High Adventure at HiTours

All four of us jigged and jagged, and climbed to the top of this waterfall -- some of us just needed a bit more help than the rest.
Close to "the bowl"... I (right) confess to getting stuck on the ledge just to my left and needing a boost from behind and a pull from above to reach that upper ledge.
Near the beginning. That's Steve Bragg on the left, Nelson in the middle and Tim Bragg on the right.

The guy on the left and his daughter (8) caught up with us at "the bowl", where the only way to continue up the 25 feet cliff was with a rope or a boost, which he had. Nelson and Steve gave him a couple boosts. He then tied the rope tightly to a tree and waited for us to all get over the ledge at the top; he then travelled on to finish his bikepacking trek with his daughter. We caught up with him on our way down via the trail.

Serenity and Solitude at the Prayer Garden

Steve & Vickie ...
Sarah ...
Steve & Vickie, their son Josiah and me
Steve feeds the fish from his hand ... Steve is the plant & facilities manager at Crosswinds.

(photos by Nelson)

Prayer Garden ... Thanks to the Team

This photo was taken Monday evening, June 19. With the project deadline just five days away and a plot of bedded plants awaiting a permanent home, the project seemed impossible. But Ray (see April photos) came Tuesday and Dale came Monday through Wednesday, and found a home for every plant. (photo by Nelson)
Dale also helped install one of the stone pathways from stones collected out back of the church (photo by Nelson).
Nelson the supervisor ... (photo by Dale).
The purpose of this garden at Crosswinds Wesleyan Church is partly to handle drainage concerns at this spot. But that could have been done a lot of different ways. Building a prayer garden, however, provides seclusion for spiritual retreat, a spot for supervised children to wiggle a bit and be outside, a place for counseling and spiritual guidance, and an opportunity for volunteers to serve.
Nelson and I tried to capture at least one photo of everyone who worked on the project and plan to put most of them on a CD. I'd like to have put more on this blog, but there just isn't room. Even with all the photos, I'm sure we missed a few volunteers. To maintain work flow, we usually "shot" people during a rest break, or at the beginning or end of a work session. I know we missed Sue and Kris ... and probably a few others, especially those who came when we couldn't. Nonetheless we appreciated every single pair of hands.
We also appreciated support from a couple area businesses: Tim Bobel from Wayside Nurseries in Macedon and Brent Bivoni from Sunrise Aquatics, also in Macedon (sunriseaquatics.com).
Most of all we thank God for giving his servants strength and safety while serving, for sending awesome advisors who gave great counsel. It will be exciting to hear some of the stories about how God uses this space. "Call unto Me," God says, "and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know." I'm sure that I'll look back with amazement and soon realize my mind was way too small to even begin to comprehend what God really had in mind when he set it into our hearts to rebuild the prayer garden.

Prayer Garden Completion

Cheri waters the lavender garden. Work on the prayer garden, except for tweaking and maintenance, was finished last night.
The lavender garden completed...
and just a few hours before.
The falls area.

Fish feeding frenzy

Pond progress

Watering the transplants....(photo by Nelson Bowen, Jr.). These photos were all taken last Friday, June 16.
Pavers installed to bridge...
Chad (left) and Nelson discuss the project; Chad and his team paved the walkway.

Grace in the Everyday

Pastor Colin (rev.colin@victorpres.org) recently wrote a new song, "There's grace in the everyday". In keeping with the theme of the song, I took the time to look for God's grace in some simple things, like this creek alongside East Victor Manor.

Summer in NY

Just a couple weeks ago, on Memorial day weekend and week, it was 90 degrees. Apparently that was the end of summer, as the temps have been dropping since. Between wind and chill it was just plain cold Saturday night. Even the dog and cats ferreted out a warm place to cuddle.

Comin' out of hiding

See the fish between the two rocks? He's poking his head out of a tunnel, made out of a plastic pipe about six inches in diameter. Pond designer Brent Bivona, Sunrise Aquatics (sunriseaquatics.com) planned this so the fish have a place to hide from predators and a place to hide eggs until they hatch.





Jeff Frazier installed an electric outlet next to the pond to run the pump. The pump pulls water out of the pond, through a pipe and into the uppermost falls, so it can all run downhill again. The waterfall noise masks sound, making this a good place to talk and not be heard.

Flamingo Village

Orange ones, blue ones, gold ones and silver ones ... the fish were playing and splashing up a storm Tuesday night.
The bridge went in last week ... it spans the stream between the upper falls and the fish pond. And the pink flamengos? Well that's part of an ongoing joke between Worship Arts Pastor Melody Burri and Facilities Manager Steve Gardner... .

Crosswinds Prayer Garden

The prayer garden on Monday, May 30 ... more plants moved home and this crazy flamengo added. She was perched on a note that talked about fish for breakfast, fish for dessert and fish for supper (some zanieness that plant manager Steven Gardner initiated). That's Steve Bragg on the left and Nelson at the top of the uppermost waterfall.

Since these photos were taken, volunteers finished and installed the bridge, just behind the rock with the flamingo.

Chillin' in VA

Liza Grace, Daddy Steven, Lena Hope and Azul cool off in the north fork of the Shenandoah River, just across the road from their house.
After a couple shots of penicillin and some aspirin Rosie perked up enough to snuggle with Liza Sunday afternoon.

Farming in VA

Steven and Anna Maria aren't farmers exactly, but their two-acre spread does include a bottle-goat who became very ill over the weekend, necessitating a trip to Tafaldore Farms for instruction on doctoring sick goats. AM and Steven had also visited another farm as part of Liza Grace's preschool graduation celebration, and were given these multi-colored chicken eggs (below) from the caretakers of some exotic chickens (the eggs didn't taste any different than the usual grocery store variety though).

Buddy, the hired hand on Trafalmadore Farms, teaches Anna Maria how to give Rosie a shot of penicillin.
Feeding time ... and the Angoras, llamas and sheep all want their share.

Something in the Park (Broadway Park, VA)

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Virginia with oldest daughter, Anna Maria, and family. On Saturday we hung out at Broadway Park, ate ice cream in New Market and then Liza Grace, Lena Hope and I enjoyed S'mores over a campfire while their Mom & Dad went on a date.
Liza Grace flies down big slide.
Lena Hope snuggles a bunny (with some help from Mama Ria).