some of my favorite things

My favorite thing about today was doing my work in Corinna's office with her. My office area and the kitchen are currently occupied by the college group that is here and although the space in her office is usually occupied by Dustin, he is on vacation for a couple of days. So, I joined her in her cozy little office with lamps and a couch and a fan to do some planning. I spent most of the afternoon staring at our busy schedule for the next 3 weeks and thinking through all the logistics of feeding people and preparing for the Whitney Classic and the upcoming course that I'm instructing (with Corinna!). I realized today that the activities coming up will be almost non-stop through the end of the month at which time I will be heading back to San Diego to begin making my way east to Kansas City...putting a close to this summer. It seems like that time is coming very fast now all of a sudden.
I liked spending the day with Corinna in her office in part because she finally showed signs of improving health today. She's been a bit under the weather the last few days and I know it's been hard for her to feel so unwell and lethargic. And I know how bothersome and frustrating it can be to feel sick! More than that though I am just thankful for her friendship that has come about this summer and simply enjoy her presence. She is a delightful person to be around. She has a very kind and unassuming spirit and is gentle and wise in her ways. I appreciate her laughter and her openness. And look forward to working with her as an instructor soon!

The other most favorite part of my day was taking a stroll around the burn area behind the office this evening. Earlier today we noticed there were still a couple places that were smoking. So I wanted to double check and make sure all was well. It was nice to visit the quiet solitude of the woods back there despite it's charred appearance. And in fact I did find some smoldering ashes with wood that still glowed orange. I had my watering can from the garden and doused it and then shoveled dirt over top. Certainly the fire break that the crews cut would have prevented the hot little coals from spreading any flames, but it put my mind at ease to cool them down anyway. There's a lot of work that needs to be done to protect the rest of our property from a more devastating wildfire should it happen. Clearing the underbrush and pine needles is a major undertaking though! I imagine the blackened trees and gray sooty earth will be a pretty insistent reminder that although we've definitely tried to make a dent in the project this summer, we need to not put off finishing the rest!! It's too bad we can't do a controlled burn and clear it all out more easily...and 'naturally'. I should probably be careful what I wish for actually...