Wandering With The Wrights

October 7, 2017

Going to start today's blog wishing our Teddy a very happy 9th birthday today.  He is such a sweet boy and puts up with all of our moving around.  He brings us so much joy.

If you remember from the last blog we were in Coarsegold, CA at an Escapees Park - the most exciting part was that we met up with our dear friends Gary & Steph Vogel and would spend the next week together before going our own ways again until December.

The main reason Jerry and I were in this area is we had signed up with a group called SOWERS(Servant On Wheels Ever Ready) to do a 3 week mission project at Sugar Pine Christian Camp just south of the south entrance to Yosemite Park

On Monday the Vogel's and the Wrights's decided to go check out the camp we would be serving.  The man next to Jerry is Paul and he will be our "boss" while we are at Sugar Pine.  The camp itself is at 4,500 feet and absolutely beautiful.  There will be more pictures later in this blog.

We were all a little disappointed to learn that the park right near with a grove of Sequoia was closed until November.  Sugar Pines has one Sequoia so we all had to have our picture taken.  This is a very small one but it is a Sequoia!

We learned that even though the entrance to the south entrance was an hour away from our park it was another hour into the Valley where some of the most beautiful rock formations and waterfalls are.
We went to Yosemite 2 days in a row.  We left at 7:00am!!  

We saw some smoldering that remained after the fires of just a few weeks earlier.  

Also so some snow - elevation at Yosemite is over 7,200 feet.

Because of the elevation it can get pretty cool in the morning but the sun comes out and warms it to 70 in no time.

The famous El Capitan - the first day we were there there was a huge rocks slide and someone was killed and another injured.  We had no idea, although we had heard a helicopter, what had happened until we returned home and saw the news.

This was taken at The Majestic Hotel(formerly the Ahwahnee) in Yosemite.  The fireplaces were huge.

In an attempt to be frugal we had decided to pack lunches and picnic at Yosemite.  Great idea except I left ours sitting on the kitchen table - see me getting up and going to early isn't a good thing.  So we were "forced" to eat in this beautiful restaurant in The Majestic Yosemite Hotel.  The next day we ate our lunches we had packed.

My photographer!

We are way up there

Jerry and Gary

Normally this time of year the waterfalls are dried up but we were blessed to get to see many of them

The dear were so tame - much more gray color than the ones at home.

We took a tour on this open air tram.  It was led by a park ranger and very interesting and informative

Another shot of El Capitan

Beautiful stream we crossed

They have this sign showing how high the water level was in 1997 - put the man in the picture, no idea who he was, so you would get some perspective on the height of it.  (Thanks for the idea Steph)

In the evening Gary and Steph taught us how to play Hand & Foot - as you can see Teddy & Ellie were also included.

You knew you weren't getting through a blog without pictures of Vincent and his sisters didn't you :-)

 So after a week in Coarsegold with the Vogel's we sad our goodbyes as they headed to Southern Calif. to visit family and then onto Mesa, AZ for a few months.
We headed North to Sugar Pines Christian Camp

Our motorhome nestled in the pine trees at Sugar Pine

To get over to the main camp area we walk through this metal tunnel about 10' in diameter

The Monday that we went over to visit and meet everyone they told me there was a women's retreat starting the day we arrived for the week-end and I was invited as their guest.  I was a little hesitant as I knew I wouldn't know anyone and many of them would know each other but figured God led us to this beautiful location so I should give it a try.  The retreat was wonderful and 5 ladies who have been coming to this retreat every year for over 20 years "adopted" me.  They were such a blessing and made me feel part of the group.  I came here to serve but was so filled.
To think I hesitated going - I would have missed so much!!

My 5 new friends!!

 The speaker and music leader were both awesome.  The amazing thing about the speaker was that she is also a musician, lives in Nashville, and after each of her talks she sang us a song she had written to go with the message - she was amazing.

The food at the retreat was all prepared here at the camp and Saturday night they treated us to an unbelievable dessert buffet.

Brook that runs behind our motorhome

Huge pine cones

Last week Jerry worked with the maintenance men and worked on getting all of the heaters working in the cabins as there were two school groups at the camp.  I washed a lot of towels and sheets from the women's retreat.  This is the brook that ran right outside the washhouse.  Spent time enjoying it while things dried.

The pine trees are SO tall and the sky so beautiful here.

To give you an idea of the size of the pines look in the lower left corner - those are men walking and Katie up in the tree removing rigging - sure glad it was her and not me.

Thursday they had to cut down a tree that was dead so it didn't fall on anyone

They laid it down in-between two stakes they had put down to see how close they got - they were dead on.

When the campers are here, children and adults, they can do archery, zip lines, there is a pool, canoes, paintball area, horseshoes, ping pong, and on and on.  No one gets bored.  This weekend they have a group of girls, next weekend will be boys, from a teen correctional center. The children have to work very hard and be on good behavior all year to earn the opportunity to come to Sugar Pine.  It gives them an opportunity to leave the center and be out in God's creation.  The people that work here have told us they have seemed lives changed.

Yesterday, Friday, we drove into Fresno.  It is only 48 miles but it took us a good hour and 20 minutes because of the twisty turn roads coming down off the mountain.

This morning we were so surprised when one of friend from Kenya, Margaret-Pastor Simon's wife, called just to say hi.  Was great to hear from her and to learn how good Abba's house is doing - the orphanage they run in Kenya.

So we are having a wonderful time serving here and look forward to see what the next two weeks bring.  Tomorrow morning we will be attending church where several of the retreat ladies attend - will be awesome to see them again.

God Bless you all - may your troubles be small and your blessings large,
Carol & Jerry and the birthday dog Teddy!!