Adventure 495: Hawley's Landing Once Again

29 and counting.

We've been fortunate to have amassed over twenty thousand miles worth of adventures. We've seen much of America, some places more than once. Our all time favorite campsite is Dead Horse Point State Park just twenty-five miles North of Moab, Utah. It's a spectacular precipice so named because cowboys of old used the high point to capture wild horses who, if they declined capture, had only the choice of leaping to certain death into the muddy waters of the Colorado River some thousand feet below. We like it not only for its austere beauty as witnessed by the ever changing light on the craggy red rocks, but also because it reminds of the precious life we're blessed to live. It's a low water area where conservation is paramount to survival. None who inhabit the place take anything for granted. In contrast, our second favorite campground is Hawley's Landing in Heyburn State Park, which sits nestled along the shores of Lake Chatcolet, a shallow estuary at the end of Lake Coeur d'Alene. There, water is as abundant as towering pines, and the paths into the nearby mountains offer as much mystery as the arid desert rocks of Utah. We return to Hawley's Landing site often, mostly because it's just an hour from our home, but also because in that short span of time we can find ourselves mysteriously far from the maddening swirls of daily life. Even that is a misrepresentation because currently we find ourselves driven mad only to the degree that we pay attention to current events. Our lives, the lives of our family, the lives of our children, and the lives of our friends are largely lived in relative comfort. We are free, for the most part, to enjoy each day as it comes. That doesn't mean we live without challenge. This past weekend, Judy and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary with our very good friends, the Ulmens. We set up our trailers in neighboring sites, shared meals, love, exercise, laughter, and as much joy as we could since we're all riding the "elephant" of Dave's lung cancer. He's responding well to treatment, responding well to his mortality, and making the most of each day. We're doing what friends and loved ones do: we're standing there with him. Everyone faces challenge, and circumstance, as most of us know, can change in a blink. It's like Tim Robbin's character (Andy Dufresne) said in Shawshank Redemption, "I guess it comes to a simple choice really. Get busy living or get busy dying". My Bunny and I choose "living" because regardless of the vagaries of fate, life is good, especially today.

 One of three campgrounds in Heyburn State Park, we're most fond of Hawley's Landing. Every site is nestled among fragrant pines. We had a view of the lake from our bedroom window.

 Dave and Liz took the site next door. Further up the hill, their trees spilled out from the other side.

 We usually follow the speedy Umen's.

 Sometimes they wait for us.

 Art shot of the day: Whoever owns this little patch of ground by the lake has numerous sculptures adorning the space. This driftwood deer is the latest addition.

Magnificent!

 Here comes my Bunny!

 Dave and Liz supplied the Champagne.

 And they cooked the "Low Country Boil".

 I brought out the good bourbon for the post dinner cribbage game.

 I made Cherry Tomato Pasta for dinner the next night.

And together we prayed for peace and justice. In 1988, Wendell Berry wrote an essay on Racism and the Economy in which he said, "The great enemy of freedom is the alignment of political power with wealth." I also pray that we wake up to the fact as Bob Marley preached, "There will be no peace without justice."