New Season

A friend reminded me that this blog was here so I thought I would come in and unpack a little.

My daughter and new son-in-law are about to mark their first anniversary. They went camping in Cherokee, North Carolina so I thought as the dad/father-in-law I could give them no better gift than surprising them and moving in beside them.

Okay, it was a few spots away, it wasn’t a surprise, and they actually wanted me to come hang out with them a bit, or at least made me feel like they did. I loved it. Saw my first wild elk. I’ve been up and down the Smokies but have never bumped into one of these guys until this trip.

I truly love my new son-in-law. He’s a fantastic addition to the family and the way he and my daughter are entering into this marriage helps me sleep well, even when I’m sleeping in the trees.

Comfy into the 40’s, and it all fits on the bike!

And I’m starting to hone my moto-camping gear to fit my very specific needs and desires. It’s not easy when you want enough gear to keep you comfy, want to sleep in the woods, but still don’t want the bike to get too far away and off the pavement. I’m hoping to make a longer trip this summer to upstate New York, but I’ll save those details for another post.

For now, it’s enough to put this post up and start a great new season. I hope your season of life is full of peaceful rest and just enough wildness to keep it fun.

Time

This week I heard someone say that “time is the most valuable commodity you have.” Yep.

My oldest daughter asked me to go to a food truck fair. We rode over in perfect weather. I can hardly tell she’s riding behind me. She weighs about nothing and a half and hardly moves. But I know she see’s everything. When we turned onto the street just before coming to the parking lot I was expecting to see a food truck. Maybe two. Instead I saw two police cars, lights flashing, and cops out directing the lines of traffic. There was a hot air balloon giving 50 foot rides up and down. 10 food trucks circled the parking lot with families lining up at each and listening to the live band play. We parked, chose our favorite truck, and then found some shade to eat and watch people. She took this picture.

We didn’t talk much.   Just sat as the sun started to go down. Then we put on our jackets and helmets and rode home the long way.

I did not spend time tonight. Maybe it was invested. Maybe it was a gift. Maybe both.