Thursday morning. In the lilacs a robin chortles lustily as sunlight wrestles out of the fog. I think it will be another bright day outside, though clouds are moving in for conference week. Today will be packing day, and housecleaning day, and maybe weeding day, if I have time. No writing salon tonight: I don't have the wherewithal, what with so much poetic socializing on the horizon. I want a last quiet night at home.

Yesterday I did another chunk of yardwork: more compost spreading, plus replacing the spring pansies with summer lobelias, planting nicotiana and zinnia seedlings in a few bare spots, trying to fill in for high summer color. And I did manage to vacuum the sand out of the car too. That was a boring job, though the cat did make it more fun by jumping around among the seats.

Really, I think I'm just about ready for the odyssey, if only I can figure out how to pack all of my materials (and make sure the cat isn't mixed in with them). So much paper, so many books!