In the Shire

Saturday, August 7 and Sunday August 8

We spent the weekend in Hobbiton an outdoor educational center on Hogsback Mountain.  Hobbiton was founded in 1944.  A couple of years after they started some counselor decided to read J.R.R. Tolkiens' book, The Hobbit, to the children at the camp.  From that reading came the name for the camp.

Hobbiton is a camp  We slept in dormitories in two rooms filled with double bunk beds.  (Actually, the older adults had their own bedrooms.)  The camp specializes in team building and personal development through rope courses, rappeling, hiking  to the Madonna and Child waterfall and other such activities.  Our group tried some of these both on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

We have been fortunate with the weather.  The sky has been almost a clear blue with temperatures in the 70's and 80's throughout.  One Saturday night the weather began to change.  The temperature began dropping as the winds picked up.  On Sunday morning we worshiped in the Newtown United Congregational Church.  I preached.  Walter Schneider, the chaperone from the EKHN celebrated communion, and members of the group sang a song, led prayers and read the scriptures.  Driving to and from Newtown and walking to and from the vans into the church was an exercise in fighting a very stiff breeze.  Still, this was nothing to the misty rain that began falling Sunday night and the very chilly temperatures that ensued thereafter.

On Sunday night our driver, Monte, arranged a nice gathering at the home of his sister in law, on the mountain near Hobbiton.  She had two roaring fires going and some nice refreshments.  Still we were very cold.  We had gotten spoiled by all of the nice weather to the point the we had forgotten that it is winter in South Africa!

Hobbiton was a perfect respite for us.  We were able to relax and have fun as a group.  It was wonderful!

Blessings,

Rick Cowles