Day 9. Cayuta Lake, Connecticut Hill WMA and then Watkins Glen later. Yesterday was spent at Cornell, the bird sanctuary, Botanic Gardens, Arboretum and of course the dairy bar! Rainy evening, finished off the clams and sweet corn. Things are muddy, coming to a close as today's the last full day in the Finger Lakes.
I was looking at the big tractors and brush hogs the DEC uses for mechanical removal of msintance of fields for wildlife. As if there wasn’t a more natural tool – fire. They really should consider more controlled burns of the land, low slow burns, grass fires in the open fields during the spring months.
For too long fire has been feared, in part due to uncontrolled wildfires that burn much too hot. Then many have expressed concern with air pollution, after all if you burn a field, especially when it’s damp, your going to end up with a lot of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the air. But this is a natural source, unlike the increadible amounts coming out tail pipes in the cities.
Another muggy summer, damp cloudy day. Listening to the Grateful Dead, thinking about how good that White Wedding was in the rain with the remaining clams and sweet corn next to that smokey fire in the rain.
It’s gotten to that part of the trip 🏕 when you have to decide what’s left to do. You have to choose as the hour is late and the afternoon thunderstorms and dusk will upon me before you know it. I’m hoping for good enough weather this evening to do one more ride after dark, 🚲 maybe watch the stars ✨ and have a fire, 🔥 that I can watch from the hammock.
One more full day away from it all out in the Finger Lakes. Many a happy day floating, paddling, riding trail. Many an good ice cream eaten, many a puff taken, many a clam eaten and a beer drunk. But soon to be a memory, that is what I remember of it, and those extra calories on the waist. It’s been an adventure.
I’m 41 and I have nagging feeling that these adventures must come to end at some point. Adults have vacations but hardly the free flowing, whatever goes in the wilderness. I know I need to find a permanent home that needs ongoing repairs and livestock to feed. But it’s still a lot of fun to pretend I’m young, even if I ain’t anymore.
Reality bites with that occasionally work email and problem to fix from my phone. But I’ve really avoided work as much as possible, never made it to the library to create that IOICODE or run that report. I did the basics, like speak to the new hire and let them know I’ll be in late on Monday due to my physical – but I put off much onto the new week.