Goose dropped by Saturday for a short visit.

Diane asked, “How do like college? On a scale of one to ten? ”

Goose answered, “I’d say a seven, and I knocked those three points off because of the work.”

Seems to me most every kid we’ve talked to feels the same way. Should I be surprised?

Then Goose told us about his Mt. Monadnock climb with his girlfriend, Kristen. I think he said this was his third time up, but the first to watch the sunset. Now, the camping guys are always knocking around in the forest, balancing the need to explore with the need to come back alive. Hiking in the dark works – sort of – but only with good light, so I knew what was coming.

“It was hard climbing down.”

Yeah, now there’s an understatement. When the sun sets in the woods, it’s not a pleasantly receding light experience as it is in the city.

“We had two flashlights but they only showed small circles in front of us.”

The last time I hiked in the dark, I fell in a seven foot hole. Had it been ten feet deep, I’d still be there.