Annual Collegian Cookout

The collegian ministry at our church has established the annual tradition of a cookout at Leahaven in the fall.  This year we broke tradition with a beautiful, sunny day for a change.  It was a great day for a hay ride around the property.

 It was also a great day for kayaking, and several kids tried it for the first time.  A couple splashed themselves pretty wet, but we weren't worried about the upholstery for the ride back to the house.

The only two guys present ended up paddling several passengers all over the lake.  There's just something about a lake, a canoe and fall foliage that makes a day unforgettable.

Our Annual Collegian Outing

The Collegian group from St. Elmo Presbyterian Church came out to Leahaven the end of September.  That was right before we went to Scotland for 2 weeks so it took me a while to get the pictures posted.  Better late than never!

 The whole gang enjoys a cookout on straw-bale benches under the sycamore tree.  And yes, those boards do act like see-saws if people stand up in the wrong order!

Setting out on a hayride.

Misty jumped off the wagon and tried to keep up.

 We had a beautiful, sunny day.

It's a toss-up which job Herb enjoys most: grilling the meat or driving the tractor for the hay ride.

 Everybody piled off the wagon at the lake and took advantage of the beautiful weather.

 Zephyr barks frantically at the kids in the boat--after all, she's a shepherd!--and Misty grabs her tail to try to haul her back.  After all, she's a guardian!  The poor girls just want to land their canoe!

Our daughter Kara reacts as Herb belly flops into the lake.

The kayaks are perfect for racing or companionable moments.

After dessert, good-byes, and a clean-up of the house, we leave Leahaven ready for the next people who want to enjoy all that God has blessed it with.

The Collegian Outing

Today was the St. Elmo Presbyterian Church Collegian Outing at Leahaven.  Some of the students keep Herb company while he grills sausages in the rain for 25 people.

Somebody's got a lot of energy after that big meal!  I hope the sausages settled first!

The rain let up in time for the hay ride.  The girls opted for the comfy, straw-bale ride . . .

. . . while a bunch of the guys piled onto the loader.

Kayaking . . .

. . . sometimes with "barnacles" hanging on!

Canoeing . . .

. . . can be dangerous if you've previously tipped over someone's kayak!  Hmm, I thought vengeance was the Lord's!

A lost "sole" is found!  Somebody pulled this up from the mud near the dock, and Phyllis exclaimed, "That's my shoe!"  Sure enough, it was a wading shoe she had lost two years ago, and the fish apparently liked it.  Not much was left but the sole!