Sunday August 17th: I begin my day by saying good morning to the river, taking photos, trying to keep my feet dry as I step from rock to rock to get the right vantage point, but after awhile I just slosh around in the shallows, enjoying the coolness of the water on my feet and admiring the colors of the pebbles that surround me.

Soon it is time to get ready to head to the Melaleuca class that I am going to attend in nearby Superior. I’ve been using the Melaleuca products, but want to learn more. The class proves to be interesting and informative. Anyone interested in learning more, let me know.

Back at camp, I’m missing having my cello here, but cellos are hard to take camping: too big, too delicate, too hard to hide when we are out and about. What to do? What about a smaller instrument? A violin or a viola? Perhaps I will look into a flute: they can be had quite reasonably at pawn shops. Many years ago I enjoyed playing the flute, so maybe it can come back into my life.

Monday August 18th: I get ready for the day while Clifford drives to Superior to use the internet. When he returns, I am ready to head to Missoula. We run a couple errands including a bookstore quick-fix for Clifford at Barnes and Nobles, then on to join the Wattersons for a baseball game. I am not a baseball fan particularly, but everyone else, even the grandsons, ages 2 and 4, are great fans of the game.

For me, it is fun to have time to hang out with Katie and her family. I ask Jeremy about flutes at the pawn shop where he works, and yes, indeed, there are several there. I do think I will look into this a bit more.

As we drive the 60 miles back to the campsite, Clifford and I talk about the ills of society. From a local tribal level, like women gathering to put a yurt for one of them,  (check this link for photos of women at work:  http://angelamacdonald.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/putting-up-the-yurt/ ), to affordable non-toxic infrastructure, there are so many good and constructive things that could be done in so many ways on so many levels. Why, with so many brilliant minds and a planet of resources, why is this not being done in ways that maximize opportunities and freedom for individuals without forcing conformity to political and corporate agendas? Although we can’t solve the problems, it is worth thinking about what this means for us and what part we can play in making the world a better place. We arrive at our campsite at midnight and go directly to bed.