And Then I Climbed a Tree

Not just any tree! But a really really tall skinny tree! I scaled this tree about 40 feet up to a tiny little platform that was barely big enough for one person, let alone two! I then allowed myself to be hooked up to a device that would send me sailing through the air,suspended above the ground,  for a 1000+ feet ride, where I was 'caught' by a couple of trained individuals. 

Yep. I did the Zipline.

Memorial Weekend 2017. One week after my retreat and my experience with the duck, you know where God basically told me to quit working so hard to tread water in order to stay safe, and let go a little bit, trust Him more and let me see where the Holy Spirit would take me. We were at one of our favorite places on earth, our beloved Tall Timber Ranch for the Work n' Worship Weekend.  Climbing the rock wall had been offered one evening, the next night, the zipline.

Let me state for the record a few things.
1. I am afraid of heights. I'll say that again, I AM AFRAID OF HEIGHTS. As in I DON'T DO THEM.  Ladders, rooftops, and the like, are not my friends. No, huh-uh, never. 
2. I have been visiting Tall Timber for over 20 years. I have had plenty of opportunities to experience the Zipline. Never. Have. I. Ever. No desire, no need. 
3. Did I mention I don't do heights?

But, something came over me that evening at dinner when table mates were talking about doing the zip-line later. Without any warning I said, 'Maybe I'll do that too..." 

And Suddenly.... it became imperative that I do it! I have no way to explain it, other than a Holy Phenomenon.  It was like it was this bucket list item that I HAD to check off my list! 

Bruce scoffed when I announced I was going to do the zip-line. He said he'd believe it when he saw it. I said he better hurry up then because if I was going to do it, I'd do it before I came to my senses!

My little friend Lizzy was certainly brave!

On a dry dusty hill, below the incredibly tall skinny tree, a crowd had gathered. Some were putting on harnesses and helmets. Others were there to gawk or cheer or both. I got into my harness with the aid of my step-son. Joey has worked on staff and Tall Timber, and has a degree in Recreation. He wasn't assisting in the actual zip-line activity but he was certainly a calming and encouraging factor as he tightened and adjusted my gear. I observed several others go ahead of me and watched carefully. Curiously I realized I wasn't really fearful of the actual zip-line ride itself. I thought that would probably be quite a rush and very fun! It was getting to the platform to take off from that was the challenge. 

You see, not only was the platform from which to launch, 40 some feet above ground, but the process for climbing the tree was precarious! Into the bark of the tree trunk were hammered small hooks for which to place hands and feet. You're not just climbing, you are sort of pulling yourself from hook to hook. Now, not only did I have to conquer my fear of heights. but I had to use arm and leg strength I wasn't sure I had. (especially my arms-- those darn shoulders). I had to trust completely in the harness and gear and the guy at the other end of my rope, belaying me. 

It was a stretch, literally, that climb. Those hooks would be easy for someone really tall but for 5'3 me, I was almost not able to reach hooks above me. But I climbed. I climbed FAST. I think I just wanted to get that part over with!

 By the time I reached the top and was preparing to step off the hooks onto the platform where Nic was waiting to instruct me, I knew what it meant to be 'scared spit-less" I mean it. I had NO SPIT! My mouth was drier than cotton and I wished desperately for a glass of water (or whiskey!!!) 


When I was situated on the platform Nic instructed me to squat a little and feel the support of the harness. Once I did that and realized how firmly suspended I was I actually relaxed a little! Nic said "Whenever you're ready, just lift your feet and you'll go!"

I nodded and lifted my feet. and........




WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!! 

I DID IT! I DID THE ZIPLINE!!

to RECAP: I climbed a tree 40 feet up. I zipped 1000 feet across the clearing to the landing. I had to deal with fear of heights, and use body strength I wasn't sure I had. I had to trust completely in the harness and gear. How like our walk with Christ! We have to trust Him to hold us and support us in those testing and defining moments.

Jesus is my carbeaner

Break Time

quite possibly the longest hiatus this blog has been on.... while there is MUCH whirling through my heart and mind, putting it down in public forum has me stalled. So... instead, here are a few pictures from our trip to Tall Timber Ranch... just to let you know I'm OK!

one little boy against the back drop of one big mountain!

trillium blooms

a new generation of campers are being raised. 

reunited with old friends.

served on summer staff with this awesome lady two years in a row.

