sat around the fire with a fan blowing on us. Who would believe it???

Sunday, that is today, I was up early and went off to church as usual. No one in the other 2 campers was up or out when I left and I figured they had turned on their a/c and just wanted to keep cool. When I returned from church DS#1 said he and his family were packing up to go home as there were storms on the way.

DD and her hubby had their boat out and were all set to go fishing and said they were staying for awhile. But…then we heard thunder in the distance so they decided to put the boat away and pack up and head for home too.

Needless to say I wasn’t going to hang around and sit in a storm by myself, so the beagle and I came home too. As I’m home so early in the day I’ll probably get a jump start on the laundry and just relax a bit more.

I hope you all had a great weekend and got some of that wonderful R&R too.

THIS IS THE CHURCH I'M GOING TO WHILE CAMPING

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

A SUMMER PRAYER

Long warm days... The pace of life slows...

A time for picnics and rest in the shade...

Lord, help me to rest awhile

 in the cooling shade of your presence.

Slow down my restless heart

 and fill me with gentle compassion

for all your people.

Amen

THE POOL I SPENT MOST OF FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT.

I hope the summer is a great one,

with lots of fun and excitement.

But should the heat become,

too hot to bear, and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly

as gracefully as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on,

kick back, and let the woes slide on by.

MA

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