I should have been sitting along a highway, waiting for hunters with dead elk from our late cow season. Cutting throats (elk, not hunter) for CWD samples.

I should have been doing my monthly reports. Or prepping for the wing bee next week. Or fixing the rain gutter on our house.

There's two different sets of highway blueprints I should have been looking through, too.

And a bunch of overdue emails.

But instead, I (and the wife) did something fun.

Manning the wildlife table at the annual youth group rec center overnighter in Coal Town. Loading up furs, skulls and plant parts and heading out well before dark to get there in time for breakfast.

And then spending the next seven hours sitting by our tables (we've expanded to four, now), and talking.

And talking. And talking.

My throat hurts.

The smoke from the nearby cooking display didn't help. Ever had bread baked on a stick? Like a marshmallow? It's not bad, if you take your time to do it slow and warm.

Yeah, I know. Just like with marshmallows, nobody takes the time to do it slow, so all the samples, like marshmallows, are doughy inside and black outside.

Still good.