I know!  It’s been very quiet on my end.  The best I could do last week was to put all I had into my teaching and then come home and rest.  I wasn’t very motivated to do anything else.  No reading, no exercise, no movies, no email, no facebook,  etc etc.

Grief is such a powerful state of being and it just takes over one’s heart and soul.  I just have to simply be with all that I am feeling and be patient and kind to myself.  I know only too well that time does heal a saddened heart.

Rick and I joined Leslie for a much needed Stehekin getaway!  We took a float plane there and back from Chelan, WA.  For the first time ever, the float plane made me feel sick to my stomach on the way in because of the high winds!  The return trip, however, right after the thunderstorm, was smooth.

We love Stehekin so much.  The air smells of pines and the river is glacial melt off so it is bone chilling cold.  Rick went in for his daily morning river dip, came out shivering, only to be warmed by the sun!  We were both able to get a lot of good sleep in the cabin and I didn’t even realize how emotionally exhausted I have been until I had those long nights of sleep!  Each day, we did a hike.  Rick joined Leslie and me on the last day’s hike on Purple Pass Trail.  The other days, he went fishing while Leslie and I hiked.  We didn’t see any bears.  Who knows? Maybe those obnoxious bear bells I carried gave the bears ample time to wander elsewhere.

Here are my photos from our magical time in paradise, Stehekin!

Waiting in Chelan for the float plane to arrive

Preparing for a windy flight to Stehekin

Breathe, just breathe!

Fisherman Rick in front of the cabin, all geared up and ready to go

Stehekin is Pure Magic

Smell of Pine Trees Everywhere!

Friday's hike: High Bridge Trail

Saturday's hike: Agnes Gorge Trail

Purple Pass (we hiked up for 2 hours on switch backs to get a magnificent view!)

The trails were perfumed with sweet smelling wild Mock Orange!

Photo of Rick taking Photo on Purple Pass Trail

The above is a good lead in to the remainder of photographs…the following were all taken by Rick:

Fran and Leslie hiking the trail to Purple Pass

Flowers at Karl's organic garden in Stehekin (we bought our produce here during our stay!)

More bursts of color at Karl's beautiful organic garden!

Karl bringing us produce from his organic garden in Stehekin

On Monday (yesterday!), after the storm, just before leaving Stehekin

Float plane about to take off, leaving Stehekin for Chelan