Willow's lips and fingers have occasionally developed a purplish hue over the last few weeks. This has been worrying us. Willow herself doesn't show any other symptoms. She runs and laughs and bounces. She tells endless streams of "knock-knock" jokes without punchlines. In short, she acts quite healthy. None of the doctors who've seen her have any idea why this sporadic purplishness is happening. She's got an appointment with a cardiologist on friday who may help shed some light on this for us. Until then we'll worry.

Work goes on, of course. This week I'm working at a different site. There are no Redwoods, but more than enough Poison Oak bushes to make up for it. The trails meander through Oak woodlands and chaparral. A chocolate colored, rain swollen creek rushes blindly by. The rain itself has been falling off and on for days now, turning the trails into miniature creeks. I'm having a great time though. All of the trails are new to me, which makes every hike an adventure. The kids in my group are great, even when they have to slop through the mud and lean and duck as we wind our way up trails overgrown with Poison Oak. The camp routine is slightly different as well, which keeps me alert. The night hike tonight was bright with reflected light. At the end of it all the moon finally poked through the clouds, followed by a couple of stars. Maybe tomorrow the rain will hold off. I've been reluctant to give the kids any time to work on their journals because of all the rain and mud, so a respite would be nice. We'll see what tomorrow brings.