Mietzke's Holden Adventure

Well, I’ve gone and done it. I officially turned 35. I had a really great birthday! I spent it with my kids and my new friend Liz from the village in Leavenworth. The kids had been out of school all week and I worked a lot while Eric was gone, so knowing he was coming back I decided last minute to head down lake. It was warm and beautiful and sunny in Chelan. The plants are all beginning to bloom and there were butterflies everywhere. It felt good to be out of the village for a couple of days and explore this area. Waiting for the boat was one of my favorite experiences this week. We were down on the beach at Lucerne walking in the warm sand surrounded by water and mountains. The sun was warm and the kids were exploring and wading in the stream coming down from the mountains. The water was calm and their was no wind and I felt warmed through, the kind of warming that only a warm spring thaw can bring.
It was fun watching the Jordyn and Nyrie so engrossed in their environment. Turning over rocks, racing pieces of wood down the river, balancing from rock to rock across the water, and running, running, running, for no reason at all, being lifted into flight from within. I had been sitting on the beach writing resting and taking it all in and I was so compelled by their movement that I couldn’t sit still any longer so I raced with them, I took my shoes off and felt the rush of ice cold water against my ankles, and it was delicious! I collected pockets full of rocks and found the perfect piece of drift wood. I felt like I was soaking up freedom, like I had awakened after a long slumber to find the word changed and magical. The girls and I laughed and played until the boat drew closer, then we gathered our things for the next step of the journey.
We stayed at the Holden B&B and headed straight there and then out into the world. We went shopping and picked up little things that we can’t get at Holden. We went out for Pizza at Local Myth Pizza, and then went back to the B&B for some rest. I woke up late on my birthday and sat in the warm sunshine on the grass and soaked it in. Then we headed for Wenatchee and Leavenworth. We did our errands in Wenatchee and then played in Leavenworth going from shop to shop, eating ice cream, and browsing. I missed Dave when we went into the hat shop, he loves hats. We finished with dinner, and then went for a walk along the river. It was so warm that Liz and I bought shorts in town. I had forgotten how beautiful spring is and how renewing it is to see plants coming out of the ground, and flowers in the trees. Holden still has about three feet of snow on the ground, and my whole body has been yearning for spring.
We got to the B&B late that night and sleep was welcome. Sunday morning was funny, we had gone to bed six of us in the B&B and woke up to twelve other staff members making breakfast in the morning. They had all come in late in the night. It felt like waking up at home. There were happy Birthdays given to me and a cup of coffee and stories about each person’s out. It was a nice way to wake up. We played around at the B&B all morning and headed to town around noon to get lunch. The girls and I bumped into Liz in town and she agreed to come have a picnic on the beach with us. It wasn’t quite as warm as the day before but it was nice and the girls played in the water and ran along the beach. We stayed until four and then headed back to eat dinner with Jaci, who takes care of the B&B.
At dinner Jaci showed us pictures of the deer that a cougar had killed in her front yard and told us about waking up to the cougar sitting on her front steps. It was pretty amazing. We had a nice meal overlooking the lake and talking. A couple other Holden friends came to dinner also so it was like a little party. I was able to talk to my family while I was out, which was really good. My parents are moving, and Jason and Christie are moving and Joel is also in transition. Sometimes it is hard not to be able to talk to my family and know what is going on with them. E-mail doesn’t always cut it.
By Monday morning I was ready to head back. We packed up and I ran into town to see the chiropractor, and then made it back to fields point in record time. The boat ride back was a lot of fun. The wind had picked up and there were two and three foot swells on the water and the boat was dancing on the waves. We went to sit on the back deck and the girls stood in the wind hair and skirts blowing wildly. They were laughing hysterically whenever the boat hit a big swell and the spray came up and wet them.
When we got to the Lucerne dock we were greeted by a bunch of Vikings swing swords and preparing a burial feast for their fallen queen. We were invited to the feast (of hot dogs wrapped in Bacon, and cheese sandwiches cooked over a fire on a stick). So decided to prolong our trip up to Holden to watch the queen be set afloat and burned.
I will give you a brief explanation about the boat and the queen. The high school made a traditional burial canoe by hollowing out a log as part of their History class. Then they filled the boat with news paper and painted cardboard as her garments (the queen’s body and robes), then they set her on fire and launched her out into the lake. Although I don’t think that they were counting on the high winds and two foot waves for the launching day. The launch was successful but the boat did not go far before returning with its burning corps. A song was sung and a poem read in the dead queen’s honor and then they lifted her out of the water and placed her on the bon fire, so her cremation was completed. When she was sufficiently burned the high school and elementary school commenced with sword play and exploration while the elders cleaned up the feast and packed it back onto the bus.
The bus ride up was fun! We sang songs and bounced along the road being silly and joyful. It was such a nice way to return!

The snow in the village is melting, but very slowly, although in the three days that I was gone the creek raised almost a foot. Birds and squirrels are everywhere and we have a chipmunk living in our basement. When we walk out of our chalet in the morning the sounds of spring are in the air, dripping water and bird chatter fill the air as the mornings go on. Patches of earth are beginning to appear, and on the side of the pathways bulbs are starting to push through the snow towards the sun. I have started a little garden in the windows of the library. We have planted peas and beets, and collard greens and spinach and lettuce and a variety of herbs and flowers. It is fun watching the seeds make their way through the soil to the light. The little bits of green are joy to me. After being down lake I can’t wait to be able to dig in the dirt and go for a run without navigating ice, slush and snow. Every time a new patch of earth is revealed I get more and more excited.
Dave finishes his Wilderness First Responder Training today and it will be nice to have him back. He has been having a lot of fun in the training and has been doing really well! He really responds well to emergencies and is good at remembering all of the important details. The class has been right up his alley.