Anderson Island

So, I've got some really great friends, all different kinds: 

~ The hysterical, pee-your-pants-laughing kind

~ The emotional support kind 

~ The shared life experiences kind 

~ The old-school kind 

~ The newly-made kind 

~ The little-bit-of-everything kind

They don't all know one another or even live in the same areas. And some I get to see more than others (though that usually doesn't matter). But the take-away here is that I'm lucky for each and every one of them.

Once or twice a year, I escape with some of these gals. We leave our kids, husbands, obligations, jobs, chores, and laundry behind and head to Lake Chelan or Anderson Island - two very different and very beautiful kinds of heaven.

So, this last weekend was one of those times (squeee!). 

One of my friends has a family Inn on Anderson Island, and eight of us hunkered down for a night.

Storms swept up and out of the channel day and night.
It was awesome!

I got to man this beast over the weekend.
And because I LOVE wood-fire stoves, that was fine by me.

Gale force winds, whitecaps, wet beach rocks, spotty power, cozy fires, blustery beach walks. The quintessential Pacific Northwest experience - all packed into 24-hours.

Yes, it was a dang-quick 24 hours, but that didn't matter. We laughed our butts off, emptied an unmentionable number of wine bottles, played games, and caught up on all the little life details that had fallen through the cracks.

We ventured out for a walk...

...and got caught in a downpour. Sprinting ensued.
That - right there - was the extent of our exercise. 

Awkward and funny, two of my favorite things. 

And now, I'm back home with my family. Man, I missed my people, and they missed me. I truly don't like to be away from them for long.

The same goes for my girlfriends, though - all the different and amazing women in my life.

The end.

*If you'd like to stay at the lovely August Inn, learn more here!