Thanks all! It's beautiful out here. I've put some photos into the gallery...more coming. Let me know if there's a special request to see something.

Being Wednesday, it's a day off from courses. I'm stuck here lol if being in such a beautiful place could be consider a "stuck" as there is no accessible vehicle. I had many offers to take me into town, but I can't walk around and wait and such like them, so I didn't go. I have had many offers to take me to the trading post, but no one found me yet to take me. I need to get there today because they do branding of your leather goods tomorrow night... and I want a new leather belt for the uniform anyway. I wanted a journal (book) to keep special record... getting late in the week for that.

It's coolllllll at night! In the 50s at night, and hot today but with a cool breeze in the shade... but probably not more than 80. (I'll have to check )

The food is great! Always hot entrees to choose from, but a continual fresh salad bar, bread/toast area and plenty to drink. They say drink 8 glasses a day due to the low humidity, altitude. That means for me a bottle of water each hour. Restroom breaks are not very frequent even at that, though, obviously the body needs it.

The middle of the night nature calls are interesting. Never quite sure what I will find outside my tent on the way to the restroom/shower house. There is an apple tree on the path, and the deer and rabbits and maybe mini-bears? eat them at night. I always have to wait a second upon exiting the tent, to adjust to the moonlight (it's a full moon!) and decide on the size of the animal... because there are Elk here too. The deer mosey through camp in morning and evening. They know they are safe here on the over 100k acres of the Philmont Scout Ranch.

I have truly taken a vacation away from the problems at home. Of course I still deal with my chronic pain. Everyone here is most helpful and friendly (parts of the Scout law ) and most every area right here at the training center is accessible by my chair...though not all have concrete sidewalking.

Today I begin to manage for return trip home. If I have to decide about a task or trip now, it's not whether it will affect the conference week, but how will it affect my travel home. If negatively, I can't do it. I'm cutting it close when it comes to pain and fatigue and down right being able or not to doing something.

ttyl