Bruce and volunteer extraordinaire Harry.
 Harry is 92 and still spends all summer at TTR helping out.
(he makes amazing pie too!) 

the love-burkes stopped for a foto-op at a waterfall. 

The Summer of '97; the Sequel

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you probably already know that Tall Timber Ranch holds a very special place in my heart. It's where I met my sweetie, and where our courtship sparked, it's where he popped the question a couple of years later and it's where we visit when ever we get the chance. It is also where we lived the first summer after we married.

Grasshopper Mountain in the morning light

 Having worked in the kitchen for summer camp the year before, I was ready and willing to give it another go. I was prepared for the long tiring days because I also knew the rewards that came with the job. Being a part of a team effort that reached children of all ages and introduced them to the love of Jesus was worth every aching muscle, even every burn from the grill. Not to mention,Tall Timber is located in such a beautiful setting, it takes your breath away every time you walk outside and face the massive mountain range that borders the camp. Yep, I was looking forward to another experience at the camp.

making pans and pans full of jo-jo's!

The catch was... what about Bruce? Well, I certainly didn't relish the idea of being separated all summer. Being apart the year before had been challenging but we weren't married then! We thought the idea of living at the camp for the summer to be a fun one, if we could just find a way to make it work on his end. The only way was if he could land a job near there. Hmmm.

He began detailing the criteria he'd need for a temporary job.

1. Construction work, obviously; something he enjoyed doing would be sweet.

2. It needed to be located close enough to Tall Timber that commuting wouldn't be a big hassle.

3.  It needed to be one job- something that would last from June-August or Sept.

4. Preferably paid by the hour, not a bid, at prevailing wage.

And just to make it a little more challenging, he added that it would be nice if he knew the person or company well enough ahead of time to know if it would be a good working environment.

Well, that's quite a list and once I heard it my heart sank just a little. It wasn't that I doubted God could orchestrate it. It was that Bruce was painting a pretty tight circle around our mission opportunity. Add to this, I really needed to give the camp a definite answer about the job and soon. With no leads on any carpentry work and a decision about the assistant cook position waiting, the pressure was getting rather intense.

Finally the moment arrive where we said, Look, do we trust God or not? We believe He's calling me to come back and work at the camp. We want to go. Do we say yes and trust that God will bring Bruce work? What if we say yes and no work develops for Bruce and he has to return home in order to work? Can we deal with that? With prayer and faith, we decided to go for it. I called the camp and affirmed I would be there in June.

The next day... the VERY NEXT DAY, Bruce got a phone call from a contemporary in the construction world. A builder/supplier of log home kits, he was calling to ask Bruce about doing some sub-contracting work for him... (which he'd done in the past) and as the conversation developed, Bruce explained what our plans for the summer were.... and guess what???  Mr. M. just so happened to have a log house kit being erected in Leavenworth Wa, which was a 40 minute drive from Tall Timber. He needed someone to come in and do specialty trim and finish work. By the hour. It was enough work to last all summer. Would Bruce be interested?

the house Bruce worked on that summer. 

I chuckle every time I tell this story or even think about it. That's just how our God works! We step out in faith and He meets us, greets us, and when it comes to wants and needs, exceeds us!

So, that is how a few weeks later we loaded up my car and his work truck and headed over the mountains to our special camp. We spent the next 3 months living in a dorm style lodge, playing house parents to a building full of college kids.

Shultze Center, the dorm style housing where we lived.

It was a very different summer from the one before. That first summer I was learning my way around the kitchen and the quirks of the schedule. I was there with my daughter, rebuilding our relationship, missing my fiance and being stretched in various ways.

That second summer, feeling seasoned and comfortable, I was able to relax and find ways to play a little bit more. Bruce took a week and volunteered as counselor for Sr. High Camp, we enjoyed some weekend hikes and camp outs. We mingled with college kids and not only laughed at their antics but readily joined in. (OK--we might have even instigated some of it.)

date night for the love-burkes. We went to Leavenworth one night for the outdoor summer theater!

I've been back many times over the years, to help out in the kitchen when needed and even do a few stints as camp counselor but it's those summers of 1996 and 1997 that stand out in my memory the strongest. How God used those times to stretch our character, build our faith, heal our hearts, bind us together, and bless us in unimaginable ways.

the view of the camp from Eagles Nest Mountain.

The Summer of '96

in a few short days my husband and I will be gathering in our special place, Tall Timber Ranch, for a reunion of all staff as we honor the retiring camp directors. I worked on summer staff several times and have made life long connections with amazing people-- some of whom I have not seen in about 18 years. Getting ready for the reunion has sparked lots of special memories... this is just one...

