July started with a trip to Ladakh -- Rahil's fourth visit -- with a two-night excursion to the Nubra valley, just north of Leh. The trip was arduous, entailing the crossing of Khardung La, at 18,380' the world's highest motorable pass.

The month ended with a highly anticipated (and, in Dad's view, premature) visit to Humayan's Tomb to hunt for tadpoles. (Recall that last year Rahil found a batch there, took several hundred home, and nursed them for nearly two months, without any (!) of them ever maturing.) Much to Dad's surprise, Rahil found some in an obscure pool. Now he has hundreds more -- stay tuned to see if any frogs develop this time around!