PARADISE
I didn’t want to go. Too much work to shop, sort, pack the food and clothes, get good coverage for my clients while I’m gone, coordinate with the rest of the family with the campsite and cabins, make the long drive, unpack, etc. In addition, Wally wanted me to bring my guitar to sit around the fire and have a sing-a-long. Forget it. I haven’t touched my guitar in 2 years! All total, just too much effort. Indeed, I had a bad case of Home-it is. But, Wally did most of the food shopping and packing the car. As I watched him load it, I was doubly sure it wouldn’t be worth it.
Until we got to the timberline at Sequoia National Forrest where we have gone each summer for many years. When we rolled down the windows, letting in the cool pine scented air, drinking in the lush green forest and listened to the blue jays and rushing streams, suddenly it was worth all the effort. What was I thinking? The five hour drive was pleasant and the cabin was beautiful.
We go every year. We call it the Farris Hilton Camping. (My married name is Farris. I’m really Ann Baker Farris). We get a campsite so we can sit around the fire at night with the two sons, wives and four grandchildren ages 8, 6, 5, and 2. But, you know, we need showers at night and a place to sleep away from the cold, flies and maybe bears? So we rent a cabin. We have a few combined meals together but otherwise meet at the campsite, by a rushing stream whenever we’re ready each day.
Waking every morning, we sit on the deck and lay out peanuts for the Blue jays to enjoy while we bathe in the Sequoias…thousands of years old. The first night and morning, deer walk through our lot.
How can I describe instant peace? There is not match anywhere for “the purple mountains majesty above the fruited plain.” Walking through the woods together, we had to shout to be heard over the roar of the crystal roaring stream...if we chose to talk at all! The fish were jumping and the grandkids caught lots of trout even with their Barbie Doll poles. And Grandpa (Wally) and his sons caught all they wanted but taught the little girls how to gently release the fish and let them go. The fun is in the catching. And then the s’mores by the fire at night…yummy. I got out my guitar having forgotten how much I enjoy it and passed out song books and the rhythm instruments (tambourine, maracas, weirro). We sang the old camp songs along with “Old McDonald” and more…even Leroy Brown and had a hootin good time One afternoon I sat alone by the stream and played and sang for hours all my old favorites…”Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, some Calypso stuff, and some rock and roll. The blue jays sang their approval and didn’t even care when I blew a wrong chord. And I didn’t’ care either. The family is so darling and appreciative that it was pure joy to share some music with them. Indeed, we discussed maybe buying a ukulele for son Rob so he could help out. So we are now the Farris Band…not always exactly in tune, but, well, happy which is the whole point.
There also is no match for the pure silence in the woods. At night you hear a stream far away, a dog’s bark echoing clear across the canyon, the whinny of a horse somewhere, and then the total silence. With each breath we relaxed a little more.
And, oh, what appetites we had! I’m sure I ate my weight justified by the hiking up and down to the streams. And some afternoons, daughter-in-law Mary and I sat on a bluff overlooking a stream and read, read, read. She is my soul mate reading companion. We steal sidelong glances at each other for fear the other will start a conversation when all we really want to do is read, read, read while we have the chance while the kids are fishing with their dads, and Grandpa. There was plenty of time left to play checkers, cards and chess at the picnic table. Plenty of time…that’s the whole idea. Plenty of time to dream, walk, eat, play, sleep and contemplate catching the fish which you can actually see in the stream.
Oh, most fun of all, we took a little rubber boat with us to put in our secret pond to float around in. Why is that so much fun? The water was pure ice almost but what a hoot! Steering with a tree branch.
This is paradise. There is a place away from the freeways, cell phones, computers cement, and schedules. I hope for each of you a time out sometime this summer. Go find your Paradise somewhere that suits your fancy and just go! Just the very idea that you can get away is worth every bit of effort. I had forgotten how refreshed we would feel coming home. I could hardly wait to write the “Baker Breeze”, as I am doing now as the washing machine churns away on all those dirty jeans. I am even eager to get back to work and see how my clients are doing with the help of my associate. Life is good. “Summertime and the livin’ is easy”. Don’t be an old stick in the mud like I was until Wally convinced me otherwise. Enjoy it. Life is short so make it good! Happy summer!
HUMOR CORNER
If you want breakfast in bed, please sleep in the kitchen.
My mind works like lightning, one brilliant flash and it’s gone.
As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.
The Senility Prayer: God, please grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.
