Family Mellmann

The first week of school is in the books…see what I did there?  Just a little back-to-school humor. Katherine is adjusting to  three new teachers and the new teaching styles that come with those new teachers.   It is definitely a mix of like and don't like.   Fortunately, her math (Algebra 2) and science (Biology) teacher remains the same, and she has her favorite choir director (that's me!).  Patrick is adjusting to life in college with a complete shift in how the schedule runs. Several of his classes work on a block structure where they meet once a week for three hours. Sometimes the breaks between classes are 45 minutes and sometimes they are 90 minutes so he is also having to learn new strategies for time management.   Unlike high school, junior high, and elementary school, managing your time is no longer the school's responsibility. Now that he has had each of his classes once he has started purchasing textbooks. One of the more experienced students in his class advise...

 It is that time of year. We look back on our summer of adventure and stories and experiences, and we look forward to a new school year  with new classes, perhaps some new friends, and new experiences.  Katherine marches off to her sophomore year of high school. And Patrick flies off to his first year of college as a commercial pilot-to-be. This back to school picture doesn't look much different than all the pictures previously,  except that they look so much older now, but as they return to the routines of school they do so with  new memories and adventures, new stories to tell, and perhaps slightly changed by their experiences.

The down-side to going on an epic month-long road trip is that life doesn't stop simply because you're logging miles, making memories, and having a great time.  Back home the garden continues to grow and so do those little pests we in the gardening business call...WEEEDS.  Many of my bloomers are already done blooming so it's hard to tell where the perennials end and the weeds begin, but I still have a LOT of work to do. After an hour, I could barely see any progress although my trailer was getting full and my hands were starting to complain. Three hours, half a gallon of water, and a few rose thorn stabbings later and...you can still barely tell that I have done any work. *sigh    Let's call this my first run; a second run to come in a week or so. By that time I should have made it all the way around the gardens the FIRST time.  And from this angle it looks more accomplished. Unfortunately, the weeds have grown up so badly around my compost b...

After a day of sun and wind, water and waves, and lots of chatting, we end the day with a colorful fire and the quiet calm of an evening at camp.

One of the benefits of camping is that you can offset the inconveniences with perks. Inconvenience; build your accommodation before you sleep.  Perk; now you can listen to a symphony of snoring, not just the sounds of your own spouse. Inconvenience; hike to the toilet during the night...three times.  Perk; enjoy the serenade of over-tired crying children. Inconvenience; sleep on the hard ground with rocks for a pillow (unless you've given up the pretense and bought yourself a cot and air mattress).  Perk; you wake early (to hike to the bathroom again) and get to hear the peaceful sounds of nature waking (birds singing, crickets chirping, and nocturnal creatures heading off to bed) and see the sun rising over a mist-covered lake.

Once my tent was up and camp ready, I could chill on the beach until the others arrive.

My new tent (you might remember that my former tent went down in a windstorm on the shore of Lake Michigan) went up very easily...not bad as a solo job.  The old tent *required* two people but was more manageable with three; this almost put itself up.  Okay, not really, but it was no problem doing it by myself.  And now I get the whole thing to myself!