Mission accomplished, campout a huge success, Keanna turns 6

Dear Ones,
I woke this morning to Starr barking softly in my ear. She was thirty and was seeking permission to get off the bed in the motorhome. Finally I rolled out and put water in her bowl and then she was happy.
I arrived about 9:15 Friday evening and Dick helped me get parked and level. Shortly thereafter I fell asleep. Sabbath morning Ron and I walked in the cool crisp air and enjoyed the lake and the breezes. The dogs loved everything about the walk. Bruce held a lively discussion with the ever growing group at the edge of the lake, then potluck brought us back to the circle. There were many different delicious foods and I even tried my hand at a couple things which worked out well and were quickly eaten. After lunch set in many of us continued to sit and catch up, Dick took different families on his boat to troll around the lake and some of us eventually found our way back to our RV's to nap. The weather was perfect, never too warm and only chilly enough to require a light coat at night. A high point of the trip for me was to renew a long treasured friendship with Chuck and Linda Bennett, friends who now live in Stockton. Chuck has a special way with his 12 string Martin but had been unable to play or sing for the past few years for health reasons. Now with a new medicine on board he was in rare form once again. As the sun fell in the west the eagles continued to catch fish in the lake as we watched. Then as darkness encroached Chuck began to plan and for a couple hours in spite of the cool air his fingers found all the right places on the strings and magic was spun for those sitting nearby. A big fire was burning and people were roasting anything they could find on narrow sticks and Chuck led us through a musical journey which touched all of us at one time or another. It had been 15 years since Chuck and Linda had been able to attend a campout and what a huge blessing they were to this one.
At one point someone counting came close to 50 people in attendance. There were people in tents, tiny campers, 5th wheel trailers, pickup campers and even large motorhomes. The mood was pleasant and uplifting, friendships were renewed, new acquaintances made and the power of nature did her work on us all. Cell phones did not work, there was no Internet in sight, the stars were overpowering at night with little interfering ambient light in the area.
This morning we woke to another perfect day and a common breakfast was created. Again the fruit, waffles, eggs, pastries, potatoes and on and on made for a huge breakfast. There are some very good cooks who give freely of their time and talents to create outstanding meals. So it was with reluctance that I loaded up the motorhome and headed out. I had an important appointment to keep. Keanna was enjoying her sixth birthday party today. It was held at a gym where she goes for tumbling lessons each week and two girls guided the little ones to enjoy all kinds of different equipment. Then we were ushered upstairs to a perfectly laid out table with cake, decorations and tasty foods. When that part was over we moved to yet another room where Keanna opened her presents and got to thank all the little people and their parents who attended. It all went perfectly. Keanna had a great time and seemed to handle it well.
This evening Gerry Lammerding drove down for a quick visit and we've been playing the front yard doing some necessary work. Ray and Lois came to supervise and keep an eye on us. We prepared the motorhome for storage again and then drove it back to its place in storage. Now we are home again, Gerry made some outstanding toasted cheese sandwiches and I made the soup. He brought a tasty little cake that had come from Loma Linda.
I'm sorry I could not blog on Sabbath evening but it was not to be.
So now we all move into a new week. For Art and Connie it means a few days camping, for Suzie it means a biopsy to determine the extend of the cancer and if the tumor can be surgically removed. This testing will be done in SF. Her mother and sister will be nearby to give her support. For many of us it means going back to work trying to stay ahead of the bills.
For those of you facing life changing situations I so feel for you, there is nothing fair about a lot that happens in this world, not fair, not just but to be faced anyway.
How I wonder what God thinks about our present reality, about the world's current condition.
So I send my love to all tonight, family and friends, you demonstrate God to me in so many ways, you are a very special bunch and I'm grateful for your love and care..........

Tim