As cold as ice!

On Saturday, our first winter storm of the season hit with full force. The effects ranged greatly all over Iowa with the Southern parts getting off a little easier than the rest. But don't start to think that Camp escaped untouched. To start with, the only group planning on attending camp for the weekend rightfully cancelled because of the horrible forecasts of the weekend. Throughout Saturday, camp was slowly frosted in ice. What started as rain began to freeze. And then what may have melted on the ground began to work together to make the most solid and smooth sheet of ice I've ever seen on roads! The lane into camp had a little bit of ground peeking out so that my car could grab on and slowly proceed towards the office. However, once past the pond, everything was just ice. I've never seen a gravel road freeze so perfectly and utterly smooth. A Zamboni would be jealous! So anytime someone had to go outside, he or she carefully scooted across the ice while the rest of us watched from inside, secretly hoping for a royal wipe out. :)

Apparently, the front of the camp has nothing to complain about compared to the back of camp! The road back to the pavilion and activity center is virtually impassable. Between the bend-y curves and small slopes, vehicles just aren't going to make it. And the normal exit road is officially closed for the winter. I can only imagine what it would be like to try to make it down and up those hills! First if you survive the downward slope without shooting through the trees and into the actual Crooked Creek, you'd have to wind your way uphill before making it to THE HILL. I have to talk nice to my car during the summer to convince him he wants to drive up that hill. The winter conditions would be impossible even for James Bond.

As humans, we became almost helpless in the aftermath of a winter storm until our huge noisy machines come and provide a way. The deer, raccoons and rabbits do not have snow plows, ice melt and special rubber gripped shoes to easily maneuver around the woods. God saw this coming and naturally equipped them for all the weather they need. Although one can't help but picture the classic scene from Bambi when our fearless fawn tries to cross the frozen pond. But it's always a little bit amazing to me that all of the creatures of the woods know how to prepare for and survive these blustery months. I crank up the heat, but what do they do? I just put on another sweatshirt, they can't instantly grow another fur coat!

I'm not willing to trade my blanket-filled apartment with the shivering bunnies of the woods, but they do have my respect for being able to make it. And God has my amazement for creating them in just the way they needed to survive.