YaYa calls these trees “refrigerator trees” because they are cold to touch. For me, they are reminiscent of a camp I attended when I was a teen.
The camp was a rather pricey backpacking camp which only the rich kids could attend. Except, there were a couple of spots open on some sort of scholarship for the less fortunate. Given we were on welfare, we qualified to go. My mom made the arrangements for us.
I don’t know if we knew that we would be the minority. I don’t remember what we were told about the camp or the situation. I just remember having a checklist of items we were to bring. I remember going to the Goodwill with my mom in search of these things. Hiking boots, a rain poncho, sleeping bag, etc. My mom did her best in obtaining these items. Little did she know that our plastic plates and slurpee cups would be ridiculed as they passed hand to hand down the dish wash line.
Yet, in spite of how badly we stood out as different, we made friends and had a good time. And Big Sis kicked all those rich kids arses on the hardest hike offered — because she’s awesome like that.
The camp you are referring to was the “switch” for me (still waiting for this switch to flick with my dear A….she is bouncing between “Cheer for the HS and wrestling (of all things!!) for the HS. She mentioned boxing which I think BoBo was her inspiration. I figure I really don’t want her to get her face (especially nose) hit, really…. Anyhow, Camp Unalaylee saved my life and gave me hope and the confidence in myself to know that “if I can do this, I can do anything!” It kicked my butt hard and I needed it for me. Dreaming of ice cold water and a bed and getting all scratched up by the manzanita branches that I first dodged and after tiredness set in, I just plowed through it (who cares about scratches all over your back and legs!) The basics of life we take for granted. I love living simple and in nature. Just a little challenge my dear hubby likes to be clean and is a major creature of routine, habit and more known paths. Thank you for sharing your outdoor fun. I get to live vicariously through your posts and Nancy’s. Someday I will get to climb a big Mountain. Right now my life mountain is getting both of our girls to a good place for themselves (and for me to find my new life plan….)