Tobias Smollett from “Travels Through France and Italy”(1766)
“You laid your commands upon me at -parting, to communicate from time to time the observations I should make in the course of my travels, and it was an injunction I received with pleasure. In gratifying your curiosity, I shall find some amusement to beguile the tedious hours, which, without some such employment, would be rendered insupportable by distemper and disquiet.”
We've had our moments lately that have added immeasurably to the experience.
Last Wednesday, for example, when we were at Ochlockonee River State Park, a friend of Mark's, John Babbit and his wife Jeanette drive over and John gave us an impromptu keyboard concert. It was great to have live music while we had dinner. Good music and a great guy. These kinds of moments have made this trip really a remarkable experience.
Our last rest day has been markedly calmer than all of our previous rest days. Usually, we are rushing around, doing laundry, looking for lost items (I know I packed those socks....where the #*** are they?), van trips to the grocery store or some other local shopping and finally, anything but actually resting. Always looking ahead to what we have to ride the next day or the next week and asking "Who drank all the lime LaCroix?"
This has been different. There was an 80% chance of rain this afternoon, so this morning, while we could, ten of us piled into the van for a ride to Ichetucknee Springs State Park to do some hiking. We wanted to do some kayaking, but the rental place did not open until tomorrow (April 30th). It was the perfect time to do something different and at a leisurely pace. Being in the woods was calming and seeing the Head Spring and the Blue Hole on the river was great. People were swimming and snorkeling in spite of signs warning about alligators. The water was clear and we could see fish and turtles swimming about. There were also turtles sunning themselves. however we did not see any alligators. The birds were singing in the cypress tree canopy that soared above us. Afterwards, we stopped by a food truck for lunch.
We also managed to get some fun in! Here is a video of Tom serenading Karen and Sharon as he delivers breakfast in bed.
As I am writing this, it is in the afternoon, it is clouding up and starting to sprinkle. Now it's beginning to thunder. Don't know what that means, except I'm glad we are not at the campground and I'm on a covered porch looking at the rain instead of being in it.
Our ride is winding down and will soon end. May 2nd is not far off. We will go our separate ways and that will be that. After being such a tightly knit group for the last two months, it will be hard to return to our normal, separate lives.
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