9/4

Rabbit Island and the Little Island Next to it

Woke up slow today. Yesterday was mainly gray and rainy and today is nowhere near different. So, I figured canoeing today to be out of the question. Waking up was quite. With most of the group on the other island the only constant noises were loons and Kim, though even they were more quiet than usual.
On cold rainy days the goal is to stay as dry and warm as possible. Usually doing a lesson or two while the rain is gone can get checked off the list, but not today. Today two tent groups (8 people total) are on Rabbit Island doing whatever they can to pass the time, stay dry and warm, and maybe get some work done. In the mean time Ryan, Evan, Jeff, Kim and I were doing the same. The whole day continued as the morning started, quiet and slow. For the most part Evan stayed in the tent doing his own thing, Ryan went back and forth trying to catch a fish, Jeff got a lot of little things done, Kim was here and there doing about the same while also adding her own narrative, and I wandered. I read a little, napped a little, talked to each person a little, put up a tarp with Kim for more than a little and so on. Though I should say, putting up a tarp means doing it once, taking it down, trying again and repeating until it is just right.
At one point I found a nice rock Ryan had shown me and pumped some water. While sitting there I reflected on today, the days to come and also something that has been talked about for the past few days, the stages of group development. Our group has gotten along pretty well overall and for the most part pretty consistently. However, we are all human and we all know, even me, that life is not all sunshine and rainbows. At some point everyone gets mad, annoyed, bothered in some way by most everyone, especially when we live 24/7 with each other. So, as I sit on my rock pumping water and looking out on to a very gloomy day I am reminded of the phrase, “the calm before the storm.” I have already seen signs of rumbling and anticipate with cautious excitement the grand finally to come.
Why?
Because life may not always e sunshine and rainbows, but, the grand majority of the time there is only one way to go and that’s up! To bigger and better!

Peace & Love Always,
Kate Nelson