A little red compact loaded to the gills, boxes and suitcases precariously stacked, each niche filled with one more thing we could't live without. My almost 15 year old daughter tucked into the front seat beside me, fiddling with the radio, finding only static and finally negotiating a cassette tape from the box at her feet. 

"Not too loud" I made it a suggestion, choosing to ignore the eye roll. We would share a small room for three months and I remember thinking if we didn't establish rules during a 4 hour car ride, the summer was sure to be challenging. I knew it was going to be a challenge regardless. 

For the previous several months she'd been living with her aunt, before that, her dad. My opportunity to work at our church camp for the summer and my invitation for her to join me would provide us a way to try living together again and see if we couldn't make this relationship work. It had been strained since the divorce and that was putting it politely. It was my heart's cry that somehow we forge ahead and build something between us we could honor. 

The job opportunity came on the heels of my recent engagement to the love of my life. We'd been dating for two years and the proposal had happen on a church retreat at the camp. That same weekend I had spied a notice on the camp bulletin board, advertising for summer staff. Working at a church camp, cooking in the vast kitchen appealed to me, so I had taken an application not really sure how that would fit in with any wedding plans I'd be making. With the encouragement of my fiance however, I submitted the application and was delighted when hired. The next step had been to ask my daughter if she would like to come with me for the summer. It was truly an answer to prayer that she'd agreed. 

Tall Timber Ranch is located in the middle of a glacier wilderness area. Bordered by rugged mountain ranges and glacier fed rivers, it had been serving and blessing kids of all ages for several decades. All my previous visits to the camp had been in winter, when snow was often piled to the eaves of the cabins. That year would be both my daughters and mine first visit to it in summertime. We would share a room in one of the lodges, live, work, worship and play in community of other summer staffers, most of whom were college age. 

The first week of orientation and training kept me much too busy to worry about what my girl was up to. Not that there was much cause for worry. Being in the middle of nowhere without any of the worldly distractions, surrounded by some stellar people, it was the perfect place to thrive. 

It wasn't long before she had bonded with several of the college age staff. She helped out in the craft room, volunteered with the primary campers, and celebrated her 15th birthday that summer. She also got to experience being a camper for one week. Some days I barely saw my daughter but I knew she was being loved on, and I breathed thankfulness every day for the quality of people who were impacting her life. She was officially a 'Camp Kid".

The summer flew by, weeks of intense heat, vicious mosquitoes, long days, short nights. Working in the kitchen from early morning till clean up after dinner left me exhausted but grateful for every knot in my aching shoulders. I was part of something bigger than sore muscles or tired feet. Lives were being changed, as some kids met Jesus for the first time, other's experiencing an up close and personal relationship with Him-- something deeper than the flannel-graph Jesus of Sunday School. 

As we approached the end of summer and with a wedding date set for September, I walked with my daughter down to the river. With cool sand beneath us, our toes bracing glacial river flow, I dared to ask what had been surging in my heart for weeks. Did she want to come back home with me? Was she willing to make an effort to be a part of a new family structure? 
Thankful beyond words, I heard her shy answer, "yes." 

The Summer of '96. We met amazing people, people who have stayed in my heart, my memories, and my life forever. Being at Tall Timber with my daughter gave us a place to heal our relationship and grow closer. It was wonderful. Some parents send their kids to summer camp; I took mine with me. 

me with my beautiful girl; she smiles much better now!

 coming next: Summer of '97-- I took my husband to camp!

What Did We Get?

caravan to Tall Timber

Take 20+ people of various ages and skill sets, 

5 vehicles, an assortment of  tools, luggage and bedding, 

and enough snacks to feed an army, 

spread them out over a 4 day period

 and see what you get. 

most of the crew acting 'normal'

rainbow of promise!

What we got was:

2 leaders who have been doing this Tall Timber thing for about 20 years. 

A core group that has gotten Tall Timber-itis and keeps coming back. 

Newbies who have never experienced the wonders of our favorite camp. 

Grasshopper Mountain

What we got was:

a list of chores, a plan to execute

work assignments, group time to play and pray

sore muscles, paint splattered clothing, blood, sweat, (but no tears)

weeds-be-gone

blood, sweat and giggles.

artistic touches

safety first

move that dirt!

know the plan

What we got was:

well fed, well housed

dirt moved and removed

weeds gone, flowers planted

grass mowed, trails blazed

mow it down

spread it around

What we got was:

game time, nap time

books read, hikes taken

fellowship, fresh air

sunshine and rain

wild life

sunshine!

