She's completing a political science essay. So when she called, that was the essence of our discussion. Along with a few other items of general discussion. Hard to believe that the infant we helped raise by providing our grandparent services as caregivers during the working day is now attending university. Not only attending the university of her ultimate choice but doing so far from home.

Of course she wanted to know what we were up to. It's a ritual; at one time she knew intimately what we 'were up to', since she was here with us, sharing our days. Now they're updates, asides from her own preoccupation. She can imagine what we're 'up to', since her memory serves her well enough to recall the details of the home we shared, and her memory dredges up the things we ordinarily do. Including those daily ravine walks which began in her young life when she was a passenger on my back, inserted into an infant backpack and hauled along the trails.

Eventually she grew old enough to learn how to negotiate the trails on her own sturdy little legs, the experience giving her the ability to naturally and easily traverse natural challenges as a skilled bipedal walker ambling daily through forested trails. Now she has been transported within a forest of highrises in downtown Toronto and the daily walks she takes are from her residence to the university campus for classes.

So, what did we do today? Nothing very exciting. We did give our two little imps haircuts, and they turned out well enough. This is the third time we've undertaken that little chore, and their acquiescence has improved somewhat but not wonderfully; they still fidget, but uncomplainingly. And we did have a ravine walk during which they were introduced to a very friendly bull mastiff and its large and very hairy Newfie companion.