Ack! I need another bonus day.
Well actually I guess I’m entering the midst of a few bonus days. I was supposed to be off to the Big Apple tomorrow, but now I’m not. A fortuitous occurrence, especially since I always underestimate how much recovery time I need following our annual retreat.
I’m sure I’m still decades from reaching keenager status, however.
Ragamuffin Camp was amazing like usual. Although we intentionally move locations around the country, this time we returned to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, where we met two years ago. A week later than we’ve done in the past, so the weather was, ummmm, interesting. My shuttle van driver left a message the night before my flight to Denver, letting me know we were going to try to depart the airport early due to the snow forecast in Estes Park. I may have immediately texted my ministry partners lobbying for a warmer climate next year.
I arrived in Estes Park with no incident, and a few inches of snow fell overnight. A few inches is really nothing there. When possible, I like to arrive a day before we kick off and stay a day after. We prep like Martha so we can retreat like Mary, leaders included. So I had a few hours before all my little ducklings arrived.
Great speakers, great musicians, great discussion time. I loved seeing small groups form spontaneously to go on adventures during the ample free time we allowed each afternoon. (Something we’ve learned to do, especially in such a beautiful setting like the Rocky Mountains.)
A funny thing happened on the way to the home stretch, though. Alerts about the impending doom of Snowmageddon, i.e. a winter storm warning, started popping up. Friday night we announced the forecast so everyone could make decisions about adjusting travel plans if needed. Up to sixteen or eighteen inches of snow were predicted starting overnight Saturday night and lasting into Monday.
Some did leave early. My partner in crime and I planned to be the last ones standing, even if it meant getting snowed in for days. By the time we dismissed midday Sunday, though, it looked like we probably would still be able to depart as planned on Monday.
And then there were three. We met up with friends in town for lunch, stopped by the general store at the Y for whatever souvenirs we wanted, and then returned to our lodge with plans not to step outside again until morning. We had ample snacks and WiFi. We took long naps. I chatted in the lobby with a family I was surprised to see walk in – the place was, blessedly, quiet and fairly deserted and more and more and more snow fell. We had learned earlier in the day that this was the last night our lodge was open for the season. I guess that says something about how common large amounts of snow are this time of year.
Monday morning we got going in what I heard was fourteen inches of the white stuff. After taking copious amounts of pictures of the beautiful surroundings, of course. One four-wheel-drive led the way with me taking pics from the passenger seat. We seriously said “wow wow wow” around almost every curve. The second car followed as far as Denver before continuing on their way.
No man left behind, right?
As for now, I need to head home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Keep looking up, friends.