Back from Lake Placid and to Work--Toumainen, Anyone?

I had three full days in Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, and the premier vacation destination area within the six-million-acre Adirondack Park in northern New York State. When I set out on Tuesday, I had no idea what my exhausted mind and body would decide to do. I gave myself permission to do whatever felt right. As it turned out, I found I was drawn to hiking and exploring (and bushwhacking a bit) in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks, as opposed to flopping down with lots of books all day, which was what I had expected I would want to do.

When I go on my annual solo jaunt to Lake Placid, I never know what I will feel like doing, so I bring loads of books, my current writing project stuff, all my hiking and outdoors gear, and see where my spirit takes me. Maybe because my body desperately needed the exercise tune-up, I spent hours and hours walking and hiking, and now at last, I've found I'm more at peace with myself and am back to good bushwhacking shape. Two of the three nights I slept 11 hours! 

Of course I did read in the late afternoons and evenings. I chose the recently released Finnish novel The Healer by Antti Toumainen, and at this point I have just 40 pages to go. Finishing might seem to be no problem, but I've had my summer course to prepare (two 3.5 hour classes per week!) and a new-to- me YA award-winner to read by Walter Dean Myers.  Monster won the Michael Printz Award, which is the American Library Association's YA equivalent to the John Newbery Medal.

I would love to post some of my photos from my climb up Mount Jo. The summit affords more than 180-degree views of some of the grandest High Peaks. I will, when I have time to get them downloaded. School tomorrow!