The Bachelor

So, Mrs. Fish and Little Fish took off on a camping adventure with the moms and daughters from the neighborhood. We had company this weekend, in the form of old friends and their two young daughters. So I went from the mayhem and noise of four adults and three girls under age 10 to total aloneness. Sweet, blessed silence.

I wasn't even sure what I wanted to do with my first afternoon alone, but decided to go for a bike ride. I ended up riding out to Boiling Springs, about 20 miles from here. It was tough, and i couldn't find my legs the first fifteen miles, which was unusual. No matter what i did, they were just dead. Then, all of a sudden, I felt that old familiar zing return, the turning got easier and I was off. It was about 95 degrees and super-humid when I started, so that may have had something to do with it.

Today's wildlife extravaganza? Whistle-pigs, teh ubiquitous bunniez, and I almost hit a goat. yes. A goat. It was standing in the middle of the road, just over the crest of a hill. Bad place for a goat. And for the woman trying to corral said goat. i should have gone matal cowboy on him and rounded him up. But then I lloked to the north and saw storm clouds on the horizon.

The storm rolled in really quickly, as they often do in this region, and I got caught in a downpour the last 10 miles. It was cold, wet, rainy and rather miserable. I was on backroads at that point, so I wasn't too worried, and I had a yellow shirt on, so that helped lots. People were very cool--I think they felt bad for the poor sod on the bike in the rain.

I came home, dried my bike off, got a nice hot shower, made myself some leftover pasta and settled down to write, and to get organized for tomorrow. A banner day, I must confess, though I do miss my family. I think it's good to miss them, though...

Confirmation
My mom is going home on the 28th of this month! The doctors said her progress is such that she is ready to transition out. I'm not sure my dad is ready, but here she comes! Thanks again to all of you who have kept her close to your hearts in prayer.