It may take days before I can adequately describe the hike I went on today. On days I don't have clients, I seek out new trails in the hopes of finding ones that will excite my customers. Today I hiked from Garnet Lake to Round Pond and was dismally disappointed in the trail. It's a shame--it must have been beautiful at one time, but, oh, it was a horror! I have never seen so many down trees blocking a trail in my life. A mile in took me so long, I nearly turned around and went home. But I wanted to see what would happen if I made it to Round Pond. And what happened was more of the same. There was no let up in the level of difficulty. It was worse than bushwhacking! The trail was marked only about once every half mile, which was terribly difficult because everything was so overgrown.

When I arrived at Round Pond, I should have been pleased, but I wasn't. I realized I'd rather walk five miles than to go back the way I came. So I bushwhacked from the south end of Round Pond to the north end and picked up another trail there that led me out eventually to Garnet Lake Road South in Thurman. Fortunately this worked out, but I had to walk miles and miles farther than I intended to.

This hike will not be appearing as a safari. End of story.

Yesterday I dropped my brochures off at the LaBars in Minerva at Morningside Camps and Cottages. Dave told me that Gracie, their black lab, had her puppies on Sunday. I felt like racing the car down to their house to see. And here they are!!

I sat mesmerized for more than an hour, watching them, just two days old shove and push and move their bodies to reach a nipple. Amazing. Two days old.