All the rain swelled the wetlands. I woke knowing I would only walk this morning, a long one, with Charlie. A busy day, and it felt right to keep it simple. The trails are wet. I walked quite a ways and came to a spot where the trail runs between wetlands and there was no dry passage across. It was too long to turn back, so I just waded through in my hiking sneakers. Icy water up to my calves. And a squishy and cold walk home, but I really didn’t mind. It’s part of the season here. And I enjoyed my busy day, morning with poetry friends, then reviewing the final draft of my video; getting an article written about my book for the Journal of Expressive Writing, working with a client on her manuscript––lovely. A visit by the fire with a dear friend. And my daughter asked me to join her an a dear childhood friend to go to a presentation on mental wellbeing for Armenian (American) youth, and I saw her mother, my dear friend, and I have always enjoyed every minute spent with the Armenian community. It was a special evening, interesting, and I always feel as though I’m around good friends. I admire the strong sense of identify and community of the Armenian diaspora. It was heartening, to sense the caring and concern for others that was was expressed in the room, as well as honesty from some about their challenge with mental health issues. And it was so nice to have another event shared with my daughter, because we are getting so much quality time with each other lately. There was a lovely thorn in the woods. But no thorn in my day.