a little patch of heaven.

echo ranch.
it is my home away from home.

when i was 16 years old i had the wonderful opportunity to serve at echo ranch bible camp in juneau, alaska for an entire summer. i worked as a wrangler--riding and training horses along with teaching children about horses and God's love. i was blessed even further the next year to have the same opportunity! two summers in a little patch of heaven.

although i have not had the ability to work at the camp for a full summer since i was 17, i sometimes go and visit my friends (the horses...and the people).

to get to the camp you hike two miles around a cove. the past two weekends, i hiked out and visited some lovelies. please enjoy the sights of my little patch of heaven:

(i want to apologize in advance for all of the billions of pictures. BUT the best ones are at the bottom...so probably you should just look at THEM ALL.) 

they have been doing construction on the road for far too long. stop and go. stop and go. but some good hymn singing makes it all worth while. 

the campers hike all along that tree line, two miles, to the camp. 

kind of a cloudy day so you can't really see the mountains....but wait until the sunday pictures. 

looking back to where i walked from. 

berry eating makes walking two miles worth it.

devil's club. it looks cool. 

doesn't it? 

until you see the sharp pokies hiding underneath. 

more berries. nothing better. 

one of my best friends, deidre, flew from ohio to speak at horse camp this week. i didn't know she was coming and almost started balling my eyes out when i saw her. i love her like a fat kid loves chocolate.

we went for a midnight run on the beach.....on horseback. it was dark. legit.

headlamps. you would think they would be helpful in the dark....but actually they didn't help. but they make you look cooler.

this is bruce at 1 in the morning. he was super stoked i was taking pictures. 

was that too many pictures of the cat? never. never too many. 

saturday morning walking to the dining hall. 

i made whoopie pies. if you haven't had them. make them. eat them. all of them. i made 60 something. pretty good for how often i step into a kitchen. 

 the wonderful ladies who spend their days making food for campers and staff. they are awesome.

maia papaya.

allyson (i call her mom).

mod. i told her to smile and she tried to pick up all of this stuff to pose. she is beautiful.

oreo filling. 

raspberry lemonade filling.

lemon filling.

we went swimming on our horses and were trying to take a picture of how wet we were. instead, enjoy this picture of hairy pants and my white legs. 

i have known this girl for two weeks and she already means a bunch to me.

aren't you glad that's over.

the view from the chapel barn looking towards the horse barn.

i think this picture speaks for itself.

 sunday morning. 7 am came too early. 

he woke up so he could say goodbye before i left. he's a keeper. however he wasn't thrilled i was taking shots of him. (i am a great girlfriend).

hogsback with the sun peaking over.

on the way back into town. i couldn't resist pulling over and snapping these:

highlights:
-when i am at camp, there is a MAJOR lack of sleep. friday night i stayed up til 3 am. i am beyond too old for that.
-my best friend deidre, from findlay ohio, magically appeared in the back of the truck singing to me              when i arrived. it was the best surprise i could have asked for.
-we went swimming on horseback in the river. it was deep. and cold (but that's alaska for you).
-chicken and waffles. (need i say more?)
-12 am horseback ride on the beach (we went faaasssssssssssttttttttt....i thought i was going to fall into           the ocean).
-friends. actually...they aren't really my friends. they are more like family.


if you ever feel compelled to visit me in alaska (or indiana for that matter) feel free. =) i would love to show you my favorite place on earth.