Saturday was the 7th day of our pilgrimage, and the Jewish Sabbath. So we had a slightly easier day too, with the focus on relaxation and rejuvenation.
We drove down scenic Highway 1 in California to Big Sur country. This is the land where mountain meets ocean in dramatic fashion. In keeping with our Sabbath theme, we let horses do the work today. Each of us was assigned a horse, and we got on using a stump. Here is Logan demonstrating.
We had a beautiful ride to the beach, through a small stream on the way. The scenery changed dramatically from inland to coast. Here are all of us at the beach.
Our horses were beautiful and strong, and so individual. Each had his or her own personality, and we marvelled at how quickly they made themselves known to us. Many more pictures of our horseback riding experience can be found below.
After saying goodbye to the horses, we went back north and stopped at Point Lobos. After our usual picnic lunch, we explored in groups of three or four. The coastal scenery was beautiful.
Now, those of you who have donated to the pilgrimage may have wondered when your postcards will arrive. The answer is – later than we intended! We bought postcards, we purchased most of the stamps we needed (not all, due to a counting error on Wendy’s part) and we finished writing all the postcards on Wednesday. However, it took us until Saturday to get them all mailed, having finally located both a place to buy stamps and a mailbox. A mighty cheer went up in the van as Marti mailed the very last set, as looking for a mailbox had become a pervasive chore. In any event, you should all have your postcard before we see you next Sunday at church, and let this blog also permit us to again say thank you – we couldn’t be doing this without you, and the experience has been worth every penny.
After the mailbox success, we returned to our home base in Palo Alto, and did our final food shop. The luggage and bags of food were piled quite high in the van, so some team effort was required. Here are the boys holding the bags of food from the last seat while we open the doors, so nothing would fall out as we unloaded.
After some journalling and reflection time, we hit the hay. (Not literally though, we left that for our friends the horses!).
Oh. Here’s a lizard.
Our leaders of the day reflect:
Today we went to Big Sur, and rode horses for an hour. It was pretty bumpy and our legs felt weird after we were done. After that we took a hicke on a rocky beach and sprinted back and forth on the rock hills. (Zack)
Today we went orseback riding in Andrew Molero. We were led by 3 cheerful guides, and our groups soon grew from 10 to 26. It was an interesting experience, because for the duration of the ride, each of us was called by our horse’s name, which, along with the hard work the horses were doing for our benefit really formed a connection that I was reluctant to break at the end of the hour. It was a magical feeling and the scenery was beautiful, although the sleepy car-ride following was cherished almost as much. (Kim)
To note: as we post this we are just about to embark on our overnight vigil. Prayers are always welcome but will be especially welcome tonight. We will post again tomorrow and include our activities of today (Sunday). Blessings to you all!
I have prayed for you all and will continue to to so. Your blog and photos and reflections on the day have been wonderful. May God be with all of you tonight and also for all of this year as you continue to grow and discern. Sleep well tomorow.
Carole
Well, it’s 1am for you guys on your overnight vigil but it’s morning here in Oslo. Birds are chirping and the sun has been up for ages. Even though you’re on the other side of the planet, I’m sending you light.