And this means I finally have time to pack my own stuff. I've spent the last several weeks dealing with a huge backlog of office work, with Annual Conference, with the upcoming Congo trip, with parish duties, and finally with Crew preparations. So as usual, I haven't been able to spare much time and energy for personal stuff. I remember our trip to Philmont in '98: all the Crew gear was packed, the kids were having lunch on the lawn waiting to go, and I was in the house, finally cramming my stuff in my pack.
Ah, well. The hard part of being the Advisor on the Big Trip is that you often are in a state of near physical and emotional exhaustion by the time the Crew pulls out on its way. The easy part is, once you get to where you're going, the youth Crew Leader takes over. Once we arrive at Sea Base, then, Cora gets to shoulder the burden of leading the Crew. Adults are in charge of just two things: safety and logistics. Keeping an eye out for safety's sake never ceases, but once I get you there, I don't have anything else to be responsible for until it's time to bring you back.
Bury me in warm sand and let me bake until thoroughly done.