Congrats to SARAH, the winner of A Beautiful Fall.  Sarah, just email me your home addy so Chris can get that out to you post haste. Verus how I mail things–post next millennia.

This past Saturday I went on a hike to a place in Arkansas called Hog’s Bill Crag. Before this venture, I never knew what a crag was. Actually I’d never heard of it, but if I had taken a guess at it’s meaning, it probably wouldn’t have been too polite.

We missed the great AR leaves by exactly one week, due to a storm and lots of wind (that I thought was going to blow my house over). But it was still pretty, if not a wee bit limby.

We had someone take a picture of us. I’m the third blur from the right. Apparently there is also a Hawk’s Bill Crag in Arkansas, and I don’t know why this isn’t it because it looks like a hawk’s bill. This is also a famous spot for photographs. According to my friend Kim, it was on the cover of the Atlas recently. That is one famous crag.

Here is the view from the ledge (which I didn’t get very close to…it was windy).

You can see for miles.

Here’s a shot of Kim that looks like she’s ready to leap off.

“No, Kim! Don’t do it! It’s not worth it!”

It’s kind of hard to see, but these people (above) are in a little rock enclosure and wearing orange vests. Lots of people were wearing orange to send a clear message to nearby hunters, “If you shoot me, the bullets will bounce right off because I have on my magic orange vest of protection.” We did not wear any orange…and lived to tell about it. There were hunting camps VERY close though.

Before you get to the trail entrance, you have one bathroom opportunity. It is Dee-Lux.

Call me deprived, but I think that was my first outhouse experience. The owner just happened to be there and told us to “watch out for snakes” as I went in. Niiice. I figured if a snake is that hard up to lie in wait in a disgusting hole then maybe he deserves a bite  of tush every now and then. Luckily, I came out of the bathroom unscathed. The ironic thing is there was a can of Lysol in there. Um…nevermind.

Here’s the girl representation of this trip. We look like we’re trying to bring back Wilson Phillips or something. (I’ll be Carnie)

“Someday somebody’s gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye! … Don’t you know? Things can change. Things’ll go your way. If you hold on for one more day…”

So we had a great time. Apparently one person dies a year out here on this crag, but I’m happy to report we didn’t lose a soul.

Right now I’m reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

At first I was like…yuck. It’s a huge book. I’m talking Twilighty-Potter huge. And that always makes me dread the read a little. There is a reason those little Harlequins sell so well. Anyway, you open it up and there are all these illustrations by the author. So it’s a fake big book! You don’t have to read 800 pages!!! I might include some personal artwork in my next book. I can draw. When I was in 3rd grade I won Artist of the Month in Mrs. Duncan’s class for my depiction of three fairies. Who didn’t have noses. Or feet. Because I couldn’t draw them. And my grandma still has a picture of mine I called “Pea Sandwich.” Some may see two pieces of bread and some peas, but there’s so much more to it than that, and clearly my grandma saw its great depth and moving symbolism.

Anyway, The Investion of Hugo Cabret is a great book. Normally if a book doesn’t hook me from the beginning, I’m pretty much done. And this didn’t do it for me. I was bored. And the pictures were a little creepy. There are quite a few eyeballs peeking out in the beginning. Eyeballs get me every time. Cree-pee. So I kept reading because I didn’t want to go to bed (because that means when I next become conscious, it’s work time). And before I knew it, I was sucked into this story. It’s about this young boy who is orphaned in the 1930s and hides and works in a Paris train station. He fixes all their clocks. He is hungry and alone and very sad. And that’s all I’m going to tell you right now. But it’s good and a fast read. And it’s so heavy you can work your biceps while you’re reading. My books can’t give you that, but I’m checking into it and working on a thigh master-novel combo.

I’m also listening to Taylor Swift’s new CD called “Look at Me and My Hair.”

Okay, it’s not called that but seriously, what is up with Hollywood and the music industry and all these extensions? Enough already. I haven’t listened to all the CD, but so far it’s pretty good. Taylor writes or co-writes all of her songs, and I think that’s pretty cool. Even though I can’t relate to the song about being fifteen. I don’t even remember 15. But I love how she has a lot of blue grass instruments on her music. I am a sucker for a banjo and mandolin. LOVE it. THIS SONG has grown on me a lot. But if that were my kid, I’d be like, “PULL your dress up! Geez! Do you want the neighboring lords and ladies to think you’re a floozy?”

Hope you have a great rest of the week. I’m going to go do some editing and read The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

JEN