The condo is quiet, disturbed only by the whirring of the fan and the occasional rustling of a page belonging to the pair of readers downstairs. This morning, while still in bed, I indulged in a few chapters of C.S. Lewis. I'm reading through That Hideous Strength again. In my mind, it rivals Narnia, which is no insignificant claim. After reading Lewis, words like "curious", "ancient", and "thicket" seem to appear often in my thoughts, just as when I spend time reading Austen, her language seeps into my vocabulary.
The Colorado sun is strong, but not yet hot as it will be in a few hours. Soon, duty will beckon and I'll swing my feet over the edge of my bed and trot down to the lodge to say goodbye to my final group of campers. After a week of living in the shadow of the mountains, we are sending them home to the plains. Hopefully the physical challenges that taught them endurance will transfer to a life that holds perseverance as a value. Hopefully the openness we have modeled this week will transfer to struggles that are shared instead of hidden.
After we've checked the condos for leftover milk and cereal, half of our party will depart for that dark cavern electric with excitement that will be soon crowded with children and adults alike armed with Harry Potter t-shirts and round glasses. The other half of us will probably lounge around the condo for a bit before mustering the energy to load up gear and hit the trail armed with the climbing guidebooks in search of today's routes.
As is the case with Austen and Lewis, climbing leaves its own mark in my thoughts. Only in conversation with climbers talking about the day's climb will you understand words like "slabby" and "rapping" and "mantle-y" in context. Shouts of "can you dyno to that next jug"? ring out in the heat of the ascent. While I have decided that climbing will not become my primary pastime, it is worth dabbling in for the thrill of physical challenge and good company of Benn, Mel, Joshy, and all the rest.
Little Miss Sunshine
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