The End Is Near

The worst part about this time of year is also the best part about this time of year. We have to say goodbye to all our friends, but we do it with some pretty good parties.

Last week, we had the end of year staff meeting and pot luck dinner.  I had a really great group of people to work with this year–they made it fun to come to work, and Richard in particular kept me laughing every day.

This bunch of folks are the ones who greet you at the entrance to the North Rim and at the campground. I don’t know if they’ll all be back next year, but for this season, it was great fun! Thanks, y’all!

One of the other ladies I worked with has an allergy to wheat–not gluten intolerant or Celiac, but an allergy. So, I am especially grateful to my work group that they understand Nancy’s and my needs as far as diet is concerned. They try to bring things that we can eat. Nancy made the lasagne, and it was delicious. I forgot to ask her if I could publish her recipe, so I can’t right now, but if she gives me the OK, I will.

A few days later, we had a spaghetti dinner at Bill’s apartment. Nancy and I made gluten free spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, and Bill and Richard provided the regular spaghetti and salad stuff. I didn’t take my camera to that party, but believe me whenI say, it was a fun time, and lots of laughing and friendship going on.

Tonight, we went to dinner at the lodge to say goodbye to the volunteer camp hosts, Patty and Jim. We got to know them a little better this year (wish we had had more time with them!). They are headed to Alaska to a volunteer gig up there next summer so we know we won’t see them again.

Aren’t they cute? FabGrandpa and are so glad we got to hang out with them this summer.

We only have two more weeks here, and two more dinners to attend, before we leave. We’ll be headed back to Alabama and the friends we made there last winter. While I really hate to leave here, I am really looking forward to seeing those folks again. It reminds me of that Girl Scout song “Make new friends, but keep the old–one is silver, the other is gold.”