It's kind of beautiful here in Maryland. For this trip, I find that I am the lucky guest at a homestead out in the hills. We're staying in a log cabin--it belongs to a friend of my colleague's, a very kind woman, a new friend to me. Last night, we all worked together to turn a huge brush pile into woodchips--there I was chippin' at the homestead. (Why are woodchippers forever linked in my mind with Fargo?) This morning a misty sun rose over quiet green hills.

School starts today for the kids back home, and for the first time, they leave without a kiss from their mom, and the usual first day words of encouragement. I'm sure Greg's words will suffice but this is new territory for the traveling mom. No more talk of it--I'm getting teary-eyed here. I'll work to make sure this doesn't happen next year.