14 Years

Fourteen years ago Gary and I were married.

This year we celebrated at Ricketts Glen State Park.



 The park office.

 The beginning of Falls Trail. 

Gary hurt his ankle at the beginning of our hike.

Lake Leigh

The dam for Lake Leigh.

As you can see, the dam is breaking apart (you should not be able to look through a dam) and no longer functioning to really hold back water.  According to civil engineer Gary Kulp, this is call a dam breech.  I would call it the dam breaking apart and not working.  The lake is now a small pond.  The photo to the left shows the intended outlet for the lake, in the shadow at the bottom between the two supports.  It is no longer needed due to the "dam breech."










Here is a map for Falls Trail.  We started at the upper right where it says "Beach Area Parking" and hiked to the dam, then down to Ozone Falls, and then back to the parking area.  

Gary likes the periwinkle 

growing atop Shawnee Falls.

F.L. Ricketts Falls.

We decided to work our arm muscles next and went canoeing.





We saw a beaver lodge.  

Lake Jean.

For our last stop at the park, we ate our lunch on a moss covered table.

And saw parts of Kitchen Creek ...

and the top of Adams Falls.

Here is our "cabin."  When we arrived on Saturday night, the office was closed.  We had no cell service to call, and we weren't sure what to do.  We went back to the highway where we had service and was able to leave a message.  We drove to another campground, which was full, then tried another.  They had an RV that we could rent, which we were not all that excited about.  Thankfully we had service long enough to receive a call from our campground and were able to go back and check in. 

Gary was NOT impressed, but I thought it wasn't that bad. 

It did have a water issue.  It smelled like sulfur or something else very unpleasant.

We will not be going back to any of the campgrounds we saw.

We will make plans in time to reserve something at the state park.

To sum up, we had a very memorable anniversary weekend!

A lament

This post was started in November.  I am finally finishing it.
 ~~~
During my Bible study, we have been looking as some laments.  Psalm 6 was the latest one.   

¹ O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
² Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed.
³ And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O Lord—how long?

⁴ Return, O Lord, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
⁵ For there is no mention of You in death;
In Sheol who will give You thanks?

⁶ I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
⁷ My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.

⁸ Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my supplication,
The Lord receives my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.

In the last portion of our study, we had a chance to write our own lament.  Here is mine.

LORD, where are you?
  I do not hear you.
You are everywhere,
  Yet my soul knows silence.
Countless are my advarsaries,
  Their numbers are untold.
Great and mighty is the Lord, my God.
  He has caused the earth's bounty.

I feel abandoned,
  Left alone to myself.
All I accomplish is laid to waste,
  My work is a pile of rubbish.
I am made to wait.
  How long, Lord, how long?
I am weary and tired.
  I know no rest.
On and on I trod,
  And find myself in circles.
Is this all you have for me?
  Is there no more?

I know you have a plan,
  There is still good here.
Hear my cry, Lord God,
  Give me the desires of my heart.
For you always I long for,
  You are my hiding place.
You bring me to you,
  You are my rest.

Wealth of Information

Just yesterday I came across this site, Wellness Mama.

Like I said, wealth of information for healthy living.  Health is something I'm into.

Check it out.