Mouse Count.

When the kids were little, we read a book entitled, "Mouse Count".  There a snake captured mice, "one . . . two . . . three . . ." and put them in a jar.  While the snake went off to look for more mice, the mice tipped over the jar and escaped "ten . . . nine . . . eight . . ."  You have the vision.

Yesterday, I grabbed a pair of gloves and said I was going to clean out the high ropes shed.  I had seen a bunch of mouse droppings in it the day before and was rather grossed out.  Anna, Tim and I went down and opened the shed.  I started to pull out the helmets.  "One . . . two . . . three . . ."  Four I tossed out the door because inside it was this:

   

If that wasn't bad enough, one more mouse ran through while I was sweeping!

To top it all off, when I opened the Welcome Center this morning, two traps had mice.   

I'm done with MOUSE COUNT.

Only at Sand Creek . . . on a Thursday!

It was a short day at Sand Creek with only two zip groups and some free time in between (more on that in a bit!).  Our first group was a father-daughter team who were enthralled with the beauty of Sand Creek.  Our second group had been rained out in July and gave it a second go yesterday.  There were fourteen co-workers who had a glorious time on every zip THIS time! 

Deck Manager or . . .

Sometimes at the Y, I wonder what my actual job is . . . My job title is "Deck Manager", meaning that my job is to ensure students are in the right level for lessons, staff are teaching what they are supposed to be teaching and lifeguards are scanning, among other things.

Wednesday night found me actively listening and providing counsel to the mother of a kindergardener with a receptive language disorder.  Both Micah and Matt have that, with Micah's being a bit more severe.  In me, this mother found someone who understood and had lived through it.  For an hour we shared struggles, ideas and possibilities.  It was good.  It was God.

Only at Sand Creek - on a Tuesday!

It was a great day at Sand Creek with eighteen managers from some local McDonald's!  They wanted to work on negative talk on the low ropes, so Tim and I called them on it every chance we had!  To the comment, "But we all know each other and we know we're just teasing", we replied, "But we don't know you . . ."  They got it.  They realized that others hearing what we heard would hear what we heard and it wasn't nice.  Like I said, another great day at Sand Creek!

The Gala.

. . . In the beginning, truly, I supported Curt Rhodes, founder of Questscope, before Questscope was even founded.  When Sam and I married, our support continued.  Last night, we celebrated thirty years of Questscope downtown.  It was a lovely evening, connecting with old friends and making new, delicious food and amazing desserts.  Questscope's motto is simple, "Putting the last, first".  They work in the Middle East in amazing, heartbreaking situations.   

We chuckled when Curt commented that some there had supported Curt longer than Questscope - looking directly at us!

We did not chuckle when we tried to find our way home.  The third time we detoured by the StarTribune offices, we asked an officer for help!  

Not at Sand Creek!

We're not at Sand Creek tomorrow with eighty Girl Scouts because there's a chance of rain.  They cancelled.  I honestly haven't watched the weather so I really don't know how big the chance is but I had to laugh when I googled "Girl Scouts" and found out . . .

From the backyard to the back country, Girl Scouts has a long and storied history of getting every girl outdoors. In fact, many Girl Scouts tell us “camping trips” are one of the best things about their Girl Scout experience. It’s true: connecting with the great outdoors in a girl-led setting is a big benefit of belonging to Girl Scouts.

Studies show that girls today are not spending nearly enough time outdoors. Technology and structured activities leave less time for girls to get outside and enjoy nature. But as a Girl Scout, she’ll have plenty of opportunities to create her own outdoor adventures and develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and the out-of-doors—whether with her troop, at camp, or with friends and family.

And that’s great news—because when Girl Scouts get outside, they:

• Discover that they can better solve problems and overcome challenges
• Develop leadership skills, build social bonds, and are happier overall
• Become team players and care more about protecting our environment

When girls spend quality time outdoors and increase their exposure to nature, they thrive physically, emotionally, and intellectually.

But not at Sand Creek and not tomorrow . . . 

You know it's a bad day . . .

When you arrive to work at a swimming pool and your swim suit is still at home!