Whaaat!? Rusty wants to get driven to a lake!? What about the water beside the cabin? Okay, that could just be a very small lake or pond. So why don’t Rusty and his friend just bike to the lake? Surely it can’t be that far away? Why, in my day …

Anyway, one positive takeaway today is that we’re done with the post-shower happy talk and on to a different family activity. Yay! Another thing that you probably noticed is that we are viewing a rare appearance of Mark and Rusty not wearing their standard-issue uniforms. That’s something for your diary. Still, another point is this: We see a lot more of Rusty than we did in the pre-Rivera days. I believe this expansion of the family is an overall good thing. At the same time, a little goes a long way and we just had a Rusty story. It’s time to let Rusty rest for a while in the “Mark Trail Occasional Character” closet, along with Doc Davis, Andy, and the Donut Lady.

Art Dept. In Panel 3 Jules Rivera employed her usual elliptical “panel arc” I mentioned the other day. It fulfills its role of highlighting the person talking. But in panel 4, Rivera cleverly reconfigured the arc by transforming it into what looks like a wall of oozing paint, dripping diagonally down. This “melting arc” still highlights Rusty, but also reflects his sinking feelings about going swimming his friend and his parents.