Shadow Valley Family Camp is not for wimpy women. With the exception of one female cleverly camouflaged behind her camera. Megan, pictured above, is just one of a crew of for women who spent an entire morning peeling logs.
What’s the proof of their heartiness?
These women volunteer for the crews they’re on.
Their crew of four was just one of several crews populated with strong women who don’t blink at daunting tasks like chopping firewood, hauling furniture out of the upper story of a structure accessible via a precariously narrow gang plank, hammering floor joists, and operating noisy power tools capable of removing fingers. The fact that they never blink at the task set before them is a well-documented fact. Just ask the wimpy woman behind the camera. In every picture she takes, these hearty women have their eyes wide open.
They even smile when they volunteer to be on a crew.
Sounds crazy, but it’s true.
And when they’re not at Shadow Valley? These women also volunteer to live in places like Korea. And Siberia. And Alaska. And Canada. And the ones who live in cushier climes? They go on mission trips to Siberia. Or they teach elementary school, which is pretty much the same thing as visiting Siberia.
These women even smile when they return from mission trips.
Or at the end of a school year.
Or when they come to Shadow Valley. Because living here is way easier than life for the rest of the year. Their presence is one reason for coming to Shadow Valley. Being around them is part inspiration, part example, and part encouragement. It’s a healthy dose of vicarious living. The wimpy women get to imagine what it’s like to pound nails or endure through a Siberian winter or a Korean school year, minus the sweat and the shivers.
Plus, being with these strong women makes me smile.
From behind the camera, of course.
