Today, Howie and I went rafting with some of the Hungry Moose crew, there were 11 of us in all, in two rafts with guides down the rapids of the Gallatin.  Howie and I had to portage for the mad mile since Howie was too young to go through House Rock and the super rapids and someone needed to chaperone him. We still had a great time and it was fun to watch the others go through at House Rock.

After the raft trip it was home to change into dry clothes and get the dogs, then back to work.  Poor Buddy got stuck outside in a storm, before I realized it was raining - he was wet and shivering when I got him and it had been raining for maybe 10 minutes if that, but I had towels in the car, dried him off and left him in the car where I put Murray as well.  By then it was time to just go home, store was busy, but lately the busier the store gets the more I want to get out of there.  I am still searching for peace and quiet.  I'm trying to be contemplative instead of just reporting, but it's hard.  A big bucket of lots of yellow and pink flowers reserved for Cara's wedding which is tomorrow sits at the front of the store.  A large grocery order waiting for pick up sits to the side of the less used counter.  Our Friday delivery from Yellowstone Distributing of fresh meat and fresh produced arrives at 3:30 pm instead of the morning and is stacked in front of the coolers.  But I have a 9 year old son and two dogs that need to go home, plus a bad knee that did not get to go to the gym today, plus a tired mind.   And all that work gets done without me, probably with less stress, so I go home.

Howie and I just took Buddy and Murray for our late night stroll down the cul de sac.  Ziggy was waiting for us on the porch.  It seems when I'm home I have 3 animals shadowing me most of the time.  Howie seems somewhat intrigued by the fact that we have had Murray for ten years, "that's so long, it's hard to think that's she's really old because when we got her she was young,"  On this walk tonight he was also talking about how "it's hard to think of Murray living out on her own, cause she's lived with us for so long."  

"I'm sure she still remembers life before she lived with us," I tell Howie.  " That's why when there's thunder I like to put her in the car or the house, because I'm afraid she'll get scared  and hide somewhere and then we won't be able to find her."  

Time for ice cream, Howie gets it out for us and while we wait for it to melt a little he says to me, "There's one main difference between Andrew and I and Mommy and Uncle Andy.  Andrew and I and Mommy and Uncle Andy are about the same age apart, but Andrew didn't raise me like Mommy did Uncle Andy."