2002-08-13 - 3:31 p.m.

Desolation

PBS is featuring some shows on the Skeleton Coast of Africa. A fellow is traveling up the coast with only some camels. A fellow helped him for the fist 100 or so miles with a Land Rover following with supplies, but the rest will be just him and the camels. They do not like the sand dunes or the ocean!

The Skeleton Coast is hundreds of miles of empty desolation, much of it has no place to walk along the shore except at low tide, and then one must hurry to reach a safe stopping place. Over the dunes is not a good alternative as it is a constant up and down with soft sand much like quick sand and a constant furious wind.

One of the deserted places on that coast is a diamond mine, where the miners just sifted the sand endlessly for tiny bits of diamond that were carried by the currents. Men lived there at the very edge of existence. It must be like that at the Poles also. I thought the Poles would be worse because of the cold, but I don't think either would be bearable for long. There is evidence of dwelling places that someone inhabited long ago but no trace of who.

I have missed 2 of the episodes but hope to tape the rest. I also missed the one about Elisabeth Winthrop but hopefully it will be repeated this month. The ad for it stated that 20,000 people came to the New World between 1550 and 1600. That is quite a number even over 100 years. Brave folks!

2s had the girls last week and this and I have been the chauffeur much of the time. k is on the drill team and I have had to pick her up mornings after practice. The parade is tomorrow and I don't have to be involved anymore. s is trying out for fair princess and I had to take her to the fairgrounds to hand out ribbons to animal winners. 1d is taking the kids to Tree River campground for e's birthday. The rest of the family may join her for all or part of the time, even 800. He is not looking forward to sleeping on the ground. I have to work both nights and am not going. They will have to work out the logistics of birthday cake and camp fixin's on their own. d has a fly pole he got last month for his birthday and is eager to learn the art. If 800 does not go, 2s or 3s can teach him. 1d or 2d could teach him in a pinch but the menfolk are masters at it. All of them have been flyfishing on that river since they were small.

When the three guys were little, we had to eat fish every meal so they could fish the next day. I pickled the little ones. I always felt very good about myself at those times for being so magnanimous about something I don't like----fish!!!

Going to Tree River is one of those things that makes me sad now. Life was so innocent when we went there long ago. One must learn to treasure the good times and savor them consciously. When they pass, that time may never be repeated.

EE's devotional

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