just here to say:

- We went camping this past weekend. I am still uploading pictures on the dinosaur slow program, but you'll get a glimpse of it all maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, depending. Mostly depending on if I can go up and down those stairs; I am s-o-r-e. We went to Afton, which is a hike in site (no flushing toilets, no showers, that sort of thing) and beautiful. We also walked the entire time we were there (even when I was sleeping, it's true--OK, just kidding), and we were walking up most of the time; or rather, I was being pulled up by the dogs. They are tired too, though I am certainly the least spry of the four of us today. I had to unfold myself like a stowable table this morning.

- I only had one tick. Found it in my hair; it felt like a dried leaf bit. Found it while at Lane and Angie's housewarming party, no less. I bring guests, unwelcome, to parties. I think Penelope had one too. I am not certain why I have such a deep rooted fear of ticks, except maybe what my mother instilled in me on Girl Scouts camping trips, but I kept jerking around as I fell asleep on Saturday night at any sign of motion. Oh, and it was cold. So I forgave my dogs their ticky selves and begged them to snuggle with me. Didn't work--they preferred Ryan. Maybe because I stank so much from the hoofing camping gear up a bluff. That felt like Mount Everest after the nineteenth time going up it.

- After this day is over, I have twelve student contact days left. And a half day of teacher work time. I cannot believe it; I can almost count those days on my hands. Which is good, because I think my feet still might smell from the weekend, so we'll stick to the digits in the northern half, thankyouverymuch.

- I learned how to start a fire and keep it going. Putting it out, however...

- This weekend is the Thoreau educational hike up Barn Bluff. Ryan can't come, so I'm bringing a student of mine. I hope I am not still so pained, so out of shape. I don't need to shame myself in front of a student. Well, not any more than is ordinary anyway. I tend to trip over overhead cords (even though I don't have an overhead this year).

- Tonight is the first RW Photography Club meeting I might be able to attend, if I can manage to finish grading those pesky Humanities tests. Which is what I really ought to be doing right now. It's just... oh, it's just... I've procrastinated for weeks now, and I can't come up with another excuse. Um, I graded five sets of quizzes already? No, twelve days left. Go, go, go.