FARM BY THE LAKE

I left for Bagley yesterday and returned minutes ago. It was a beautiful day to leave and it's beautiful today as well. I was a guest at the Farm by the Lake family retreat center. The farm is a gift from Richard C Davids, naturalist, author, editor and teacher. My lodge for the night was a log cabin with room for 8 so I kept bumping into myself. When I got to the cabin I saw a note on the door, "NELL". But the caretaker had given me specific directions so I knew I had arrived but I thought Nell would be pretty surprised to find me in her cabin. Nevertheless, I made myself at home. The next day I would discover that Nell is the Northern Exposure Life-long Learners. I selected the single bed under the large upstairs window so I could see the stars. There is a 1 mile+ hiking trail but I was too tired to walk it. In the morning the lake was crowded with fog dancers, the birds were swimming through the sky and a fine looking deer was waiting at the entrance/exit. We exchanged greetings and he walked calmly into the trees. I went to the Grace Lutheran Church where I would be speaking to NELL. What a delightful group of learners! I felt we'd been friends for years.