When I bought the Stinkin’ Skunk Ape Fish Camp, it came with Arnie, the concrete camp mascot. He’s tacky as it gets and has nothing to do with meditation that I can think of, but he makes me laugh and Max, the previous owner, now in a retirement home was keen on him. It seemed disrespectful and sad to think of getting rid of him. So I got him cleaned up and replaced the sign for the office.
Some folks, when they come into money buy big-ticket items: a house, a boat, a Mazeratti. I bought a dilapidated fish camp.
Sexy, huh?
My dream was to convert it into a meditation retreat and host classes in yoga and mindfulness. It seemed like a good idea at the time. After fixing it up for over a year: dragging out the leaky bait freezer to find it had ruined the floor, repairing guest cabins, converting the boat house into a meditation hall, adding a full kitchen and dining hall, I was finally ready for my opening weekend. The theme was “Finding Inner Peace.”
My best friend, Lorraine Chapman, and my super brother, Iggy, signed on to help teach yoga and tai chi.
With only a few days to go, I suddenly realized I had focused on the food and the accommodations, and forgot to get the grounds mowed and the vines and poison ivy cleared. In desperation, I hired Bob.
Well, there’s always how you want it to work out, and what really happens. Between Bob, the guests, the wildlife and the weather, the weekend was anything but peaceful…
I hope you’ll read all about it in my first book, Monkey Mind.
Haint's Retreat 