I didn’t want to go. Too much work to shop, sort, pack the food and clothes, get good coverage for my clients while I’m gone, coordinate with the rest of the family with the campsite and cabins, make the long drive, unpack, etc. In addition, Wally wanted me to bring my guitar to sit around the fire and have a sing-a-long. Forget it. I haven’t touched my guitar in 2 years! All total, just too much effort. Indeed, I had a bad case of Home-it is. But, Wally did most of the food shopping and packing the car. As I watched him load it, I was doubly sure it wouldn’t be worth it.
Until we got to the timberline at Sequoia National Forrest where we have gone each summer for many years. When we rolled down the windows, letting in the cool pine scented air, drinking in the lush green forest and listened to the blue jays and rushing streams, suddenly it was worth all the effort. What was I thinking? The five hour drive was pleasant and the cabin was beautiful.
We go every year. We call it the Farris Hilton Camping. (My married name is Farris. I’m really Ann Baker Farris). We get a campsite so we can sit around the fire at night with the two sons, wives and four grandchildren ages 8, 6, 5, and 2. But, you know, we need showers at night and a place to sleep away from the cold, flies and maybe bears? So we rent a cabin. We have a few combined meals together but otherwise meet at the campsite, by a rushing stream whenever we’re ready each day.
Waking every morning, we sit on the deck and lay out peanuts for the Blue jays to enjoy while we bathe in the Sequoias…thousands of years old. The first night and morning, deer walk through our lot.
How can I describe instant peace? There is not match anywhere for “the purple mountains majesty above the fruited plain.” Walking through the woods together, we had to shout to be heard over the roar of the crystal roaring stream...if we chose to talk at all! The fish were jumping and the grandkids caught lots of trout even with their Barbie Doll poles. And Grandpa (Wally) and his sons caught all they wanted but taught the little girls how to gently release the fish and let them go. The fun is in the catching. And then the s’mores by the fire at night…yummy. I got out my guitar having forgotten how much I enjoy it and passed out song books and the rhythm instruments (tambourine, maracas, weirro). We sang the old camp songs along with “Old McDonald” and more…even Leroy Brown and had a hootin good time One afternoon I sat alone by the stream and played and sang for hours all my old favorites…”Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, some Calypso stuff, and some rock and roll. The blue jays sang their approval and didn’t even care when I blew a wrong chord. And I didn’t’ care either. The family is so darling and appreciative that it was pure joy to share some music with them. Indeed, we discussed maybe buying a ukulele for son Rob so he could help out. So we are now the Farris Band…not always exactly in tune, but, well, happy which is the whole point.
There also is no match for the pure silence in the woods. At night you hear a stream far away, a dog’s bark echoing clear across the canyon, the whinny of a horse somewhere, and then the total silence. With each breath we relaxed a little more.
And, oh, what appetites we had! I’m sure I ate my weight justified by the hiking up and down to the streams. And some afternoons, daughter-in-law Mary and I sat on a bluff overlooking a stream and read, read, read. She is my soul mate reading companion. We steal sidelong glances at each other for fear the other will start a conversation when all we really want to do is read, read, read while we have the chance while the kids are fishing with their dads, and Grandpa. There was plenty of time left to play checkers, cards and chess at the picnic table. Plenty of time…that’s the whole idea. Plenty of time to dream, walk, eat, play, sleep and contemplate catching the fish which you can actually see in the stream.
Oh, most fun of all, we took a little rubber boat with us to put in our secret pond to float around in. Why is that so much fun? The water was pure ice almost but what a hoot! Steering with a tree branch.
This is paradise. There is a place away from the freeways, cell phones, computers cement, and schedules. I hope for each of you a time out sometime this summer. Go find your Paradise somewhere that suits your fancy and just go! Just the very idea that you can get away is worth every bit of effort. I had forgotten how refreshed we would feel coming home. I could hardly wait to write the “Baker Breeze”, as I am doing now as the washing machine churns away on all those dirty jeans. I am even eager to get back to work and see how my clients are doing with the help of my associate. Life is good. “Summertime and the livin’ is easy”. Don’t be an old stick in the mud like I was until Wally convinced me otherwise. Enjoy it. Life is short so make it good! Happy summer!
HUMOR CORNER
If you want breakfast in bed, please sleep in the kitchen.
My mind works like lightning, one brilliant flash and it’s gone.
As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.
The Senility Prayer: God, please grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.
posted by Ann Baker, Realtor at
3:06 PM
