Going backpacking, just a day in, overnight, and out.

But that got me thinking what blogs are out there? Usually a rum game.

You can find articles with lists of blogs. They're basically all selling something, which I guess is the whole motive of the internet, but I'm not selling something, just expressing ideas. I didn't really connect with any of these blogs before I gave up. Even the New York Times. You read a paragraph and there's an ad. You have to fight your way to get any meaning out text today, the way the press has been monetized. Nobody watches commercials on TV any more. My daughter has grown up without being force fed commercials. That's a good thing.

I opened up the camping gear closet. Usually I go car camping with my ex, but for 30 years I've gone backpacking, canoeing and hiking with my good friend, and we're going! I'm so psyched to spend time with my friend. 

My friend is a gearhead, and I always borrow something off him. My ex was an organizer, and really like to plan for trips, created reams of list paper. I'm the spontaneous guy you take with you for fun. That's my role, but I can plan too. The spirit of backpacking is to be self reliant. I try to remember all the things I would need. I move my car to the other side.

My sons declined. They're teens, want to play video games. 

My ex declined. "Not with a 6 year old." And to car camping, "I don't have any money."

My new friend from Vermont who grew up on the other side a mountain used to camp she says. 

I'm honestly really out of shape, that's a factor. I've got a knee brace. So what. We'll go slow. It's not a huge hike in, so you know. Take twice as long if you need to. 

I'm looking forward to just not having the stimulation of the computer and phone. I'm looking forward to nice views, and good conversation. Music in the car. It's going to be awesome!

What will I miss from civilization? Coffee. Take a caffeine pill. I might have watched the baseball game this afternoon. Part of the allure of baseball is a huge open field. 

I'm going to feel so free tomorrow morning not to surf the web to begin my day. I know this is a good thing because I'm chomping at the bit for my friend to get here.

Some chop

 When I used to row, I loved flat water. Willow pond isn't very big, it's man made in 1964, but it was gusty today on my walk down to the pond.

I didn't sit and meditate, today my goal was just to get the legs moving. I was thinking about what a loss it was for Margaret Fuller not to be part of the suffrage movement because of the tragic shipwreck hundreds of feet from the shore of Fire Island. Has anyone written a what if novel if she would have joined the suffrage movement?

Willow meditation

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

I'm reading Walden, and I'm going down to Willow lake for a marsh bath, to be outside, and mediate for 20 minutes. Bodhidharma faced the wall, but I like facing nature like the Buddha did. 

Daughter

 

Photos

 

Folly Beach

 

Dew walk today

 You can't really see the bird soaring.

The burnoff has regrown.

Blurry tortus scampering away.

Crossing the Van Wyche

You can call me flower if you want to.

Walked to Willow Creek which wasn't muddy today. When the waters rise I wonder how much of this area will be left. Lots of land has been filled in of the swamps, and lakes have been created. I wonder how much of a levy or other oceans rising measures will be put in place.

I read Climate psychologist says neither gloom-and-doom nor extreme solution-obsessed optimism is the best way to discuss climate change productively

What kind of climate change is at debate, and how much can we stop it?

I can't stop singing Muskrat Love when I'm walking along. I bet there were a few non muskrat rats swimming during the flooding of the hurricane.