Some glorious days

Indian summer here with warm days and cool nights. We had a glorious time on the boat. All the usual things of relaxing, cooking, long walks on the beach, and dancing to some good music. 

All thoughts of anything bothering me go away when I am out there. I have long thought that I was made to be a wanderer in my soul--a sojourner looking for the next adventure. But my occasional days on the water will suffice. And when I am back on land I long for the simplicity of the boat. Nothing but the sky and water and sand between my toes. 

I am sharing some photos from this trip out. Short post here. Happiness of spirit. 

A companionway door that I found washed up on the beach. It belongs to a beautiful wooden boat that sank in the summer. Her name was One Love. Sad for such a brilliant piece of Hugh Angelman's handiwork to be lost. But I have a small piece of her safe at home ready for restoration.

The dinghy used to row to shore.

Sun setting on a glorious day.

Night falls

At anchor

Cozy and warm inside

Getting away

We decided to take a trip up to the mountains over the weekend.  It was unbearably hot on the island, with a new record set on Saturday.  The mountains were cooler and stunning in their beauty.

We watched the fog creep up from the valley and continue up the mountain where we were staying with a friend.  His drive way is straight up on a gravel road.  No room for error either on these roads with no shoulder and steep drops into gorges and ravines.

I was reminded of hiking in these mountains when I was in college.  I would spend a weekend every once in a while hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  Those were the days when I was in love with a graduate student who was a few years older than me.  We would camp out under the stars, wash in cold streams, and walk for miles.  Once we walked through a patch of nettles which caused our skin to sting and itch.  Tending to those spots where the nettles hit against skin was soothing in many ways.  We ran naked through meadows, picked wild flowers to put in our hair and made love every chance we got.  I haven't seen her in years but still remember that magical time in the mountains.

Now my wife and I make our own magic but without the wild abandonment of youth.  Likely there will be some good times because we are going to continue our vacation by going on the boat for a few days starting tomorrow. Off the grid again which is okay by me. A time to chill out and be rocked to sleep on the water.

I just hope that my back feels better--pulled a muscle in the lower back over the weekend and the pressure on the nerve is quite painful at times. I took a muscle relaxer and a hydrocodone pill this afternoon.  I don't like to take prescription pain killers, but I was hurting so badly that it seemed the best thing to do.

I picked up Pandora's ashes this morning.  She was reduced to a small container. I look for her in the morning, expecting to hear her meow.  No more worries over her now though.  We can go away knowing that the animals are doing well.

I can feel my eyes getting heavy.  The muscle relaxer is relaxing my whole body. Time for sleep.  Hope that your week will be a good one.  I'll leave you with a few shots of the Smoky mountains.  
 

Fog over the lake near Robbinsville, NC

Old log cabin near Robbinsville, NC

Nantahala National Forest

Tree of Shame at Tail of the Dragon

All kinds of parts and pieces of motor cycles are hung up on this tree at Tail of the Dragon. 

Catching up and letting go

We got back home from Mexico after a marathon at the airport in Phoenix. Long lines in security caused delays, and we missed our connecting flight by 5 minutes. We finally got home around 10:30 AM the following day.  Strange how such a delightful vacation can end so abruptly as a problem occurs. But we were simply tired and not angry or disturbed. I saw a lot of people who were arguing with the airlines and getting worked up. It was not the airlines problem. And there was nothing that could be done. So we talked, had dinner, and looked at our photos.

After getting home, I felt really tired. I came down with a head cold within two days and have felt pretty miserable.  But I am now on the mend.

My wife was surprised by the landscaping magic that occurred while we were gone. It was a present to her. And it turned out beautifully.  There are still a few finishing touches to be done (and the orange cones aren't staying!).  But we have been enjoying the transformation.

I also sold my first sailboat which has been living on a trailer for the last three years. She left today with her new owner.  This makes me happy.  I had to wait until I got to a point when I felt that I was no longer emotionally attached to the boat.  And I know that she is going to a great new owner who is so thrilled to get her. 

Somehow it seems that our trip is now so far away.  It was a wonderful time. But I am ready to be a home body for a few months. And I am looking forward to getting back out on my boat next week.  My wife will be heading up to Nantucket for her annual get away with a few friends. 

I was talking to a fellow on Tuesday night after the meeting. He asked me how I stopped obsessing over other people that I loved.  I said that it came about gradually--a little bit of letting go over time, until I finally realized that obsessing was just wasted energy that fueled anger and anxiety.  And then it was the realization that the other person has a higher power, no matter what that is, but I knew that I wasn't it.  It is hard to explain the relief of not obsessing about what others do.  I have no control over them and could let them be. 

I hope to get around to reading more of your posts.  I have a lot of catching up to do on the blogs. Happy Saturday to all of you. 

Another day of adventure

Yesterday we spent the afternoon and early evening riding along the ridges and cliffs and beach of the Pacific. It was truly magnificent and startlingly beautiful. 

The horses were sturdy and sure footed,  looking almost like mustangs. The guide was on an Appaloosa. We passed through miles of cactus and brush. One of the cactus trees was 600 years old! We saw abandoned homes left by Americanos, mansions now dilapidated. I wondered if these were a casualty of the Great Recession. But the view from every home was the most magnificent I have seen in a while. The guide said when we reached the top of a cliff that this was his office. I could get used to such an office. 

The ranch where the tour starts and ends has several acres but is poor. There were 47 horses and all seemed to be well cared for by the workers. We saw strange looking pigs, very much like a peccary. It was a charming place, like something out of a Western movie. Goats, chickens, ducks also roamed around. I bought a poncho and blanket at the tiny store. 

As we drove back through the streets, I was also intrigued by the parts of Cabo where tourists at resorts don't go so much. The little shops and open air food places were fascinating. So many photographing opportunities of real life. I hope to go there this week to take photos. Resort life is comfortable, but I would rather be among the real people who live here. I don't understand coming to a country as full of life as this and only staying by the pool to drink and sun bathe.  Seems incredibly lacking in cultural curiosity. 

Anyway, here are photos from the ride yesterday. Today we are going sailing for a few hours. I hope I'm not boring you with photos and travelogue babble. I am so glad to be here. I know that I will want to come  back again.