Nipmuck Trail, Mansfield

Even dogs stop to admire the scenery.

During the outdoor around-the-world dinner at the conference (see prior post) I was fortunate to sit at a table with former and current editors of Time for Kids.  It was a great opportunity to ask questions about one project I'm working on.  I learned they weren't interested in submissions of this sort.  Wham!  Then I learned that this idea of mine wasn't going to work.  Double wham!  Despite the negative news, it has helped me reshape the idea into something better, something that I think will work.  I hope to finalize and ship out that unique project next week after my critique group meeting.

At the conference, I learned that kids like to see photographs of writers having fun.

Lately, vacation planning has been taking an inordinate amount of my time.  During the past two weeks I've booked three flights, a ferry, a train, and a hotel.  It has been a real challenge with bank credit card locks and other safeguards, online booking sites in a foreign language, Google translate, required phone fields that begin with +, and calling a foreign country.  Now I know why people take tours.  

We walked alongside the Fenton River.

Beaver?

 I've got a backlog of photographs to post.  This batch

This unknown species reminded me of a churro.

from the Nipmuck Trail dates back to April 18th.  The first time I tried this hike, I had a bug that made me come real close to losing lunch.  It was an enduring feat getting back to the car.  The second time, I hiked nearly nine miles.  Conquest!