Did you know lupines are nitrogen fixers?

When I was little, mi madre read me a story called The Lupine Lady. It was a lovely little book about a woman who made the world a better place by planting lupine seeds everywhere that she went. On a short morning hike, I was running up the trail singing "The Sound of Music," when I reached the ridge and the memory of that childhood story hit me in the face. On the other side of the ridge, there were blue lupines everywhere. The romantic side of me went crazy, fancying how appropriate it was to be making the world a better place while working in a setting that evoked the very notion! Albeit, composting toilets have not the same beauty that flowers do (don't tell Chuck I said that), but it is still quite an inspiring location.

Black Sheep Inn

We stumbled back down the ridge, our prof Chuck loping gracefully ahead of us. On the way, Sarah S. helped me with my Spanish...which is good considering that our host families will likely not speak English (I saw a picture of them today! I have a family with two teenagers that seem to be about my age, I am so excited!). I can feel the altitude when I run here. Ashwin and I spent lunch (cheese sandwiches, oatmeal cookies, bananas, and popcorn) enjoying the picture perfect scenery, talking about the nature of human culture, and dreading today's poetry class (to be held in Black Sheep Inn's yoga studio).

It is time to go and start streaming Edgar Allen Poe.