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unintelligible.
    He
blushed. “I didn’t name her, but it fits. I’m sure you know the etymology
behind your own name.” As I nodded, he turned and motioned for me to follow him
down the dock.
    Weird!
Coincidence or fate?
    From
the dock we followed a winding, gravel path that twisted through a forest of
Douglas Firs, red cedars, and a few big leaf maples. The trail hadn’t been
visible from down below, and as we walked it offered occasional peek-a-boo
views of the ocean and distant islands. Streams of sunlight flashed across our
path, and a chipmunk chirped endlessly inside the brush.
    Amazed,
I listened as Jason described all the modern, outdoor conveniences that had
been added to the island: a half mile gravel loop for jogs or walks, an
open-air matted area for practicing martial arts, a couple of huge, ten person
hot tubs, and a great outdoor living space with BBQ’s and fire pits. Sounded
like the only thing missing was a swimming pool. I decided the surrounding
ocean would have to suffice.
    Keeping
a brisk pace along the trail, Jason prepared me for what to expect on the
inside of the Retreat. With every word of his description my jaw dropped a
little further to the ground. With its fifteen bedrooms and nine bathrooms, it
was completely decked out for lodging and entertainment. A list of amenities
included a game room, home theatre room, fitness area, small library, and a
meeting room.
    After
a short elevation climb we stepped out of the forest and into a flat clearing.
Directly in front of us loomed an enormous rustic lodge. Sitting semi-circle
and wrapping backwards in an arc, the three-story home was straight out of an
architectural design magazine. The rough cut timbers and stone columns brought
out the home’s natural elegance while the huge windows, expansive cedar decks,
and dramatic roofline contributed to its undeniable grandeur. The landscaping
consisted mostly of dry rock creeks and flower beds. Low native shrubs, ferns,
and small hemlock trees were interspersed with large boulders that rose tall
among the plants. Easily maintained and simple but stately.
    “Wow!”
was all I managed to choke out as we walked through the ten foot front doors
and stepped into an absolutely colossal room. The open space was a few stories
high, and the domed ceiling was architecturally fascinating with large wooden
beams coming together and meeting in the center. Even more amazing, were the
two upper balconies which wrapped a full 360 degrees around the perimeter.
Looking up, I felt like I was in the lobby of a grand hotel. I almost expected
to see people appear at the railings and wave.
    “Pretty
awesome, huh?” Jason said craning his neck upwards. “There’s five bedrooms and
two bathrooms on each of the upper floors. Those large wrap around areas offer
a full view of the main floor and gives us lots of space for Guardians to
gather around and listen when we have a whole group meeting. Other times
they’re used as dance floors. Each level also opens up to expansive decks on
the front and back sides of the house. The two hot tubs are located out on the
back deck of the third floor, and the sunsets from there are incredible.”
    “Insanely
awesome,” I said, still gawking.
    “Yeah,
you’ll have to explore all the bedrooms, because my mom and Mrs. Nelson
decorated each one with a different theme.”
    “I’ll
do that.” Lowering my head, I scanned the room before me. Deep red, Brazilian
Walnut floors led my eyes to a huge gathering place directly in the center of
the room. Large, dark green sofas, the kind you can sink into with a good book
for hours on end, were intermixed with roomy, burgundy chairs. Patterned
Persian rugs under the glass coffee tables softened the space.
    Drawing
my eye even further into the room and pulling the whole area together was a
massive river rock fireplace. Sitting against the back wall, the stones
stretched upwards about fifteen feet and then disappeared under the second
floor