Hi Everybody!  After what seems like weeks out of touch, we have arrived at Ring Lake Ranch and found our way to electronic reconnection.  There is far, far more catching up to do, and way to many stories to tell, to try to squish them into an entry or two, so we will likely post once or twice a day this week (if I can get the children--and David! off of the horses!)  So forgive the perpetual alerts in your inboxes, but we've just experienced so many remarkable things, so MUCH wonder, that we'll be checking in with our sabbatical tales while we get the opportunity.  

I'll start with expressing my gratitude to Russ and Amy Dean, from Charlotte's Park Road Baptist Church, for giving us directions to the spot where the Boiling River enters the Gardiner River in the northeast corner of Yellowstone.  That's where we sat (Lara and I for a very long time) in a single-file row of people speaking way-many languages, up to our chins in the mingling waters.  The water from the Boiling River is, well, you know.  And the Gardiner is COLD.  So our left-hand sides were scorching, which was a blessed good feeling, as it had been 8 days since our last shower; and our right-hand sides were not quite blue.  And the mountains rose up on each side, and we might have just stayed there gazing and sighing and pickled ourselves, had it not been for those who were tapping their toes on the bank, anxious for the next adventure.  I still can't quite believe it--sitting in the gorgeous clear water, watching it boil out from the stream, adjusting the big, smooth rocks to make our bath seats comfortable.  What an experience!

On the weather front, it's warmed up today.  After many weeks with the nighttime temps in the 30's, it's probably in the upper 40's here.  I'll not complain, as I figure it's pretty hot there in Nashville, but David had to pull chunks of ice off of the picnic-table canopy when we packed up from Yellowstone. The Wind River Mountains are windy.  You might google Ring Lake Ranch to see what we're dealing with this week.  Margaret Coel (author of a GREAT mystery series that takes place on the Wind River Reservation) is our seminar leader, leading us into the world of Arapaho spirituality.  By chance (right), this is the week of the Arapaho Nation's annual Sun Dance, so on Thursday, she'll take us onto the reservation to see the celebration begin.  We're sure to store up many interesting things to tell you.

In the meantime, I think of you and hold you in the light during morning prayers each day here, as I look through the huge window at the Absaroka Mountains and the glaciers on top.  Know of our love for you.  Amy