Dear Friends,
What is time? Where does it go? How did I use it? Questions to consider at the end of another year (or another day).
Some highlights of my year, beyond the daily routine of housekeeping and gardening, were travel and volunteer activities.
In April, I traveled to McAllen, TX for a guided birding trip to search for winged migrants along the tip of Texas. A group of nine former strangers, packed in and out of a van many times as we walked and drove through farmers’ fields, South Padre Island beach, city parks, nature preserves, and garbage dumps. In seven days, we saw 219 different species. We accessed the Rio Grande River when a local farmer opened his gate at “the wall,” allowing us to walk down to the water in search of rare species.
A fall trip in early September was shared with three friends in three national parks: Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier. Connie and I averaged seven miles of hiking a day, but did not always reach the planned destination. It rained on the hike to Glacier Lake. As we approached the Lake, the rock stairs were uneven, narrow, and wet. Walking against the side of the mountain and looking over the edge, fear convinced me to turn back, with less than a mile to the Lake.
More than Old Faithful, the geyser spouts and bubbling infernos at Yellowstone National Park were the most unusual and baffling experiences of the trip. The Yellowstone Caldera covers 6,600 sq mi. with 10,000 hydrothermal features and more than 500 geysers. (www.nps.gov.) As far as you could see, the earth was steaming, bubbling, or spouting forth.
Volunteer opportunities in the local community highlight my life in Boalsburg: cleaning fridges at Out of the Cold, sorting donations at the State College Food Bank, and transporting Afghan women to English classes. As part of a local Accompaniment Group for detainees at Moshannon Valley Processing Center, I occasionally deliver a “Sad Bag” (a backpack containing clothes, toiletries, and a cell phone) that arrives from distant lawyers or family members of individuals being released, transferred, or deported. The receptionist at MVPC documents the items, then issues a receipt, which is emailed to the lawyer or family member. Others in the Accompaniment Group visit detainees at the Center who want to converse with community members.
Although the world isn’t what I would like it to be, I look forward to Advent: a time of reflection on the meaning of Christ’s birth, for today. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Peace and blessings,
Mary