Philothea
Life in the JVC

Last day in Hays

June 07, 2005
I was just away for 10 days, and I'm just spending 24 hours in Hays before I'm on the train to South Bend to see John & family.

We had some time before retreat and after the end of school, so we went to Omak for four days. It was wonderful sleeping until noon and swimming in Omak Lake, which is surrounded by mountains. When we were canoeing, we saw a bear on the shore! It was very cool, especially since the FJV we were with had lived in Omak 5 years and never saw one there before. I was jealous of all the amenities the JVs had in Omak, like a 24-hour Wal-Mart and a library. It made me wonder why I chose to go to Hays. Oh yeah, I wanted to get away from it all.

Retreat programming was really, really boring. I would have almost preferred it to be Republican bashing to sleep inducing. At least I had some allies with the Omak men this year. It was good to see everybody again, and the retreat site was beautiful. There were kayaks on Hayden Lake and a swimming pool. Maureen was at a wedding, so it wasn't a full house. It felt very weird, because all the other JVs have two more months to go, and this was our last hurrah.

Then I went to Glacier National Park with the St. Labre JVs. They have a whole week off together between school and summer school, and are going to spend it there. I just spent two days with them, but I got to go all the way up the Going-to-te Sun road this time, and saw a herd of bighorn sheep. It rained both nights, so I slept in my car. The last night I slept there because the ranger told us that two bears had been through that campsite in the last week, not to mention the mountain lions. I am so scared of being eaten by a bear, although I know its not that likely.

Today I drove home to Hays, which will soon not be home anymore. I suppose I ought to start packing now.

4:10 p.m.
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