6:24 AM.

Still dark out. So different from those summer mornings when the sky lightens dramatically at 4:30 AM.

I am up very, very early. We have a long travel day ahead of us, but I am wide awake and need coffee. I was ready for my first sip at 4:45 AM.

Do I plan to sleep on the plane this afternoon? I sure do!

Our rental car is in the driveway. Our suitcases are 90% packed. The house is ready for next year’s fun. And we are ready for some family time in Texas.

But I will miss the mountains. The lake. The good friends who make life worth living. It was a good, healing summer.

And I even baked a pie.