balance

Oh, how I wish there were a few more places I could go on my bike ... we're a bit island-locked in that respect. Not that the available destinations are bad. Sachuest Point is particularly lovely, and one never knows what (or whom) one might see ....

A few days ago (Thursday maybe?), as I was locking my bike at the parking lot before continuing on foot to my favorite deserted rocky beach, I saw a familiar guy get out of his car and start jogging down the trail toward the Sakonnet. He wasn't going too fast — he's about 90 years old (seriously). A friend's dad. But he had definitely tipped his body slightly forward and was pumping his arms back and forth as he strode — he was running.

I managed to catch up and say hello. He used to do a full circuit of Sachuest every day, he said. Now he does a half-circuit. Which is awesome. "I sure hope that's me at his age" is all I could think ...

Anyway, I left Friend's Dad to his half-circuit and followed a little path to the rocky shore, where I saw .... rocks. Lots. And then a TALL one, part of a cairn-of-sorts left by someone playing balancing games. I dumped my backpack as I moved in for a closer look. It's a stupid backpack, more of a sack, purple with the words "Know Thyself, Dude" emblazoned on it. Something Darling Daughter got as a freebee on a college orientation trip in '09. She wouldn't dream of using it herself — but it's super lightweight, handy, not-too-big. And I wear it backwards, so no one can see the words, so it's just plain purple.

It works for me.

Anyway, after checking out the balancing act and satisfying myself as to how it was accomplished — not that I could ever do it myself — I lay down on the warm rocks (backsack for pillow) with waves splashing/crashing not-so-far from my feet and exerted no energy whatsoever except to look left at a cormorant gang on the rocks, right at a happy-looking couple posing for pics, straight ahead at — wait, what's that?? — a cracked-open egg then a flash of darting yellow on the rocks. A yellow bird??

Hmmm, I suppose.

I didn't think about it further 'til I was headed back to my locked bike and saw a sign ...