All in all, a mixed bag. Father / Daughter trip: excellent. I was extremely proud of her over and over again as we figured stuff out. She got to see — and participate in — the kinds of things I really enjoy. Reading by a lake is the bomb. Downhill singletrack rocks! Even with a trailer it was awesome. We talked about hiking, about going to college and studying psychology, about a hundred other things in the interstices between the struggle to keep moving.
As a self-reflective journey in solitude . . . total bust. We got home and I spent a few days drying the tents and sleeping bags. I had a few spokes replaced where a pannier came flying off the front and got tangled. Puttered around trying to re-discover willpower. Andrea went to Spain early to be with her mom; Lia, the younger one, followed a few days ago. I’ve been out riding a few times, but it’s hard to focus. When I’m out, I list the things that have to get done at home; when I’m home, can’t get started.
Yesterday was the first truly peaceful day — I chopped wood, chatted with a friend, and then basically read away the evening. This gave me the strength to simply give in my a mid-life crisis and buy a kayak. Yup, I bought one this afternoon, played racquetball, and then when for a 45 minute cruise in the hudson. That was 15 quiet minutes paddling south and then 30 hard minutes paddling north as dark fell and it began to rain.
The plan is to drive out to a park tomorrow and bike and kayak all day. If it’s as relaxing as I hope, I’ll camp somewhere and repeat. And so on. Should be fun. As with all good plans, I’m thinking it out with a nice brown malt from the Dogfish brewery in Milton, DE. Since I’m a lightweight, that also means I’ll be packing in the morning (although the kayak is still tied to the top of the car). I’m looking forward to a few days of riding without the trailer packed to the gills, panniers, rack packs, and a backpack. I might still have to take a few naps, though :-) !
Just for fun, I made a panorama from the pictures by spray lake. You might have to click on it to get the full joy.
180 degrees of life. Maybe 165, what with cropping and all that.
