Summer just began or so I thought.
There have been so many places to go and things to do. It seems only yesterday my husband and I
packed our car and headed off to Ocracoke Island. A place we love to visit.
It’s so relaxing.We thoroughly enjoyed the Ocrafolk Music and Storytelling Festival, where one of our favorite storytellers, Donald Davis (right photo), held a captive audience.
We walked along the clean uncrowded beach, hiked Hammock Hills
and Springer’s Point
nature trails, walked down the
little ‘back in time" dirt streets (left photo),
visited shops and many other fun activities.
visited shops and many other fun activities.
After returning
home, we had just begun to catch
up when it was time to head to the NC
Mountains
for Storytellers Wild Week at the Wildacres
Retreat
Center in Little Switzerland, NC
It was an uplifting week, crammed full of
storytelling and learning sessions led by Michael
Reno Harrell.
(Michael, above photo)
There was great fun, camaraderie, learning and laughter with my special storytelling friends.
It's one of my favorite summer get-a-ways.
Most of us couldn’t resist staying up ‘til midnight or later, sharing our deepest thoughts, ideas and stories with one another. Despite the fact that rain poured from the sky during the entire week.
I was beginning to think the entire mountain had developed into a gigantic waterfall!
The Wild Group (left photo)
Tip: click on individual photos and you can enlarge them for viewing.
With just four days back at home to regroup, wash
clothes and repack, we were off again, driving to
As you might imagine, since the past 40 years
the family has multiplied many times over.
It was a warm and joyous reunion for him and even for me, though it was
my first time to meet them. I felt as
if I knew a few of them from stories my husband has shared over the years.
During the family gathering many stories were
shared - fond memories of old friends, relatives, neighbors, grandparents,
aunts and uncles, getting into trouble, grandparents’ favorite grandchildren
and the old neighborhood that had mostly disappeared. Ah, the good ‘ole days.
Younger cousins and siblings shared stories as
well. And there was lots of quality
time with the children from ages 15 down to toddlers and the cute 9-month-old
baby. There were 30 of us in all,
spread out in three lovely cottages side by side.
Some us visited nearby Two Harbors Lighthouse
and Gooseberry Falls.
There was time to relax on the deck,
watching the fog roll in and out over Lake Superior (left photo above), listening to the foghorns
echo into the night, enjoying campfires by the lake, eating yummy smores, listening
to the water lapping against the rocks, admiring the glistening moon beaming
across the water and
(right photo: Split Rock Lighthouse)
By the way, I returned home filled with love and
story ideas.
(left photo: It's so hard to say "Goodbye")
