The Myth & The Majesty

I knew going into my Harney challenge that June and July would be the toughest months to get.  A good chunk of that is scheduling -- I just don't have the free time most of the summer. And some of it is admittedly weather because I like to enjoy my hikes. I do not enjoy 90-plus-degree hikes. Ew.  This morning, though, I found both the time and the right weather window. And as luck would have it ... it's June 30th. Just in time. Click for the full-sized version. I'm also happy to say I made it in 71 minutes -- one of my fastest so far. My hiking uniform: grey shirt, black skirt, shoes that are occasionally questionable. The trail was moderately crowded, but it turns out that if you hike in a tank top and look determined, most folks move off the trail to let you by. (The crowd was pretty friendly overall. I high-fived at least three Packers fans.) Good day.

The sun is out. The grass is freshly cut. My windows are wiiiiide open because some days you just need fresh air. And when other places are on fire, I'm reminded that I'm pretty lucky to live right here, right now. Crow Peak Fire. Yikes.

I've been thinking a lot lately about goodbyes. Doesn't that sound ominous? I suppose it's partially a product of the job -- there are almost always two rounds of goodbyes each week. There are two rounds of hellos as well ... but the nature of goodbyes makes them stick just a bit differently. It first became apparent to me on Friday as the stacks of kids were leaving and I started getting spontaneous hugs. Now, I know we've established that I'm not much of a hugger , but when a kid runs up to you and throws her arms around your waist, you smile and accept it. And then you get a little sad because said kid is adorable and she was fun to have around for the week. This is a relatively new experience this summer, as I've now been here long enough that kids are starting to recognize me when they turn up year after year. The poignancy of it, though, didn't really hit me until I had the chance to think about other things. First, I read this Wait But Why po

Today, I give you one of my posts from yesteryear (well, 2013) because it's still a pretty good summary of the last week of my life... *** 10,000 Steps By Noon 5:15.  My alarm clock goes off in a few minutes, but my body seems to be used to this now. No matter that I didn't get to bed till midnight or that it's been several days since I slept more than five hours -- I'm awake and apparently I should get up. It's mid-week, meaning a camp is in session and I don't have to worry about arrivals and departures. It's a comparatively straightforward day, and barring disaster it shouldn't be too stressful. Of course, last time I thought that I ended up sitting in the emergency room with a camper. So maybe I should be more careful about those kinds of conclusions. 6:45.  I've done some yoga, checked my email, showered, and eaten my first breakfast of the day. Yesterday I went for a quick hike by this point, but today it's muddy from an ove

Dear Mother Nature: I know it's a touchy subject, but can we talk about hormone therapy? Your hot flashes are getting out of hand. Love, Ashley

This is it. This is when things get totally nuts. When it takes a solid hour just to get the schedule to balance. When I hit the 8PM and realize I've eaten exactly three-quarters of one actual meal. When my feet start whining at me to sit still for just five minutes. At the end of the day, it's a good hurt. Of course, to get to that point I have to get through the middle stuff -- the afternoon heat when someone is hanging on my last nerve (and bouncing), the stage where I'm getting pulled in three different directions. Sometimes literally. This is the stage of the year when I realize I should take up yoga. When I realize that each actual day off is indeed precious. And when I re-learn how to survive on minimal sleep. ... Egads.

I gotta say it -- kudos to the summer crew for their awesomeness yesterday. After I posted that alarming radar shot, we lost power for a little over an hour ... right at supper time. (Naturally.) Not knowing exactly how long that would last, the crew was on it -- collecting water to flush toilets, lighting candles, digging up lights, and getting supper ready to go despite it all. We have a pretty darn good group of kids this year.

I feel like radar like this should come with the "Jaws" theme. Stay safe out there, folks.

A couple months back, I was introduced to the bullet journal world . Given my proclivity for journaling -- and list-making, scheduling, planning, and all that -- I realized this was something I should try. I'm a few weeks in with this particular journal. Isn't it pretty? Okay, okay, maybe I've had some fun with things. Like washi tape, a substance I always considered ridiculous. Turns out you can dress up plain grey notebooks with it. The pen holder was a Pinterest find from Mia Sorella and it's been awesome. (Note: That's a couple chunks of fabric and two pieces of elastic to wrap it on. I'd send you to the site but the tutorial is awkwardly hard to follow. So I suppose ... Ask if you'd like details?) I don't make a lot of use of the colored pens but it's handy to have them on hand for calendars. The things I've noticed: - I make a lot of use of my monthly calendars, which I draw out as a two-page spread like a normal wall calen

The summer staff is in. Our first camp of the season has started. Things are going ... relatively smoothly. And just for fun, the high for today is over 100. I hope this isn't an indicator for the rest of the summer. This means certain mantras kick in. "Take a lot of breaks. We don't need to rush everything. Drink enough water. Are you drinking enough water? ARE YOU?" [Note: I'm bad at drinking enough water.] It's a day for strategically placed water coolers and a certain thankfulness for office work. And okay, maybe I'm a little relieved that I can slip home for a bit and chill out. Yesterday I overheated early on and it made the rest of the day pretty miserable. Today it'd be wonderful if I could avoid that. And so I ask ... How's your pace today? Are you drinking enough water? ARE YOU?

