October update

I arrived safely back home on the 1st. I decided to have my bike professionally packed and shipped, because I also had the bottom bracket replaced. Believe it or not, I missed my bike! There were several times that, had I had the opportunity, I might have ridden.

Not too much time for extended adventures - been working LOTS ever since I touched down - I put in 40 hours between Friday and Monday. Good thing it was the long weekend! However, since I returned, I've still managed to go kayaking once, helping John out with some beginners at Fife (a fairly local section of river that's good for teaching). And yesterday afternoon, when I finished up at Creedon, Madison and I went for a short backpacking trip, to a 3 sided shelter within 15 minutes of my house. Probably should have checked in with the police before I went - I missed their message at midnight, but caught the 6 AM wake-up call. They were ready to send out a search party for me, since my car had apparently been abandoned at the trail head, and they automatically assumed I was lost in the wilds of Rutland. Guess they don't get too many backpackers around here.

I started a new job last Monday, at Carter and Stevens Farm Store. Since then, I've learned how to run a cash register. I'm continuing to perfect the art of small talk ("Great weather today. Aren't the leaves pretty?") I've nearly mastered scooping ice cream into a sugar cone. Today, I had a refresher course in goat-wrangling, too. The plan was for me to run the store for an hour by myself. About a half-hour after Laura left, I finished up with a customer, looked outside, and saw the goat wandering around the parking lot. Just then, another customer pulled up. She was very understanding, and helped hold open the gate while I coaxed Aaron back into his pen - he wasn't thrilled about the idea, but in the end, he went in. Of all the things that COULD have gone wrong on my first time being left alone, I'm glad that it was something with which I've had LOTS of experience!