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| After my weeks away from the internet you would think I would have something to say. But I don't. Well I do but I don't know if it could all find it's way out of my insides, you know how that is? | | |
| If you like to pray...remember these people, all who are leaving this week.
Amy M. for Honduras
Anderson Family for vacation.
Heisinger Family for vacation.
Dan and Michelle L. for Mozambique.
Brenda B. for Mozambique.
Sonja K. for Redding.
Happy and Jerry D. for Mexico
G-Ma Wilson, Ryan, Lisa, Beka, and someone else I forget, they are off to Mexico.
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| An Old Friend Tender blades of grass, yet unbent by the treading of summer-happy feet. They tell me that we are fairly new on this old path. When I get to the gully however I find I am mistaken, someone must have walked here through another way, the "No Trespassing" signs doing their job. The sound of running water is a forgotten tune, suddenly rushing back at me with all it's melodic force. Always a precarious descent down "the short way" and at once it all comes back. How I have taken this place for granted. Hello swirling pools, hello polished granite, hello shade trees shaping a North American jungle. Hello white water rushing down your slopes, hello swimming hole in all your glory!
Well hello yourself!
Coming here today I don't think I have ever realized how much I have taken you for granted.
Hmm, people do that. It's ok though. Hey! You are wearing the same sandals as last year! What gives?
Yeah, I always get new sandals every summer, as you know, but I don't really have the extra money this year.
Well you should figure something out, they are falling apart, you are going to brain yourself slipping all over the place like you are.
Been there, done that.
*laughs*
I am getting married!
Ha! That's why you don't have any money!
Yes that is part of it. You know that beautiful girl I was with last year, the one that looked like summer dusk? Her.
Of course I remember her! Congratulations. You spent a lot of time thinking about her here, when the sun would reflect off the inky blackness, you always thought of her. Something about the sun on the water like that...
Yes, I don't know why I thought of her then but I did think about her a lot here. Now we are getting married.
Does this mean our time will become even less?
Most likely, seeing as how this is the second week of June and my first time here. I can't imagine we will have the time that we have had in years past.
Such is life, such is life. We did have good times didn't we?
Yes we did, how are the kids treating you nowadays?
Eh, almost always someone here. No divers though, no one to pick up the trash at the bottom of me.
I always liked doing it. Never liked packing it out but I liked diving for it.
Yeah, no one does that. Lot's of stuff in, not so much out. Of course you know the tree broke, that was rather sad. We miss him still. They put up some new rope swings, nothing as good as the first.
Nothing could be as good as that one. Nothing ever stays the same.
I know what that is like. Just look at my walls, look at my granite. I thought I would always stay a mighty river. After a long time I just became a strong creek and even longer after that my water dropped even farther. Trees and foliage grew, sediment gathered. Talk about an identity crises! I suppose that is good advice to give to someone so young. Don't find your identity in anything around you. Never expect anything to stay the same. Enjoy the season you are in. Whether it is summer or fall, raging river or pleasant swimming hole. I mean, look, since you started coming here, there was barely anyone and now? Cigarette smoke and alcohol, people every day, trash. Ideals are good but do not let them steal your motivation. It's hard to want something so bad but never compromise to get it. You wind up disappointed and disillusioned. There's not much we can do to change anything anyway but we can choose our place in history. I could be a bitter old swimming hole, overgrown with briars, brimming with toxic water and dead fish. Instead I choose to embrace the season I am in, I want to make this a nice place even for not nice people. Who knows? My waters may dry up in a few years and I will become nothing but a forgotten sink hole that parents warn their children away from. Maybe if some not nice people walk away from me with memories of peace and serenity, then think of that years down the road and decide to change their lives, I would feel fulfilled.
And with that I dove once again into the water. Into the swirling green depths where I have spent so many days. The dark flicker of a retreating fish signals I am here, the chum from the waterfall cascading around me speaks a volume of beauty, the chilled darkness and airless environment consume me until I know one thing and that alone.
I am home.
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| Bike Experiment Final DayTime from Junction from house: 7 min. and 18 sec.
I didn't time myself on the way home but I didn't stop for any rests and used higher gears.
Good idea's:
Getting my own bike.
Conclusion:
Well it's been fun. Too much fun, I like to think I am helping the environment, saving money and getting healthy, that's pretty hard to say no to. So now I am looking at commuter/trail bikes if there is such a thing. My thanks to Steven for letting me use his bike.
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| Bike Experiment Day TwoTime to Junction from house: 7 min. and 35 sec.
Time to house from Junction: 28 min and 22 sec.
Good ideas:
Not being such a fatty, doing this more often so I can pass the more dangerous parts of the road quicker.
Summary:
I rode down the hill in my nice clothes and it worked great, no changing in the nasty McDonalds bathroom and no awkward waiting in front of the store in my skivvies. I wore a beanie and was much warmer, my head didn't hurt from the cold. I think I am figuring out how to do this thing.
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