Dear friends,
I just got home (to Mechanicsburg). It was a long drive (3.5 hours) but a few podcasts kept me going- and a little coffee.
I’m happy to be home, of course, but already missing the BRC. It is such a special place- a place apart that, without even trying, gives you a new outlook on life. The rhythm of the country, the rising and setting of the sun, the surprise of a coating of snow that glistens on the lawn, the call of a coyote in the early morning, deer grazing with their heads down in the middle of the field- it is all a joy.
I took an early walk this morning back up Horseshoe Road. It’s a dirt and gravel road that goes up and up and up to the ridge on the other side from the Brookland Retreat Center. I passed neighbor Darryl’s house as I set out and he called good morning to me and shouted that he “hadn’t seen a bear in a few days,” up the direction that I was headed. I wondered to myself how fast I could run in my heavy hiking boots.
I saw no bears. Just stands of pine trees, the creek running, a few empty camps, and a blue sky streaked with clouds.
On the way back I hurried a bit- we were set to read Morning Prayer in the Chapel at 8:00 AM as was our pattern, and we were hoping that a friend and parishioner from Coudersport would join us. She did! We “topped out” at FOUR people this morning as we said our prayers; it was a joyful chorus.
Bishop Nichols and I spent the lion’s share of the day working. When Darryl asked what we were working on, I told him that we were “building a new diocese.” Our meeting went very well. Bishop Nicholas and I have been at this for a while and our working together is exciting. At the end of our time together we made a video sitting on the porch in the beautiful rocking chairs.
We had another visitor today- a woman who represented a local hiking club that is looking for a place to gather and to maybe share a meal and fellowship. It was good to meet another neighbor and to hear about the trails in the area and their maintenance.
Bishop Nichols, Amy (my week long companion and friend) and I shared some sandwiches and then we bid Amy farewell as she headed north to her family homestead in New York. What a good companion she was this week. She came with me to sit in the chapel for Morning and Evening Prayer as we “kept the hours,” helped with kitchen duty, took walks with me and got some of her own work done, as well as. We are good travel partners and friends. I am grateful for her time at BRC with me this week.
After one last spin up the hill and around the field, I reluctantly loaded my car, did a final check in the house (oven off, lights off, trash emptied, back door secured) and headed out.
Three and a half hours later, I was home. Glenn was just returning from the store and prepared to make his famous “you- are- home- from- retreat- stir- fry” and Wobs (my giant cat) gave me the cold shoulder for having been gone for a few nights.
All is as it should be.
Here’s my plea: If you find yourself weary… If you haven’t breathed mountain air for some time….If you need a break from looking at screens… if you want to stare at the dark sky and see it lit up with God’s gorgeous stars… if you need to re-focus, rest, invigorate, do something different…. try a trip to BRC. Getting there is an adventure all its own- the drive into the Northern Tier of the diocese is beautiful- and it is well worth the time.
Email our Property Manager Stuart Scarborough (sscarborough@diocesecpa.org) or check out BRC at http://www.brooklandcenter.org to find out how you can schedule your trip.
Thanks for reading along and letting me share this special place.
Love,
Audrey
Our selves, our souls and bodies 