back again

what i'm knitting ~ 1st sleeve of Alice's sweater
what i'm reading ~ Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin (chapter forty-eight? forty-nine?)

So i'm back from another campout. We stayed at Warner Lake in Utah and visited Arches. I had been thinking how pale i was considering i had gotten sunburned two weekends in a row... well, it's now three in a row. I'm a bit sore and stiff from hiking on a primitive trail around Windows (i think that's the right name).

Something about the hike was really annoying: there were signs all over the place stating "stop, this is not a trail." They were a big eyesore and sure didn't develop naturally. There was a pamphlet that you get when you come in that says you can't bring any pets to Arches because they might pee and destroy the arches that have been developing for billions of years. My Mom pointed out how illogical this is. I, of course, totally agree with her. Pee is natural: if it destroys a rock there's something wrong with the rock beforehand. To me a sign telling me to stay on the trail is more offensive and destructive that allowing a few people out of a thousand to stray from the path. If it's survived wind and rain and flooding it will survive a few tourists. Plants grow back, and humans are the only living things to create trails (we saw lots of deer, cows, and horses during the course of this trip).

On another note, there were lots of things i wanted to write when i got back, but at present i am too tired to remember most of them. One thing i remember is someone mentioning how small children always want to turn the page of the book before you're done reading that page to them. I've always been irritated by that. You're supposed to read the whole story or you'll miss something important and/or interesting. I'm ashamed to say that i've been in a hurry to turn the pages in my own life. I want to grow out of that.