A Monday meander: All over the place

Rising.

We do not know how this pandemic will change our lives, change the scenery of our world. For how long will “social distancing” remain? Will we ever return to cheap crowded flights? How long and desperate will the food lines get? It is as if someone has pulled the thread that held it all together, even as we struggle to “return to normal.” But the question is, what story are we trying to tell ourselves? Or are we between stories, in a state of unknowing and insecurity? What are our dreams telling us, what is the message of our hearts? As Leonard Cohen sings, “There is a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in.” Is this a moment when the light can come in through the cracks, through the structures in our civilization that have been shown to fail?

~ Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

Resting.

It was dark and gloomy this morning.  It was windy, too.  The remnants of Delta are moving through.  There might have been a front tagging along, but the weather becomes mixed up and confusing when there are tropical systems involved.  What I can tell you for sure is that it is a warm rain that brings with it a lot of mosquitoes and gnats.  Being outside, even between rain showers, was not especially attractive earlier.  As the rain has lightened (I think we got about 2 inches so far) to a mizzle (mist and drizzle), the winds have picked up.  That might help with the bugs.

Dunes. (Assateague Island National Seashore)

With temperatures generally on the rise, I will have to come to terms with our bug problem.  I will have to give in to spraying my clothing and parts of my body with insect repellent, or start carrying lit incense with me.  One of the things I most appreciated about being in Ohio was that I could walk outside without using insect repellent.  There were deerflies, but they are not the gigantic deerflies we have here, and Ohio deerflies mostly go for the top of the head.  All I had to do was wear a hat to resolve the problem.  The one time I did get bit, the bite didn’t balloon into a giant welt that’s typical of the deerfly bites I get here.  I did not see one tick or mosquito in the two months we were there.  That said, it was terribly dry.  According to the drought monitor for Ohio, parts of the state are in a drought. In fact, I was reading that most of the states from the Great Plains to the West are considered to be in a drought, as well as the Northeast and the western part of Pennsylvania.

Goldenrod on the dunes.

Well, that was cheery news, wasn’t it?  Sorry about that.  Did I mention it has been a dark and gloomy day?

It was a sunny day on Assateague last Friday.

M and I are in the midst of trying to decide what to do over Thanksgiving.  He is taking another of his mini-sabbaticals (he was approved for three, two-month sabbaticals that he’s taking in increments because of his teaching schedule, saving the university from having to find someone to substitute for him).  It runs through November so we could, theoretically, go back out to Ohio for a couple of weeks and visit with the kids and grandkids.  However.  Circumstances are different now than they were in the summer.  If the weather should get cold, and it probably will, we won’t be spending most of our time outdoors, windows won’t be open to ventilate the house, and cold and flu season will be upon us as well.

Shaggy fringe.

It’s a tough decision.  As much as I’d like to go, I feel we were very fortunate to have managed the two months in the summer without anyone getting sick.  I don’t want to push our luck.  There are new factors to consider, as well.  Changes for the kids and grandkids, plus I’m having a follow-up colonoscopy at the end of October, one I should have had in August but the pandemic pushed everything back.  Or is that ahead?  Whatever the case, they were only doing emergency procedures for a while and then got quite booked up with procedures that had been put off.  It took me a few weeks to recover from the last colonoscopy.

She followed me around for a little while, until I got back on my bicycle and took off.

I have a surprise for you on Thursday.  I have a guest blogger stopping by with one of his beach walks.  Some of you might know who that is based on that small hint.  He’s launching a new blog, Beach Walk Reflections.  I don’t think he really needs my help in terms of getting visitors because he had a pretty big following before he retired his old blog.  But I am honored that he asked and delighted to help him out.  So, please stop by on Thursday and say hello.

One more, for now. We saw each other again on my way back and of course I took more portraits of her.

I reckon that’s about it from me on this mizzly afternoon.  Thank you so much for visiting and for meandering with me.  We could try the Point at sunset this evening, just to see what’s going on out there.  Probably more clouds, rain, and wind would be my guess.  Even so, it’s pretty out by the water.  Sunset is scheduled for 6:29 PM.  I’d advise wearing something to protect you from the rain (or carrying an umbrella) and maybe some wellies.

Please be safe, be well, be kind, and if you’re in the U.S., please VOTE.

Standing alone.

A few of the 10,000 reasons to be happy:  1,571)  Mizzly days, and the way the misty rain makes the landscape look like an impressionist’s painting.  1,572)  Twisty trees on Assateague Island.  They get that way from the wind.  1,573)  Izzy and Bella, the house cats who keep us company and entertained.  1,574)  M, always.  1,575)  New books to read to my grandsons, via video chat.  The Little Wookie loves books and is quite attentive, even with chapter books.  The Little Peanut enjoys books too, when they are his favorites (The Gruffalo and Room on a Broom are two of his favorites; I quite like them, too).

The pedestrian and bicycling trail, Assateague Island National Seashore. The paved trail is a little over 8 miles long. It runs from the Visitor’s Center to the South Beach section near the Life of the Dunes Trail. I managed to catch it empty in the 5 seconds before cars, on the road, and other cyclists, on the trail, could get in the picture.  It’s not unusual to find some of the wild ponies on or near this trail, and there’s always horse poop.  Just about everywhere.  I’m not sure how I found a stretch of the trail without horse poop on it.  Luck, I suppose.

Walktober reminder:  The dates are October 3-18.  Take a walk (run, ride, whatever) and post about it sometime during those dates.  I will gather it all together and do the round-up post sometime after that (I’m looking at October 26th as a possible date — it depends on whether or not anyone needs more time).  The official post is HERE.  Leave your link or pingback there.  If you should mistakenly leave it elsewhere on my blog, no worries.  I can usually find it.  However, it does make it easier for me if the links are all in one place.  Thank you!