It’s the second day of my second week of vacation. It amazes me how I can completely disconnect
from work when I’m on vacation; I guess it’s a survival mechanism I learned
during my almost 35 years doing the same kind of work.
I’m still early enough in my vacation that I haven’t started
to get anxious about it almost being over.
I’ve got practically a whole month left.
The endless days of summer – when
you might kayak a few hours in the morning, read a book, have a campfire at the
end of the day, or just sit and watch the fireflies and listen to the bullfrogs
and loons. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of books
written about achieving “presence” – how to; why to; when to. Yet I wonder if there’s a defect in my
character that allows me to sit there “present” for hours on end, observing all
that’s happening around me. Like the way
the nuthatch takes just one seed from the feeder, flies to a nearby tree and
finds a crevice to stick the seed into so he can crack it open with his beak to
eat it. I always wonder if that’s really
a net gain, calorie wise. Or the way the
water is so calm you’re more likely to see a reflection of an eagle or osprey
in the water before you see him flying overhead. I like the way the ends of the maple leaves
curl back in a breeze and the centers catch the sun so that they look more silver than green.
The duckweed has started to move in and the water lilies, wild
rice, and reeds have started to poke their heads above the surface of the water. The cove is taking on the midsummer
characteristics of a marsh and leaving behind the rushing and unpredictable
stream of spring.
Today is a perfect 82ish with a warm breeze that every once
in a while increases in intensity and almost feels like a squall. But then it eases back, and the sun returns
as if to say, “Just wanted to make sure you were paying attention.” I smile and say thanks.
This morning I finished my second Elizabeth Berg book, Open
House. Predictable but a pleasant
read. Her other book was recommended to
me by my son who works at the local library.
I don’t go to the library very often but that’s where our voting station
is so I decided to pick up a book while I was there to vote recently. We’re All Welcome Here I think was the name
of the first one. Much less predictable
and rather remarkable actually, about a woman who became a quadriplegic from
polio, raising her daughter in the South of the 60s. A rather implausible ending but still a good
read.
Let’s see, in addition to those two books, since vacation
started I’ve read The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, (loved it – about a
middle aged female archaeologist turned detective. I found it by Googling for a book that takes
place on a marsh. I love reading books
that take place in the location where I’m reading. This took place on a salt water marsh, rather
than something like my own little marshy stream cove, but it worked out well
because I started it here and finished it at the coast.) I then read Hull Creek by Jim Nichols, a novel
set on the coast of Maine which my friend who recommended it told me was
written by a Maine native. Just before vacation started I finished a book
by Ann Rice that was recommended in an NPR article entitled, “What to Read
Instead of 50 Shades of Gray.” Apparently
Rice wrote this series of 3 books under a pseudonym and only fessed up many
years later when they became quite popular.
They’re pretty dark. I just read
the first one and will probably stop there though I do want to know how things
end for the protagonist.
I’ve been streaming a Lucinda Williams station on Pandora
through my smartphone plugged into an iPod player with speakers. They’re playing some wonderful music. I just noticed it’s almost one o’clock and I
haven’t even had breakfast – just a couple cups of coffee. Maybe I’ll have some of the pasta casserole I
made last night in the toaster oven – a spicy Arabiata sauce to which I added
black olives, baby mushrooms, feta cheese, whole wheat organic spaghetti and a
generous amount of Merlot wine. Came out
quite delicious if I do say so myself. I
finished off almost all of the remainder of the Merlot with dinner.
The marsh is alive with dragon and damsel flies and the fish
jump and snatch one for lunch every so often.
I saw an eagle soaring overhead yesterday as well as several osprey (one
of the books I just read called them fish hawks). Think I’ll head out for a paddle.
Just enjoyed a 2 or 3 hour paddle – I never think to check
the time when I leave. Paddled down to
the Route 126 bridge and then came back and went upstream to where the stream
narrows by the log cottage. I was happy
to see some loons cause I haven’t heard any since I got here yesterday. But they’re still around and looking happy. Looks like my neighbors left while I was gone
so it’ll be a quiet night. Maybe I’ll
beat on my djembe for a while – I’m sure the critters won’t object.