What we got was:

a feeling of accomplishment

a sense of pride in a job well done

a better -closer relationship with our church family

time well spent in God's creation. 

having fun while we get it done.

little cabin in the big woods

What we got was something you cannot measure in weight or gold 

and cannot sell, buy or trade. 

What we got was something that can only happen 

when you make a sacrifice of time, money, and energy. 

What we got was something only a mission experience can bring you. 

Mission Tall Timber 2014.
THANK YOU EVERYONE! YOU ARE AWESOME!!

If it's May We Must Be Going to Tall Timber!

It's become an annual thing! Memorial Weekend while other folks are going to parades, lighting up the Barby, competing in the Ski-to Sea race, or paying tribute to those who died for our country, my sweetie and I will be heading east of the mountains to our favorite camp for the weekend. We're taking a whole bunch of our favorite people with us as we have the last few years. It's the weekend better known as "Work and Worship", a time well spent doing a myriad of things to spiff the place up in time for summer camp.

For us its also a great opportunity to take our small group out on a service project. We think of it as a mission trip that does not require a passport. A time for our group to better bond and share adventure, a time to serve and be blessed as we bless.

Of course, for Bruce and I Tall Timber Ranch is a special place and we love any reason to get over there! We leave tomorrow and I am excited to see what God has in store for us this year!

Of Anniversaries and Whatnots

Yep, another year of wedded bliss has passed. 17 years this Saturday for my sweetie and me.Oh, to be sure, we have our ups and downs, our better and worse. (I call it 'intense fellowship") but I wouldn't wanna be with anybody else. If I had to be in a lifeboat watching the ship sink, I can't think of anyone else I'd wanna be in a life boat with than him.

What fun thing are we doing to celebrate this year? We are doing a kind of get away tonight/tomorrow but it's really work related. Our happy place, Tall Timber Ranch, is asking for hubby's expertise on some building repairs at the camp, and because it is almost a 4 hour drive one way, we will head over tonight when he gets home from work, and then in the fresh light of day, he can inspect what needs inspecting, make his recommendations and then we'll come back home. But I think, before we return, we'll have a little time to enjoy the glorious colors of Autumn and breathe in that fresh mountain air. And maybe even visit "our" waterfall.

Our plans for the actual anniversary date are sort of low-key but I know it will be a special, fun filled day. There is a pretty little town across the way that we've longed to explore. We pass through it whenever we head out to the west coastline to visit hubby's brother and I have often wished we could just spend the day taking in the sights and appreciating the beautiful historical buildings of the town. So, that is what we are going to do on Saturday. It involves a ferry ride, which is always fun, and we'll just tool around the town, take lots of pictures, take in a town festival, drink and eats lots of yummy treats and most importantly, spend some quality time with each other. I can't wait!!

Work and Worship Recap

Tall Timber Team 2013

Kitchen Duty; food prep, cooking, serving, clean up

Landscaping and ground breaking, raking, trail blazing, weeding and planting

Scrubbing and dusting, mopping and painting

Mowing lawn, spreading beauty bark

Building stuff; stage props, horseshoe pits, RV Camping sites and friendships

Singing round the campfire, S'mores, walking in the rain

Sharing meals, sharing laughter.

Teamwork. 

At it's finest. 

I love Tall Timber. If you are a regular reader here, you know this. 

I loved watching my friends fall in love with Tall Timber this weekend 

and the satisfaction gained from being part of the bigger picture. 

This camp will run smoother and better this summer because of the work done this past weekend. 

This camp will impact so many young lives over the course of it's camping season. 

Kids who will hear about how much Jesus loves them. 

Kids who will make a decision to follow Christ. 

Kids who will grow deeper in their knowledge and understanding of what it means to be a Christ Follower. 

Lives will be changed. 

showing our gritty growly side

flying like eagles

SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE I KNOW IN ONE OF THE BEST PLACES THERE IS!

THANK YOU SHOUT OUTS TO:

BRYAN, DEWEY, DENNIS, TIM, DON, BRUCE, CHRIS, JOSH, ANGELA

LORI, TREVON, MARY, ROBYN, NADIA, KAREN, NORA, DEBI, MIKE, JULIE

YOU ALL ROCK!!