Hallowe'en at Afton State Park

John and I booked a much needed, one-night escape to Afton State Park on Hallowe'en night. Since I returned to school, my schedule is such that it is near impossible to take any proper time off during the week because I have class every day. It is very wearying for me, so John suggested we at least take one night to get away for Hallowe'en and take Monday off to sleep in, even if I still have to schlepp into class for an hour. We had a really lovely time. The trees still had a little color to enjoy, and I rather like to see all the skeletons of the trees that reveal so many birds nests and perching critters. This was probably the first trip to the wilderness where I have not had a sense of silent fear lurking inside, and I felt absolutely relaxed and at peace. I brought many offerings for the wild things, including peanuts, sunflower seeds, "bird cupcakes" that my mom made for me to set out, apples and pomegranates, and a libation of homemade yarrow mead. It is an ancient practice, the sharing of food and drink with the spirits of land and the deceased, and this time of year, the dying of the year, is one of the most potent times to feel a connection to this great mystery.

There were many campers that night, and some seemed to be having a little Hallowe'en fun in the tents across from our cabin. As John and I snuck into the white woods of the birch so I could pour out my mead, we saw a thoroughly creepy and funny sight: someone dressed in a ghostly shroud seemed to float through the trees! We laughed as we watched them drift back and forth in the dusky light, and remarked at how freaky-fun it would be to do a little Hallowe'en celebration with costumes and all in the woods. Another creepy thing happened, though John was not awake to witness it. I could not get any sleep barely at all, so I had been just laying in bed, listening to Game of Thrones and being annoyed at my insomnia. At one point, I opened my eyes to see the cabin was completely lit up with the most incredible, silvery light from the moon coming directly through the window. I got up to see if I could spy any nocturnal critters loping about the area, and I could see what appeared to be an LED lantern light over in the campground where we saw the ghost. It seemed to glow very bright, then swing a bit, then dim very dim or go out completely, then go bright again. Then it seemed to shoot cross the field all the way over to where one of the yurts stood, then shot back. Then I saw another light at the yurt that did the same thing, glowed very bright, then dimmed, disappeared, then shot over to the tent area. I watched this for a good while before I tried to get John to wake up to see what he thought of this mysterious light. He would not wake. So I sat, watching the ghost-light, reminding me of the mysterious lights of Marfa, Texas. I chuckled to myself thinking of the movie short from Pixar's Cars, where Tow Mater experiences the "ghost lights" :) Too creepy!

Arcachon

Friday 6/26/15
We spent several nights in Arcachon, a little beach town where Francine and her cousin inherited a couple of apartments that her aunt used to own. It was a bit on the dirty side, which construction dust everywhere and needing some attention before being truly habitable. The sleeping beds were a bit uncomfortable, and Click-Clack's would not be the best option for large men folk I will warn. But it was a place to crash where us visitor's set up camp while Dad & Francine stayed upstairs in the posh penthouse apartment. The building is two blocks from the beach, and here are some photos of the place and the little street out front.























One exciting part of this trip was the visit to the sand dunes! I have always wanted to see and stand on a sand dune, and I had no idea that one existed here, so I was thrilled to take this day trip! Dad brought me and John on this trip while the others spent the day at the beach. The dunes were absolutely beautiful, as you can see. Here are some fun photos of John and I traipsing across the massive wonder. Dad can't stand the heat, so he waited down on a bench for us while we explored the sea of sand. There was a whole team of Spanish skaters there that were wild and brave and ran full throttle down the steepest side of the dune we were one, and off in the distance, you could see tons of tiny dots of people on the tops of the other dune tips. Apparently there is camping in this park, and we even saw a guy para-sailing off the dune over the sea. We made our way down to fetch Dad, and stopped at a little cafe along the way to have a most delicious drink called a Pannecé (panna-shay) which is similar to the British Shandy. So refreshing after our hike and a nice way to wait for the bus back to town. There are gorgeous little (and large) properties in this beach community, and the best way to get a sampling is this bus ride. Very cool to see all the homes and lovely flora blooming everywhere!



















More photos of the apartment, street and lovely sunsets:






Trip to the ocean! On the other side of the bay lies the full Atlantic, so we took a little excursion to see it. Along the beach, there are tons of bunkers that the Nazi's built and you can see they've become prime graffiti targets. Witnessing the great waves of the oceans is always such a mystical and powerful thing. For this water-baby, it is one highlight that never gets old.





























Here are some final shots of our stay: The long dock down the street, dinner on the balcony, waiting for the train to Paris for a final night in a very nice hotel and to catch our flight home in the morning (we did not tour Paris, which was probably for the best since all kinds of madness was taking place: riots, beheadings and the like), and a final photo of us finally getting onto the plane!













Our last night in France was a little rough because we were all hangry and our energy totally spent, anxious to get the travel day done and get home to our furbabies and to my mom who was very ready for our return. We had to really hustle to make our flight, but we finally sat down in our seats, and after an impossibly long taxi on the runway, we finally took off and were on our way home. I wasn't really relaxed until we crossed into England's airspace, then settled into a viewing of the Hobbit and reading my nook, taking a long nap at one point. Upon landing and more delays, the pilot gave clearance for us to use cell phones since we would be sitting on the tarmac for awhile, and Gretchen and I looked at each other and said aloud, "Call Mum!" My mom sounded so happy and chipper to know we had landed safely. After the long journey through custom's, we were surprised to see Dylan's dad waiting for us in baggage claim! So instead of taking a cab, they got to get a ride home from a loved one-huzzah! John and I hit the LRT terminal and made our way to our little condo in the sky. The kitties were happy as little clams to see us, and they have been snuggling and purring nonstop since we returned :) There truly is no place like home.