Independence Weekend

2011 Lake Merwin

One of my all-time favorite places is Lake Merwin, Wa. Being there usually means I am visiting with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Alicia. Her dad has a lake cabin and this is where I spent at least a week or several weekends of my summer from about age 14 on.

Alicia and I had a tradition of camping out on a little island. We used to canoe ourselves and our camping gear out to our island for a weekend or up to a week before we worked. The little island barely had enough room for our tent and a place for us to sit, but it was enough. As the years went on, the island got smaller and we got bigger. The set up changed every year. Some years we just used tarps, others we used tents and then others we had good intentions of sleeping out there but came canoeing back late at night to sleep in the cabin.

The island tradition originally started as a way for Alicia to escape her new step-mother and step-sister. I was always up for an outdoor adventure. As we got older and the step-mom and step-sister left the picture, we continued the tradition because, well it was a tradition, and we loved the independence.

On this little island my friend and I talked about everything. We talked about our faith, our families, the kind of men we dreamed of marrying, what we thought we'd do with our lives and every other silly thing that teenage girls talk about.

We managed to continue this tradition every year (I think anyway), for at least one night out on the island until Alica got married. We did go out for one last camp-out after she was married, but then it became a day trip destination.

I went up to Lake Merwin and visited Alicia again this year, but only looked at our island from the binoculars. We found out during our last day trip to the island that some new girls had claimed it and we decided to pass the torch.

Such fond memories that I will treasure forever.

The same view as above in 2003

2001 - Our last summer before we went off to college.

The Island
(if the water wasn't high enough, then it
could also be considered a peninsula)

We were never afraid of getting splashed
as we camped waaaaaay up there!

The view from our tent in the morning

Alicia and our trusty canoe.

Barely room for our tent

Our tiny little sanctuary.

Happy 4th of July! I am so thankful to be able to celebrate our freedom and independence. What a great nation we live in and what brave souls that fight to keep it free and great.