I’m back from a rare weekend spent away from family and the farm, and with one more full night of sleep, I might be recovered.  Each April, I journey north for a weekend writer’s retreat, and it is one of the highlights of my spring.  As much as I love my life here on the farm, sometimes I crave the company of other writers because, frankly, we writers have our oddities.  It’s good to once in a while be among others who are odd in the same way.

There are always workshops to attend — this year I presented one on writing business plans.  We study, talk, brainstorm, compare notes, critique one another’s work, and generally immerse ourselves in our craft for the duration.   We stay up too late, talk too much, laugh a lot, and generally exhaust ourselves.  For a change of pace, when we’ve been sitting too long or thinking too hard, some of us take walks around the lake behind the retreat lodge.

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It’s a beautiful place, with intriguing morning mists . . .

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. . . and expanding ripples left by big fish leaping from the water.

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There’s a dock to fish from, should anyone be so inclined.  I wasn’t, but I did spend a bit of time at the end of the dock watching. . .

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. . .  the turtles sunning in the afternoon heat.

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There were a lot of turtles out there.

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And redbuds coming into full bloom.

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Across the lake, there’s an intriguing grove of cedars to tempt one off the path toward the water’s edge.

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And inside the lodge — food.  Lots of tasty, wonderful food.  Potluck the first night, a soup cook-off the second, and enough chocolate, cheesecake, bread, and various other yummy treats to add five pounds to my backside.  (Hence the walking . . . . ) Best of all was time shared with friends, stories shared, and the fresh take I have on a project I’m excited to be tackling.

Life is good, isn’t it?

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