As I prepare for my trip to the west coast this month, I was thinking back to the last camping trip that Karen and I went on in August of 2008. That was the summer we were doing repairs on the outside of our house. We were scheduled to replace the shingles on our house at the end of August so we thought we better get away one more time before winter set in. Our pastor and family were planning a camping trip to Grahams Island State Park at Devils Lake so we decided to arrive there early and wait for them.
Devils Lake has grown to be huge body of water over the last decade. There is no outlet for the lake and with all the snow, rain, and run-off for all these years, it has claimed hundreds, nay, thousands of acres of farmland, roads, and even towns. Minnewaukan has had to move many of its houses away and the water is right at the doorstep of the school and many businesses.
This photo is the far west end of the lake which, just a few years ago, was farmland. Now boats are harvesting an abundance of Walleye, Pike, Perch and White Bass among the drowned trees. It won't be long and this road will be under water too.
Arriving at the State Park is welcome sight of lush growth and many trees.
We had reserved our campsite and found it to be much more than we expected. As with so many campgrounds in North Dakota, there is ample room and much privacy. We parked and got the trailer set up, relaxed a little and went out to explore for a while. We always enjoyed seeing all these new sights and experiences. Just by looking around a little we knew we would be having a nice relaxing time here.
Whenever we would go camping, we always looked for a walking trail. Karen just loved to get off the beaten path and explore. She should have been a botanist as she had such a vast knowledge of herbs, wild flowers and flora in general. I think it was the solitude and quietness that she enjoyed. I'm sure she felt a closeness to God in places like this. Is she walking down quiet paths right now? 
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