9/16-20/24 I spent Monday morning getting new tires installed on the truck. I arrived at Camp Serendipity at 3:00. I made two trips to the cabin with my gear using the wheelbarrow for one of them. I had already had my lunch, so after hoisting the flag, I walked to the grave. On the way I stopped and talked with John and Abby and learned that he had begun installing sheathing on his A-frame.

On Tuesday morning I was up at 5 and out to work at 8. I harvested and washed a bunch of stones and laid up two batches of them using batch numbers 99 and 100.

After lunch and a nap, I walked to the grave and stopped and chatted with Karen Arnold for a while.

On Wednesday morning I was up at 5:00 and Robert called shortly afterwards. Things are going well with him. I was out to work at 8:00. I harvested and washed more stones and laid up batch #101. After lunch and a nap, I walked to the grave and then practiced the piano.

On Thursday I had a restless night. I did some reading, and I drank a cup of warm milk before I could eventually drop off to sleep. I think the problem was caused by a dark chocolate bar I ate for dessert at dinner. I won't do that again.

I was up at 6:30 and was tired. Dave called and we talked for a long time. He told me a lot of good news about his house sales, finding a new place to rent with a nice shop, and devising a plan for working on the Anna Kappa. He also did well in the Star World championships, placing 23rd in a field of about 60 boats.

I went out to work at 9:00 but instead of doing any stonework, I worked on the trees in the woods. I was appalled to find how many of them were thickly overgrown with vine maples and ferns. I pruned the shrubbery away from the worst ones which included Cam, Ellen and John. John seemed unaffected but Cam was stunted and distorted. Ellen was near death. With most of her leaves brown with some green tips. I am afraid it may not survive.

After lunch and a nap, I walked to the grave and then went back into the woods to take pictures of Ellen after my pruning.

On Friday morning I practiced the piano and then walked to the grave. On the way back I was greeted by two big dogs that were the sheep herders' protection against bears, coyotes, and cougars. Fortunately, they were friendly to me, and they were accompanied by 3 or 4 smaller dogs that were not sheepdogs. It's unusual that the dogs walk on the road as they did. I left for home at 12:34 after another fun eventful week.