We at the Horn Book are book people. Professional readers. Reviewers, fact-checkers, editors, and designers. But sometimes, we just need to take a break from our literary pursuits and swing a mini-golf club. 

Our office outing (we call it “the summer outing,” and Friday was still summer — like I said, we’re fact-checkers) took place at Kimball Farm in Westford, MA, thanks to the planning talents of our Cruise Director, Cindy Ritter. Kimball Farm has it all: batting cages, bumper boats, even a zipline that Lolly bravely tried out. But the main event of the day involved eighteen holes, six balls given up to the water hazard gods, and in my case, a very book-person score of 86. (This is what I’m telling myself. Other book people in our group did just fine, particularly the triumphant Cindy.) 

There was also fried (sea)food, a walk in which we said hi to some belligerent-looking goats and iridescent peacocks, and a very large amount of ice cream. Not bad for a day-not-at-the-office. 

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a book to get back to.