The Myth & The Majesty

... It's quiet. This is it. This is the first real post-summer break. It feels abrupt -- all of the sudden, I was able to sit on my deck at 2PM and not worry. Not wonder if things were getting clean. Not wonder when a group was going to appear. (Or IF they would appear.) Not make an enormous list for the next day. No, my plans got much simpler rather suddenly. I have hikes to tackle. A kayaking outing planned. Books to read. Letters to write. Nothing too pressing, nothing absurdly urgent -- things I want to accomplish but that I can do at a pace that fits the task instead of the time. Oh, and sleep. As it turns out, my body doesn't accept summer as well as it used to. Rest is required. This time of year is extra amusing as I surf Facebook and see all the back-to-school posts. While everyone else is gearing up for homework and early morning band and soccer/football/cross country practice, I'm making a leisurely pot of coffee and relaxing on my deck with a book and a

Things I've Been Reminded Of This Week 1. There are certain tasks I really don't mind doing alone, as long as I have enough time. Cleaning our lodges happens to be one of those, although it's a little embarrassing if people walk in at the wrong time while I'm blasting OK Go through a building. 2. Summer recovery always takes longer than I remember. 3. The Harry Potter series is fantastic. I'm up to the sixth book now -- it's been so long since I read them last. (It's also far more emotionally brutal than I remember. Umbridge ... *Shudder.*) 4. I enjoy shoe shopping a bit too much. 5. I love brown rice crackers. However, if you leave a box open on a humid night, they get particularly weird. 6. My eating habits get completely destroyed over the summer and are really hard to rediscover in the fall. Thankfully, this doesn't mean I'm only eating junk food ... Unfortunately, it does mean I forget to eat at all sometimes. 7. I am not very pa

It has been an up-and-down kind of week. Our new folks have arrived and it's all looking good. Their enthusiasm for the camp is awesome (it's hard not to be enthusiastic when you first pull into the parking lot, isn't it?) and the team as a whole is working well. I may have stories to tell at some point ... and I think my new neighbors need blog names. Not sure what those will be just yet. The bigger story this week, though, is also the sadder story. Larry Burkhead , a fantastic gentleman and a friend of the camp, died early Tuesday morning after a multi-year battle with mesothelioma. If you read the linked obituary you can get a good feel for what the world is now missing -- a kind, giving human who was active right up till the very end. He started a volunteer group that came out here on a regular basis (the aptly named Mountain Men) and were largely responsible for two renovated bathrooms, a stack of new bunk beds, and the dining room floor, among other things. My

You ever have one of those days where you realize that perhaps you are voluntarily stretching yourself too thin? I don't mean one where your job is taking too much out of you, or where there are any external forces making you do more than you can actually handle comfortably. I mean perhaps you look at what you're working on and wonder why exactly you're attempting to do all of this simultaneously. On the other hand ... enchiladas on the deck. Right now, I'm working on a post about my most recent hike up Harney (yesterday was the 8th for the year) that took a turn because the peak is in the midst of a naming battle that is not as settled as it first seems. I also have two videos open -- the first is part of a  Coursera  class on the biology of cancer and it's titled "Genetic Variation and Mutation" because my downtime is questionable, and the second is a Crash Course Literature video on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because sometimes my downt

Tee hee .

It's an odd day in August. Actually, it was downright chilly. Sweatshirts all around this morning because none of us were ready for it. But more to the point, as of 2:00 this afternoon, the summer staff was entirely gone. Tomorrow, we're -- shockingly -- empty. It's a deceptive quiet, a few days without guests to be followed by thirteen solid days with people, but for now the silence is astonishing. This is why I found myself spending my morning working out a schedule (normal) and menu planning (not normal) while the radio blasted '90s classics (unexpected, but I got to enjoy The Wallflowers, so no complaints). I want to take advantage of that quiet as well as possible ... but that requires some serious planning ahead. And some adjusting to temporary duties. The M-Man and Chef Lady are done and entirely moved. It's ... perplexing. Not so deep down, I know that it's only a matter of time before that feels normal, that the new folks will arrive and we&#

Yes. I am aware that it's only August. As I launch into not-summer, though, it's time for me to get started on normal life again. Lucky for me, I've got the perfect day available -- it's just the right temperature to open all the windows and get some cleaning done. Do my laundry. Reorganize my kitchen cabinets. Try to make sense of my health insurance. Transfer seven years' worth of files from my old laptop to the one I bought in May. Write a few letters. ... It's possible I had enough espresso this morning to think this can all get done today. 2:00 this afternoon might get rough, though.

This has vastly improved my day.

Nothing of substance to say today, but luckily xkcd to the rescue ...

Stationery is depressingly hard to find. Yes. That is a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robot. He is lurking. I love writing letters. There's something indescribably fun about getting "real mail" -- and it's almost more enjoyable to be the one responsible for that fun. I even have a designated spot in the house where my cards and other implements are kept and where a space is almost always clear for me to settle in and write. And oh my goodness, do I get a kick out of sending postcards when I'm on the road. ( Postagram , people.) It's one of my best stress relievers. In fact, for a solid chunk of college Mia Sorella and I sent each other letters written on whatever we could grab at the time -- notebook paper, old worksheets, newspaper margins. An envelope from her was a miniature adventure into her week and I loved every one of them. Actually, that basket is largely filled with her old letters.  Over time, it got harder to send her things (tha

Quick story: I got a curious phone call today. It was from a gentleman from our local travel/outdoor store, Roam'n Around , and he was actually looking for my mother. "Do you know her? She bought some socks from us and didn't get the discount she should have. I'd like to fix that." Well, yes, I know her. He read off her number and I assured him that would work -- in half an hour, when she was home. And of course, then I called her to let her know what was going on. To recap: In a bout of awesome customer service, the error was realized, research was done (in this case, use of a phone book), and the problem was rectified -- even though it took a couple of tries to make sure they had the right person. A couple days after the fact, even (she bought her socks on Saturday), but somehow that makes it even more impressive. We're a small town, but we're not so small that there was any guarantee this would work. Well done, Roam'n Around. You definite

Full disclosure: I miss winter.  I know. I know I'm not supposed to say that. Such an inflammatory statement requires a little explanation, however.  "Winter" around here basically means "not summer."  And for me, not-summer means catch-up time during work hours, guests on weekends only, unforced free time, and much more comfortable hiking weather.  I get tired of winter much more slowly than I do of summer. Summer's pace is exhausting, and while I enjoy thunderstorms at some point I get tired of wondering if my car is going to get hail damage this time. Also, 90 degrees is not my number. Every year, I look forward to the first time it drops below 40 degrees. To sweater dresses and boots. To the rush of holidays. To hot coffee not being quite so weird at 2:00 in the afternoon. To curling up with a quilt and a book for an evening. And yes -- to football games and hot wings. Not-summer is awesome. Most of all, though, I look a

All right. Maybe someone can help me out here. Would someone please explain Pokemon Go to me?