In the cool of the evening on Friday evening, I was sitting on the front porch, enjoying a small dinner, when I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by my brotherly friend Victor. We greeted each other with joy, and we spent some time catching up before I let him check his email on my computer and listen to some music he has been so homesick to hear.
Laughing and singing along, we had a grand time as he invited me to his camp for dinner, and we attended worship there together. His visit was brief, but something we both needed--to see a familiar face, to share familiar songs, and to enjoy each other's company towards the end of a long summer for both of us.
On Sabbath I received the happy news that I made it into PUC's Honors program. This happy news kept me going through the day, and in the evening, I enjoyed going down to the Pioneer Center for their barn dance. The music alone delighted me; getting to dance enthralled me. I actually found myself, of all people, teaching my co-workers how to fake a simple box step. Then, there was a big circle dance, and with our laundry girl as my partner, we had a delightful time, switching off who danced the part of the man or the woman. At last, the dance was over, and we all parted ways to the enchanting strains of "Ashoken Farewell," one of my favorites. On my way out the door, people mistook me for being one who worked there, perhaps because of my embroidered shirt and long skirt. This amused me to no end.
Since then, I have been working only six-hour days, which has given me generous breaks to do almost anything. I have spent much time at Archery, trying to shoot rotten apples that have been in the back of the fridge longer than I've been working here, and at the top of the hill with my friend Ashley and the horses.
She has taught me much this week--how to groom horses, the rules of the trail, and she helped me find an opening for me to ride for the first time in five years. It was a very enjoyable experience, by and large, and I can see now why she's been spending so much time up there. In turn, I took her to the Archery range, where I taught her how to shoot, despite her shyness.
It is with sadness that I continue to say good-bye to the friends I've made here this summer--to Yvonne and Jenny in Crafts, who have generously allowed me to work on random projects throughout the summer, to the wranglers who have always been so patient with me, to the archery staff who have put up with me going there almost every day to try and hit the stupid apple, and to my beloved co-workers who have made the kitchen such a delightful place to work.
This summer has been like a good dream--but on Sabbath it ends, and I come home. This has marked not just the longest of my journeys, but also the longest I've ever stayed in one place without leaving it. Leaving brings mixed emotions--it will be wonderful to see so many of you when I return, but I will also be leaving this wonderful place. I hope you all have experienced a summer as joyous as mine.
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