STUFF .... JUST BECAUSE

A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Friday evening, Bruce and Jane drove over from their new digs. Mrs. Ref made her famous meatloaf and Jane brought a fruit salad. After dinner, Bruce and I (mainly Bruce) worked a bit on the parish website as I was requesting some minor changes to it. Then we all retired to bed since Saturday was going to be a long day.

Jane and I left the house at 5:40 a.m. for the drive up past Polson to retrieve our respective kid from Camp. I love mornings, and seeing the sunrise creep over the mountains is a beautiful sight.

We stopped for breakfast in Butte. I figured that, since we left early enough, I could spare some time grabbing a bite to eat. Then it was back on the road, traveling music in the CD.

We should have got gas while we were in Butte, but neither of us thought about it. So along about Drummond Jane encouraged me to pull over for gas. As in, "Stop here or you're the one walking." ;)

Here's a hint: When looking to pull over for gas in the middle of nowhere, make sure you pick an exit where you can actually see a gas station sign. I pulled off too early and we ended up taking the scenic route into town. It worked out though and we eventually did get filled up.

Then it was back on the road again. There is major construction going on from Missoula to Polson, so that slowed us down also. But the stretch of road immediately before Polson has been completed, and one of the most beautiful sights is to come around the bend and see Flathead Lake in front of you.

We arrived at Camp just in time for lunch. I introduced Jane to the Camp Director and to the chaplain for that session (who also happens to be a priest in her deanery). Wandered around camp for a bit, then loaded up the two kids and returned home.

We had to stop in Clinton to pick up some cough drops for her son, as he had come down with a sore throat. Clinton is home to one of the biggest festivals in the state. I probably won't go.

We ended up getting home just about 6 p.m. It was a beautiful day for a drive, and it's always good to go on road trips with a friend.

SUNDAY

We had TWENTY-SEVEN people in church up in VC yesterday. Wow. The majority of them were visitors, but still .... that's pretty darn good for that little parish. In my sermon I mentioned "knowing" this guy through blog comments. I mentioned it because he had asked me to help him a bit with his own sermon, and I thought his take on the gospel was worth mentioning. I didn't think anything of it at the time; but after the service, a couple of visitors asked me for my blog address.

Hmmm .... guess I'll have to be more careful.

After service, the gal that Juli has been working for this summer gave her a little going away party. It was nice. That girl is something else, and everyone will miss her.

So it was a good weekend. A lovely drive to Polson, a relatively quiet drive home, lots of people in church on Sunday, and some time to say goodbye.

The permanent goodbye for us and Juli will happen Tuesday morning way too early in the morning. Even after she's gone, I'll remember this weekend for a very long time.