“Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit.”
– Henry David Thoreau
July turned out to be a huge camp month this summer… snuggling in a cool 27 nights!!! Most of the time Janie was on deck too… and with this amount of time on the ground lots of great jobs accomplished. Camp improvements (just to name a few) included lots of work with the paint brush (inside & out), some hammer and nail trim work, brush/grass cutting on path and around camp, an overflowing wood pile, electrical improvements (solar/camp/shed), systems work on water & fridge, work on the lawn/landscaping and some organization inside of newly acquired (cozy) bed linens to the point of a sewing machine to fabricate new curtains! Between Janie and I, July was a huge effort!
The several nights we didn’t spend on Smelt Lake found us at Keltic Lodge in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The impetus for the visit was Janie’s ongoing work and commitment to the NSTU. With the thought of taking full advantage of the time away/location, we researched the local trail scene, finding 8-10 potential hikes within an hour drive. As a team and independently (I hiked alone while Janie was at conference) I got in just shy of 40 kms of trail time (ranging easy to difficult) over the three days. It proved rewarding, with expansive views, loads of outdoor time, plenty of exercise, and lots of learning on and off trail!
Of course… no Stanfest again this summer, so a bit of a hole in July for us! I did, however, land a 25th Anniversary commemorative festival book. Some real fun to read and reflect on the people, pictures and stories gathered over the years… congrats to Troy on a massive effort! All the work that we completed in July was in no small way a product of “replacement therapy” to fill the festival void, while at the same time being entirely complementary to our work to become more physically active and engaged in healthy living. We feel great!!!