Although a large portion of this weekend will be spent deep water soloing at Summersville Lake, WV, another significant portion will be spent trying to balance on bits of tape tied between two trees. Slacklining. What’s that you say? Why, of course it’s a valid sport, and a perfectly normal way to spend time.
Todays random posting is brought to you by a close-up of a waterfall in Dolly Sods Wilderness, part of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.
Wildlife sighted over the weekend: some Whitetail Deer, a Chipmunk, and a Groundhog. Chipmunks are a lot smaller than I would have thought. Also, they don’t seem to sing in high pitched voices as often as I’d assumed. They do try and steal your food though, and chew through your slackline.
I cycle away from the marina. As the bike path draws close to the river again, I notice a flash of light near the ground, then another – fireflies? I push my sunglasses down and coast along, watching the sides of the path – woohoo, fireflies! I dump my bike, and catch a couple, to stash in my backpack net pocket. Hey, this is easy. I cycle on a bit further, then get tempted by the fireflies and grab a few more, to keep the other ones company.
Home – next phase of my mission is to get quarters for the washing machine, so I can do laundry. I have no cash, so I decide the logical way to proceed is to go to CVS, seeing as it’s 50 metres from my house; buy something, get cash out, and ask for some quarters as part of my change. I wander up and down the aisles – gah, I don’t really need anything. Grab some hairties, queue, they are busy. Do I want to donate $1 to some random charity? Yeah, fine. What, I have to write my name on a star? Whatever, I just want some quarters. I have no money in my American bank account, so I go to use my Australian debit card. Does not go through. Damnit, try again. Does not go through. Fine, I’ll use the credit card. Goes through fine, but hang on, I’m getting my receipt, and walking out the door, there was no cash out option. Argh! Fine. Walk down to the ATM, withdraw $100 cash using Australian debit card. Where to get change? Well I could just grab a kids meal from Chipotle I guess. Oh, but instead of the sign about kids meals, there’s a sign telling me that Solstice is on Tuesday June 21st, and if I buy a burrito on that day, I can come back any time that week and get a free burrito. Distracted. Fine, I’ll grab some soft tacos, I should have dinner anyway.
I hand my money over to the manager man who always reminds me of Billy Joel. He has the manner, however, of a clown at a children’s birthday party. Every time he hands me my change and says “There you go”, I feel like I’m being handed a balloon animal. As I walk back to my apartment I remember the fireflies in my backpack – aha! I hope they’re still ok.
Dash home, grab laundry, throw it on by 9.30. Go back up to my apartment, look for my fireflies. Three remain. One wanders off as I’m getting them out of the backpack, and disappears into my apartment. I leave the others to hang out on my windowsill. They don’t seem to be doing much. I hope they’re ok. By the morning they’ve all disappeared. At least I got my laundry done.
Sorry website, I’ve been neglecting you. It’s been a crazy busy week.
There are probably a few better photos from the weekend – spent bouldering/climbing above water… deep water soloing? the water wasn’t that deep… I haven’t decided what to call it… at Summersville Lake, WV. But anyway, I like this one, for the sheer ‘ARGHH’ factor of the guys body as he’s falling.
NOTE TO SELF – If you have the opportunity to obtain a free air conditioner, TAKE IT, even if the weather isn’t particularly hot yet, as it is sure to become stinky and humid, and when you decide you really do want the air conditioner, it will already have been given away to charity. And then you will rue your missed opportunity, oh yes you will.
Sitting in the window of my apartment, watching the lightning. The thunder is distant now, and the rain has died away. Earlier we wandered down to the Potomac and took some photos as the thunderstorm was first rolling in, only to scarper home when we saw a solid sheet of water coming towards us.
