2017-08-17 (18) – I need a break. So I’m taking one. Tomorrow will be my last day in the “office.” Saturday, we are leaving the house and animals under the care of our sons and hitting the road. We’re off to Montana.

I put “office” in quotation marks because offices are a thing of the past for me. I am a telecommuter. My office is in North Carolina. My “office” is in Chicago—or really wherever I can find a wi-fi connection. And I’m going to be testing out the mobility of my “office” on this trip. For one week in Montana, I will be hard at work at my Montana “office.”

The rest of the time, I will be on vacation. And hopefully, I will get a little break from politics, as well. But who knows. Richard Spencer could decide to visit his parents, who live just a few miles from where I will be staying.

If everything works out, one of the highlights of my trip will be a chance to view a total solar eclipse. That will probably be in Wyoming, but Wyoming is expected to be crowded with eclipse tourists, so we could view the event in Nebraska.

I’m hoping to put on some biking miles while I’m gone. I don’t know if I will be bringing my bike or using my brother-in-law’s bike when I get there. It really depends on how full the car is. I would prefer my own bike because I’m much smaller than my brother-in-law, so his bike would probably not fit me well. (On the other hand, he’s supposed to have a number of bikes, so I should be able to find one that would be good.)

And then there’s hiking and boating. And fishing, too. Though I am perfectly happy to fish with a rod that has neither a hook nor lure. Better yet, put me on a kayak and I’ll paddle around the reeds and take pictures of dragonflies.

Last year, on one of our kayak outings, we got to see some ducks teaching their fledglings to take-off and land on the water.

I expect to keep posting while I’m gone, but it could be erratic. I’ve already gotten into the erratic mood, since I’m posting this the morning after my regular date.