Thursday, June 18, 2026
What a peaceful awakening in Montana. W is out the door at morning devotions by the time I rouse myself.
He reminds us that we don't gather because we like or dislike each other, or when we agree or disagree with others' theology. Jesus is the center and the reason we exist in community. There is no life outside of the forgiveness of our salvation or the centering wisdom of Christ's Body, the Church. In a fragmented, opinionated world, Bonhoeffer is a startling read.
I emerge into the upstairs sitting room, designed for our kids when they were youngsters. Now the next generation enjoys hanging out there. The huge Costco dog sofa wasn't purchased for dogs but as the perfect sprawl space for our kids (and now the grandkids).
I pause my walk at the cross and benches along the river.
Supper is fresh and refreshing.
Remember the Blockbuster video stores of the 1990s? When they closed, we bought a rack of shelves to house books and toys, including a leather-bound collection of Louis L'Amour Westerns. Our friend Mel loved L'Amour books. Since his kids use the cabin, I hope their families enjoy the stories that their dad and grandpa relished reading.
We placed a long dresser beside the stairwell to prevent guests from toppling into the opening. Someone gave us an expensive hutch. It was great for linen storage, though the front and sides looked uninspiring. In a creative mood one day, I cut and pasted Mac-Tac shelf liner into a more campy "birch" vibe.
The house is full of family memories. My "best uncle" Erich's vintage portable typewriter became an end table in one of the bedrooms.
These recent tracks don't look very friendly: bear? It is bear country.
The water is still high with spring run-off. We waded across one August with experienced guides. Now I marvel at our adventures, that one with two of us hanging on to our youngsters so they weren't swept away as we crossed the deeper flowing sections of the summer level. What were we thinking? (Were we thinking?)
The wildflowers are bright in the morning light.
I have had an allergy since we got here. I've only been allergic twice before: once on a trip to Disney World (Florida) 35 years ago (same drip), and with my last penicillin shot (body-wide rash). Today my eyes drain, nose runs, and I am tired. We pick up a generic Claritin allergy med ($6 instead $20 for more tablets). Taking 1-pill-a-day should help.
After breakfast, I hang a curtain, using a scarf from Indonesia. Safety pins create a hem so it can be threaded on a curtain rod under the sink. It's tidier than an open shelf where the garbage, the underside of the sink, and a storage box rest. I rearrange baskets and storage jars on the shelves, washing items that have become dusty.
The sun is high in the sky. The slim balcony overhead shades the entry. Sunshine reaches half of the hanging plants so we turn the pot twice a week. I clip a few long vines and put them in water to root.
The day's bonus is greeting Joanna Weaver, a friend and companion in faith. She and her mama have made a 2-hour trip to inspect the family cabin built by her daughter and son-in-law. It's beautiful and almost complete.
Friday - Will's birthday
My youngest brother is in his 60s. He rides his bicycle to work with our son this morning, taking a "short-cut" through the mountains on the German-Swiss border. Hills all the way buti it's "harder on the way home," he remarks. Happy birthday! Love ya.
W and I walk along the Flathead River, picking up a shed snakeskin on the bank. I say it's for the grandkids but really? I enjoy such things as much or more than they do.
We used to kayak down the river years ago, too.
We admire the old firetruck that waters the dusty roads into submission. The "shop guys" have modified it with PVC pipes to sprinkle water as it drives up and down the streets.
Another classic can be used for fighting fires.
There are yellows, purples, pinks, whites, and blues. Over the course of a summer, when the kids and I spent late-June through August here, we admired the parade of wild beauties.
Wild roses smell so sweet! Each time I notice a shrub, I stop to smell the honey-rose scent.
After breakfast, I hang a curtain, using a scarf from Indonesia. Safety pins create a hem so it can be threaded on a curtain rod under the sink. It's tidier than an open shelf where the garbage, the underside of the sink, and a storage box rest. I rearrange baskets and storage jars on the shelves, washing items that have become dusty.
W uses the big scythe to cut the weeds near the birch stumps. I weed grass and dandelions, gathering the cuttings into a heap.
I have barely enough energy to do a load of laundry and wash inside the entry windows before I fall into bed, fast asleep for a few hours. "Could the meds be making you so tired?" W asks.
W helps camp volunteers turn the accommodations around after the teen camp wraps up. New campers arriving this weekend. The volunteers clean, including sanitizing bedding and surfaces.
Just before supper, I check emails and write the blog post using camp wi-fi. My eyes start streaming again. At least my nose is drier than yesterday.
I pause my walk at the cross and benches along the river.
Some years ago, aging campers started buying golf carts to get around. Now there are over 100 on site.
Saturday
Every day feels like the weekend here. The sweet fragrance of Donna's peonies stops me in my tracks. "Help yourself to flowers if you want a bouquet," she says. Really? (That's more exciting than offering a steak to one of our dogs.)
Every day feels like the weekend here. The sweet fragrance of Donna's peonies stops me in my tracks. "Help yourself to flowers if you want a bouquet," she says. Really? (That's more exciting than offering a steak to one of our dogs.)
There are several kinds of hydrangeas and mop-heads. I just can't get enough of summer flowers.
I cook our meals, go for long walks, and keep washing dust off items in the cabin. We're almost there ...
W finds me partway through the campground; we stop to chat with people. This field, complete with benches and river view, is empty until the next group comes.
Rifling through storage, I come across a pad of paper labeled 2000. It's covered with drawings and words explaining games our youngest son created as a pre-teen. He still loves gaming, but now he's mostly online (or playing board games with friends when they meet.)
Back in Bandung, 85 show up for Saturday English lessons at the Project. We are thrilled to serve the community in this way. Devoted leaders and volunteers serve with grace, whether we're there or not.
After a late lunch, we walk within range of the camp wi-fi to write and read emails. Our perch is quiet, shaded by 80' pines, alders, and birches.
It takes us a few days to relax. A few decades ago, with 4 kids to cook for and get to bed, it used to take me 3 weeks at camp to unwind from the hustle and bustle of city life. We don't have that luxury of time this year, so we're hurrying to slow down. Ummm. Is that even a thing?
Read more:
* [4 proverbs or wise sayings]
* [4 proverbs or wise sayings]
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:1-4
* I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One. Isaiah 60:16
* We have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10
* The one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 1 John 5:18
Moravian Prayer: We are so glad, Lord, that you are strong. You give us the strength we need to work wonders. May we remember to let you work through us and to not do everything on our own. Help us look to you for all we need to serve you and others.
You are a mighty fortress, Lord. We thank you for your protection over us. We know that you will always be with us when the world challenges us. Thank you. Amen.
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