Dad just posted a series of photos of Meier Lake, the retreat center for the Episcopal Diocease of Alaska, on our family website. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, usually twice a year — once for the congregational Winter Retreat, and once in the summer for church summer camp.

I’ve got two very clear memories from my time there.

The first was one of those bizarre moments of weather you get occasionally. The main lodge building sits alongside one side of the lake, looking out over the water, and has a balcony running aross the face of the lodge. One summer day I was able to stand on the balcony, dead center relative to the lodge, with half of the lake and everything to my right in a deluge of summer rain, and with the other half of the lake and everything to my left in beautiful summer sunshine. Just amazing.

The second was another summertime day, when there was some downtime in the camp. I grabbed one of the canoes and went out to the center of the lake with a book, stretched out, and had a nice lazy lie in the sun, floating on the water. After a while, I noticed something in the sky, and realized that there was a bald eagle circling me overhead, probably trying to figure out what I was, and if I was edible or not.

Summertime in Alaska. One of the few things that I miss about living up there. Not enough to move back — but I do miss it.

[See also: Spenard Lake, Anchorage, Alaska | Seattle Solstice | I was the height of fashion, I tell you | Finding my sea legs | Sunburnt, but it was worth it ]

« No more 404’s | Penis! »