For all of you night owls or people who live in California, I thought you might enjoy a glimpse of what Robbi is up to at this very moment. It’s the same thing she has been up to all day long—painting the illustrations for volume 31, which we are scrambling to finish up before we leave for Alaska on the 22nd for a month or so of commercial salmon fishing with Robbi’s family.

To aid the scrambling, I’ve done my best to keep the kids out of Robbi’s hair all day. I took them to Eastern Neck Island this morning (where the highlight was climbing up and down and up and down the wooden steps leading up to the waterfowl viewing platform).

And then to the famous brown playground of the Church Hill Elementary School this afternoon.

All the while, Robbi sat at her desk painting, painting painting. And as I said, she is painting still.

Robbi wanted me to make it clear that she is fully aware that her hair is “not fit for prime time.” She has a point. But I reminded her that it is now past midnight and no longer prime time, at which point she grudgingly allowed that I could use the photos.

Here is another of her lovely hands.

Can any among you argue that these hands are not ready for prime time?

I will now attempt to go to bed, though I am likely to be unsettled by the unholy glow of Robbi’s two 23″ monitors. I cannot decide whether they or Robbi’s hair are more troubling.

Let’s take a closer look:

Ok. It’s the hair. Definitely the hair.