The kids and I are leaving for Seattle tomorrow! Jeff left this
afternoon. I am turning laundry and will be packing tonight! Can't
wait to see everybody!!

Sent from my iPhone

Sunday evening

After all that rain, we have had a beautiful holiday weekend here in southern New Hampshire. I heard somewhere about how the mosquitoes for next week are going to be, like, four years worth of mosquitoes. (here's something on it.) And Henry has a wilderness workshop week of camp starting tomorrow! Gak. Luckily his cast comes off this Wednesday afternoon. I will have to set out some industrial strength bug sauce for the morning.

This camp sounds pretty awesome. It's called Wild Ways, I just discovered the guy's website. Check this out, it sounds fun:

Dan Mac heads various Primitive Skills and Wilderness Workshops for different age groups throughout the year. Specific Schedules and Descriptions of events will be posted soon. In general our ongoing areas of exploration include:

• Primitive and Advanced Shelter Construction
• Fire Starting and Fire Keeping techniques
• Wilderness Water Acquisition and Purification
• Primitive Navigation and Lost Proofing
• Animal Tracks and Sign
• Story Telling
• Trekking, Hiking, Sauntering
• Plant and Tree Identification (including techniques for procuring useful materials and avoiding dangerous ones)
• Wood Craft
• Self Defense
• Camouflage
• Stalking Games
• Buck Skinning
• Leather Craft
• Making Cordage
• Observation Techniques
• Primal Community Cooperation (Positive Pack Mentality)
• Individual Rites of Passage
• Group Spirit Quests (Mythic Adventures)

Cool, right? I bet he will love it. Stinks that he has to ditch the last half of the day on Wednesday to get the cast off, but at least the cast is coming off!

In other news, we have our rats! Thomas Jefferson (Jeff), John Adams (Adam), and George Washington (Washington). They are pretty cute and certainly curious. I think I may take one out and hang out with him free from distraction tonight.

What I've observed about rats so far, particularly these rats: Curious. Working full time with their whiskers to check things out. Jim is curious and friendly in a very socially appropriate way, I think. Charlie could care less. Rats poop. I would like to see them learn to poop in the litter tray of rabbit food I've got for them, we'll hopefully get there one day.

Rats are fun to shop for. They love to eat and store away and sort through their treasures. I like the idea that whatever is good for humans is generally good for rats. (Except.) There is a large fan base for the pet rat, and their heart is good and true. People like to sew for their rats. Here is just one example:


here's a closeup of the bottom level:


Right? That's a fan of rats. Very interesting. I am anxious for my sister Marcia to come visit. Marcia has been known to sew up costumes for rubber chickens to wear on holidays, but is so repulsed by the idea of pet rats that I can hear her shudder and shiver when I tell her about them over the phone. I am curious to see if a) the rats melt her heart and b) if the idea of sewing for them is as inspiring to her as a rubber chicken hanging from a rope.

(the closest thing I could find to a rubber chicken wearing a costume. A 'rubber chicken costume', yes but no 'costume for rubber chicken')



Regardless, Marcia just celebrated a birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCIA! And, I also promised her that I will totally respect her feelings about getting to know the rats. I intend to honor this request and will not make her do anything she doesn't want to do .

'cause that's how I roll.

WOOO all of a sudden the birds in our woods began to sing and sing and sing!

I am happy and excited to be leaving on our vacation soon! We are going to Seattle and also down to Oregon for Serah's wedding!