**Alright, already**

There is no explanation for where I have been. It just seems that I don't have the time to catch up and post. Now so much time has past that it is pointless to sum up the last few months except to say.... F-U-N.

Much of the summer was spent kayaking, hiking, and playing with my new "friend." We even wandered back east to see my family. Yes, he agreed to this - a big step for someone who is normally shy and who has never been to the east coast. Add to that the challenge of meeting my extended family - notably full of energy that is often focused in several directions at once . My family can be formidible for anyone not willing to dive into the banter and chaos.

But a trooper he is. He has confessed that he is even "fond" of several of my siblings. Go figure. So am I.

But once returning to the west, school kicked in and it is a constant battle to keep my head above water. It doesn't help that I am trying had to keep weekends free - even expanded to include a Friday when possible.

Two weekends ago, I managed a 4 day kayak trip and last weekend included a three day horsecamping trip. this weekend is a wedding (not mine) and kayaking. October is full of work related travel, but this January we are off to spend three weeks in Death Valley. This will be a real test. Close living quarters, no bathroom, water rationing. All new for this suburban girl.

Here are a couple pix from the 4 day kayak. It was great. Remote as can be at a primitive camp area in a wildlife refuge. Saw a bald eagles and osprey and were awaken in the middle of the night by a chorus of coyotes surrounding us.









Rock climbing in the hills














Dog guarding kayaks. Don't want those osprey carrying off our boats. Good dog, Shiloh!



















Halfway through a 17 mile kayak - which by the way was a tad tiring. Everything Murphy's law said about headwinds... is true.












Sunrise over coyote hills.

**Blogger slacker, I am**

I don't really have excuses. I keep intending to update. I just don't seem to find the free time. I have been living almost half time along the coast.

I kayaked alot for a couple weeks, inbetween forays back into the valley to handle things at work. But then I realized my kayak had a crack in the gel coat. This prompted a call to the manufacturer who referred me to where I bought the kayak: REI. I could go on for some time, extolling the virtues of making purchases through REI - I would buy my house from them if I could - because they have the BEST return policy in the world. Returning the kayak for repair, in REI's eyes would keep me "out of the water" too long. So they took it back and ordered me a new one. Last I heard some of the employees were patching the kayak at the store and were wrangling over who was going to get it. So I am on kayak #2. I have not taken it out, however, because my kayak partner and increasingly, partner in all things, fell off a ladder at work and cracked some ribs. At least, that is what we suspect, While we await xrays verification, I hear a lot of.... "I am feeling much better..." Yeah, beer, ibuprophen and an intense desire to kayak again will keep one's mind off the reality that bones need time to fuse.

But added to the stress of a quickly diminishing summer is my increasing workload. Hey, doesn't anyone remember it is summer and the ONE benefit of this secular vow of poverty called teaching, is that I play for a couple months a year?!

I have been added to two committees involving summer work - all at the request of someone one does not turn down.

This weekend the PNW is due for a nasty heat wave, comparable to that experience around the rest of the country. I am headed for the coast (surprise, surprise) where the heat wave there means temperatures will hover in the 80's about 15 degrees above normal.

**Independence Day**

After all, it is for kids, isn't it? The west coast has a healthy disregard for rules, regs and the like and an enormous appetite for all things beach. This fireworks celebration bordered on mayhem with beach fires and significant explosives... everywhere....

**No description necessary**

**One of the better phone messages I could get**

Except for a message saying I won the lottery (which was not on my machine), the best message on my machine was that my kayak is ready for pick up. A week early! Tomorrow will be a hectic day of cleaning up the house, mowing the yard, watering the garden, vacuming out the car and then heading to Tillamook to gerry-rig a rack system to pick up the kayak on Saturday, but not before we go see the Tillamook rodeo parade and hike one of the heads.

I may be having too much fun.