Well, here goes!

It has been a busy summer, so far. School is going well, and I finally am getting the chance to do research and a paper on something I have a passion for - the scenic parts of Arizona! Yay! In my online English class, we had to read the book, The Dark Wind, by Tony Hillerman. If you're into mysteries and Native American culture, or are just curious, this is a great book. It takes place mostly in the northeastern part of Arizona, and has a lot of interesting information about Native American culture and folklore. I really loved it. It is also a very good mystery, on top of that. I highly recommend it.

I'm also taking World Religions and a Communications/Speech class. So far, I have an "A" average in all 3. Double-Yay! Summer school is pretty intense. They're 5-week courses, which means you do about a week's worth of work per school day, since the 5 weeks' class equals a semester's worth of credit for the class. Ouch! But I'm doing well. We've already finished two weeks of the 4-1/2-week session. Because of 4th of July, it's out early. Still, I'll be glad to get to July 2nd, when the classes end.

Other than that, I'm doing some work for a friend - resurfacing her front doorstep with clear, water-colored pebbles in a cool water-shaped mosaic. It's almost complete and looks awesome! I'll post pics when it's finished.

The picture here is of Havasu Falls, one of the places I'm highlighting in my paper. Located in the bottom of Havasu Canyon (southwest entrance to the Grand Canyon), it's a scenic wonder. I've had the opportunity of hiking down there twice. It's a 20-mile hike, but totally worth it. It's really a beautiful place, and one of my favorite spots on the planet. Out of the shot, to the left, there are a bunch of stair-stepped, limestone pools that you can swim or play in. So gorgeous! I'd love to go again someday.