I feel like I need to apologize in advance for how rotten my mood might be over the next few days. Ew.

We've had a couple days of staff training here at the camp, which means (a) I'm ready to hole up in my house for an evening, and (b) I have a lot of random facts in my head, both about the kids and the camp. And maybe I'm a little hoarse from all of the talking. As a part of training, we do a fair number of getting-to-know-you activities. After all, most of the summer staff lives on site and a good chunk of them don't really know each other before the summer starts. The first days are a crash course in new job responsibilities and the quirks of the neighbors --  it doesn't hurt to get a head start on that last part. And every year, I find myself sharing the same handful of facts: family, places I've been, what I've studied. Essentials, yes, but not necessarily exciting. This year, I finally had a new one. Everything I own is coffee stained. It says a bit more about me than I really thought, namely about both my caffeine habits and the frequency

So ... I have a shoe thing. It's genetic, I swear. My mother has always been a shoe person and apparently I picked that up, too. Which is partially why I was so darn excited when my new Chacos arrived today. Only partially, though, since I've been wanting a new pair since I destroyed my original ones five years ago.  They haven't been a ... practical choice since then. While Chacos are fantastic for a lot of things (they're surprisingly tough and I find them incredibly comfortable for summer hikes) they're not approved for things like commercial kitchens. And if I can't regularly wear them at work, I have a hard time justifying their presence in my life. This year, though, while looking for my birthday shoe splurge, I realized there was nothing I wanted more. And then with a little creativity, I didn't actually have to shell out any money of my own for them. I feel like a proper camp bum now. My feet already love them. It is amazing.

It's an adventure in balance this weekend, starting with some serious family time yesterday -- wherein 71% of the clan did the Crazy Horse Volksmarch... .... I managed to get a picture of them taking a selfie .... This was followed by the second annual Stockman's Days, a beer fest at Hay Camp Brewing Company  attended by breweries from both sides of the state (including WoodGrain from Sioux Falls, which happens to be partially owned by a family friend). Lots of fun and fascinating conversations -- not a lot of pictures. Today, there's brunch with the whole crowd (B&E are in town now, too!) and then we kick off summer staff training. Plus, you know, there's work to be done in the meantime. Never a dull moment!

... In Housekeeping with Ashley I believe I've noted here before that, despite my current occupation, I am not a super housekeeper. I'll point out that I'm pretty darn good at taking care of the camp -- but when it comes to my own house, it's ... problematic. That being said, the beginning of summer usually inspires me to get things under control so that I don't lose my mind later on. This is how this tends to go. 1. Turn on television to something that doesn't require attention or turn on an audiobook. 2. Cue up the UfYH app (um, language warning) to use the 20/10 timer because marathon cleaning is a bad idea. And also so I can check a few things off my "to clean" list. It's a useful app for messy folks like me. 3. Have a hard time generating the energy to get started. 4. Hit a stride. 5. Ignore first 10-minute break to continue laundry. 6. Make serious progress. 7. Get distracted by Facebook while taking the next break and

If there's one catch to the beginning of the summer, it is the fact that for the next three weeks I'll barely feel like I can keep my head above water. It's funny. Four years in and things have definitely gotten easier, but then new things get tossed on top. Complications. Rules. Paperwork. Random schedule shifts. Of course, there are the expected things -- a completely different group of summer staffers makes for a completely different summer -- but then things like the Chef Lady and M-Man's imminent departure change the dynamics, too. So of course this is the year I decided to cut back on the Pepsi. [Editor's note: It's not working.] There is one thing I've learned over the years: if I don't have an escape route of some kind, even just a five-minute one, I'll lose my mind. Hence posts about reading lists and such this year (and all the random meal prep I've done in the last week involving chicken, onions, and Brussels sprouts). And that

... I had a thing. It was even going to be an interesting thing. Until the second I started writing about it and it turned out to be a boring, poorly written thing. Sad. Which is why I'm excited that Mr. Munroe rescued me for the second time in a week. This is fascinating and hilarious and everyone should go read the ENTIRE THING. It makes me want to dig up some old world maps and see if his chart works...