Wild River

#1 - I didn't have any exercise planned today and then I got an email asking me to sub on a soccer team tonight. Perfect! Especially since I missed my usual game on Sunday. I was coming back from camping at Wild River State Park (where all these photos were taken) and I had the opportunity to try rock climbing outdoors. I didn't realize how long it takes to set-up etc. It makes perfect sense, I'd just never really thought about it.


#2 - My adventure-some brother. Instead of driving somewhere to swim, he has started swimming in the lake near his home, which does not have a swimming area.

Last summer my friend and I used his kayak so I could go on a longer swim while she kayaked beside me. We've wanted to do that again this year and I was trying to arrange for this Sunday afternoon. The kayak is free and my friend is free, but my brother has plans with his car (which has the kayak carrier). I was planning to go to a nearby lake with an official swimming area but my friend was eager to try the kayak trailer. So I guess we are walking to the nearby lake, which slightly sketches me out, and I certainly wouldn't even try if my brother hadn't already multiple times.

#3 - I also found a friend (the kayak friend) to go to a play with me.

"TigerLion Arts presents Nature, the mythic telling of Emerson and Thoreau’s mutual love affair with the natural world."

I saw their production of "The Buddha Prince" a long time ago at a park in Minneapolis. It was a tale about the life of the Dalai Lama, which in itself is enough to make me love it, but it was also done outdoors and "walking". We moved to different locations as a cast and audience. I'd never seen a play like that before and I immensely enjoyed it. This play will have a similar format and I would like to learn more about Emerson and Thoreau anyway.

I was happy to go alone, but I'm glad I thought to ask this friend as she sounds excited too.

#4 - "Think small," the classic thing I say to myself when I'm not coming up with more gratitudes. Then I went out to the garden and saw the beginnings of my first cantaloupe. This is as far as I've grown a cantaloupe (well the sun, rain and soil do all the growing - I just offer a little bunny protection.)

#5 - Speaking of bunnies, my meals have felt a little lonely today. Most often when I'm eating out back, one or more of the bunnies is also chomping in view. Today none were to be seen. I was pretty sure mamma was still around though. Then I went back inside to get more of my dinner and she appeared. She did seem a bit more skittish as she completely left the area when I got up to take a photo in the garden. I don't think she used to do that.