Well, I'm Back

Hullo, all! I apologize for my sudden hiatus. I thought I'd scheduled a post announcing it, but apparently it didn't go up. Anyway, I'm back!

Part of the reason for my hiatus was that my family went on a trip up to the mountains for a week, and that meant no internet access. We did have a lot of fun, though, especially since we haven't been able to make it up there for a few years.

As usual, we went hiking every morning while we were there. When I was younger, I hated hiking. Now I actually enjoy it, mostly. Walking through forests, over dirt and leaves, rather than on concrete sidewalks and paths along streets or behind houses, makes me feel a bit like I'm off on an adventure, or like I've left behind normal life and found my way into another world. There are certain paths, however, that I don't like. Namely, the long ones that make you feel a bit like you've stumbled into Goldstone Wood without a Path, and every step- even in the direction you know should take you back to the end of the trail- seems to just take you further into the Wood.

Afternoon activities varied more, but half the days we were there, we went to the old gravel pit that serves as a shooting range. Everyone in my family shoots, and because there's nowhere to hang a traditional bull's-eye, we generally use more interesting targets. Ice bottles and cans are popular, but my favorites are balloons and golf balls hung on a string. The only problem with balloons is that they disappear very quickly, so if you want to be sure you'll get to shoot one, you have to claim it before people start shooting. One new kind of target that we tried this year was pressurized plastic bottles. Basically, Daddy pumped air into the bottles, like you would if you were filling up a bike tire, and then set them out to be shot at. He got the idea from an archery video, so he had me shoot a few of the bottles with my bow back at the cabin. It made a surprisingly loud noise, and very much shocked me the first time. (Things I shoot with my bow, after all, are generally not supposed to sound like an explosion.)

Mornings, however, were probably the best part of the day. Outside is one of my favorite places to write, and the cabin happened to have a very comfortable porch swing. So, every morning, I went out and wrote for a while. I'm pretty sure that I wrote more there per day than I usually do at home! After I'd written, I'd read, knit, or, if other people were awake, go back inside. All in all, it was very relaxing.

I did take some photos while I was on the trip, and I'll try to get them posted sometime soon. It may take a while, though.

Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)