Sunday, July 05, 2009

Heading Out

The past couple of weeks have been relaxing. After a hectic winter and spring, I’ve worked reasonable hours and have had few evening meetings. I’m heading out for vacation on Tuesday and, for once, I don’t feel stressed about getting everything done. If it wasn’t for a meeting I have to be at on Monday, I could leave today.
Yesterday, on our nation’s birthday, I took it easy. I washed and waxed vehicles, wrote another blog post about working in a grocery story in high school (it’ll be posted while I’m away), walked with the dog and listened to a book, and saw a few fireworks. On Thursday, some friends of mine came up and we spent the afternoon paddling a local river. Instead of a canoe, I took a kayak. We had fun and saw a number of deer sitting along the banks. I have a photo of one but I wish I had my camera out when I saw the three bucks, their antlers all bushy. When I opened the ammo can I keep my camera in, they fled. It was cool for July—only 62 degrees at 1 PM!
Heading Out: Right now, I’m dreaming of sage and will be in familiar country soon. I’m not taking a computer this trip so I may not post anything else until the last week in July. Until then, be good and smile.

22 comments:

Leni Qinan said...

Nice pics of you canooeing!
Have a wonderful vacation!

The Real Mother Hen said...

Bring your kayak here. I'm beginning to get tired of kayaking, not the sports itself, but the lakes, alas, they are all different in sizes, but you get the same gorgeous snow-capped mountains views against the clear blue skies, the water is always clear and cool, the fish is always big, osprey catching its prey in a corner, birds singing, blar blar blar, boring! I sound very ungrateful don't I? See, living in the West can do that to you ;)

kenju said...

The lake looks so inviting. I've never kayaked, but I think I'd like it. Enjoy your vacation.

R. Sherman said...

Tsk. Tsk. No PFD? Very irresponsible of you.

:)

Cheers.

sage said...

Leni, thanks and vacation will be fun, I promise.

Mother Hen, rub it in, won't you! We have beautiful rivers, but with plenty of bugs!

Kenju, it was the Thornapple River.

Randall, I had a Pfd--it was my backrest! But I didn't want to wear it in case I went over and had to dive for a fishing rod (besides, there are few places on this river that are over your head)

Yaya said...

Great pics! Kayaking looks so peaceful!

kontan said...

I hope you have a very relaxing vacation. As always, I love your pics. The last is my favorite. Where the others show your enjoyment the last conveys the feeling of floating down the river and we are able to pretend that we are the ones enjoying the tranquility of being on the water.

Scarlet said...

Those are great picture of you and what beautiful scenery! I'd like to try paddling a canoe sometime, only I don't think it'll be as relaxing with all the crocs! :)

Enjoy your vacation!! You sure get a lot of time off. I envy you.

Murf said...

I kind of miss the old days when your absence usually meant that Ed and I picked on each other. :-)

Have fun!

Ed Abbey said...

And here I was going to say that Murf and I would try to behave while you are gone. I guess that is now a foregone conclusion1

Murf said...

I can instigate if you'd like, Ed. :-)

pia said...

Have a wonderful vacation. I'll be in NY much of July--not really a vacation but....

We went to a highly recommended restaurant in Calabash and even the hush puppies had an overbearing taste of grease. Calabash, itself, and the neighboring towns are beautiful

Sage said...

Yaya, thanks!

Kontan, I agree with the last photo--I do like photos that give a sense of movement and discovery--hence the curve of a train track or an "s" curve of a trail

Scarlet, I've seen gators when paddling in NC

Murf, what's changed?

Ed, see questions above


Murf2, try to behave now children!

Pia, if there husbpuppies were that greasy, their oil wasn't hot enough... When I was growing up, Calabash use to be only fried food (or boiled shrimp), at least now you can get seafood broiled

D.O.M. Dan said...

Enjoy your well-deserved vacation.

Lisa said...

i take it you didn't get the rain you were expecting. yay!!

awesome photos!

Beau said...

Enjoy the month, and have fun!

Diane said...

Enjoy!

Michael Manning said...

Have a good time, Sage! :D)

TC said...

I've been canoeing many times, but never kayaking. I'd love to try it sometime.

Have a wonderful trip!

Bone said...

Have a great trip, Sage. I went canoeing for the first time last weekend and thought of you.

Things like, "If Sage were here, he could cook us up some fish right about now. Or "If Sage were here, I bet he could tell me whether that's a mink or a muskrat over there and if I'm in any mortal danger."

Karen said...

Were you kayaking on the AuSable? Looks like lots of fun!!

The Mistress of the Dark said...

Hope you are enjoying your vacation.