LUCKY STAR ART CAMP: DAY 1

On Wednesday I left home around 10:00, and made it to Kerrville in time for lunch. Hunt, and Camp Waldemar, were just a short distance beyond that. Mapquest had given me three options, and I chose the one that claimed to be shortest -- the one that ended up being entirely on back country roads. When I reached the tiny town of Sisterdale, I began to feel a sense of deja vu. Sure enough, I was following the exact same route my sister Poodie and I followed on our little get-away years ago -- the one where we swore never to travel the back roads again. Though the route may be shorter in map miles, it seems much, much longer when you are looking for a pit stop, and there isn't a one to be found!

I puttered around in Kerrville for a bit, then arrived at Lucky Star just in time for the 2:00 check-in, where they gave me my cabin assignment, a map of the grounds, and my schedule for the next several days. I also, at long last, got to meet Lisa Hamlyn Field, the woman behind this wonderful art camp.

I had seen one or two photos of Camp Waldemar on the website when I registered, but nothing can prepare one for the reality of it. For one thing, the place is massive, with the Guadalupe River running right through the middle of it. For another, it being in the Texas Hill Country and all, it resembles one of those Tuscan hill towns, where you have to park at the base of the hill and hike up a thousand steps to get to your villa. Guess whose cabin was right at the top?

The first time I had to hike up that hill, I was none too happy. But, in the end, it turned out to be a blessing. They fed us really, really well at Lucky Star! Gourmet meals, three times a day, with house-made desserts and pastries at every meal. We were allowed to drive our cars up to unload, but then we had to go back down and park them in the pasture. I climbed that mountain at least three times per day, every day, sometimes lugging about 40 lbs. of art supplies. Of course, if you don't think you can handle that, you can always request a cabin down on the lower level.

Once I'd dropped off my stuff, I went exploring, and was snapping pictures right and left.

Five minutes before the end of the check-in period, I still had no roomies, so I went ahead and took the one double bed in the room, instead of one of the bunk beds.

Of course, they showed up as soon as I'd spread out all over the place and made myself at home, but I'm ever so glad they did. This introvert needs a kick in the butt sometimes, and having a room to myself would not have been good. I'll introduce you to them tomorrow, since I'm already late for a meeting with the Muses!

At 6:00 the bugle sounded, and we all headed down to the most gorgeous dining hall I have ever seen, to get our first hint of the culinary delights that were in store for us.

After dinner, we headed over to the lodge, to hear keynote speaker Bernadette Noll, author of Slow Family Living. She spoke to us about her "tribe" of creative friends who have been supporting and inspiring one another for almost ten years now, and without whom her books might never have been written or published. She also gave us tips on forming, and keeping, a tribe of one's own -- one that is much more than just a social group.

We wrapped up the evening sitting around the campfire, with Austin singer/songwriter Mandy Rowden there to encourage us to cut loose and get a little crazy.  Could the week possibly get any better than this? Why yes, it could!