Back from Camping

^ Yurt for two families. $30 a night.

My friend Laura set up a weekend of yurt camping in Steamboat Springs. Perfect weather, easy-peasy “camping” (real beds! electricity!), and an adorable three-year-old on her first camping trip. What could be better? We rode up the funicular and rolled down the Alpine slide. We went canoing. I even bought a matchy-matchy tourist ballcap and T-shirt (in brown and turquoise — what could I do?).

Saw a bald eagle and a couple of great blue herons, among much other wildlife. Steamboat had 500 inches of snow last winter, which meant the place looked as green as Ireland. I had finished my first draft of Book 2 in my contract and sent it out before leaving, so I was footloose and computer free. It was one of those perfect trips.

^ Joe has just taken my picture, and now I’m “asking” for the camera so I can take his. Look at my body language, would ya? So wussy and diffident. Laura took all these pictures. She labeled this one, “Gimme that camera.”

^ Joe has just caught a crawdad, and is holding it in the preferred, “index-finger-up” posture. If you don’t do that, people think you got no class. The crawdad had a clutch of eggs under her tail. I’m trying to get the camera out of Joe’s jean’s pocket. Perhaps that’s why his finger is all perky.

We could see Pearl Lake from the yurt’s deck, but ten minutes walk took us along the shore and to this view.

This morning, my laptop loomed as large as Stonehenge, full of unanswered email and tasks I’ve put off in order to finish the book. Yurgh. I have to take Musette to the vet this afternoon, and tonight is the Chorale’s presentation on the upcoming Africa trip. We have to show up early, because Angel Joe is providing the presentation projector. And it’s a potluck, of course. What is it with Chorale people and food? I’m buying a wheat-free chocolate cake to bring and they can deal.

I can feel the slightly crabby mantle of day-to-day life settling on my shoulders. That’s okay. Thank you, Laura, for a wonderful trip!