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| 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' by U2 playing on the radio and a full moon |
Yesterday morning as I drove out the road to go hiking with a friend I plugged in the ipod and got an interesting mix of songs to say the least. 'Tangled up in Blues' by Bob Dylan, followed by "I still haven't found what I'm looking for' U2, 'November Rain' GNR, and then to add the ironic touch 'It's a big old Goofy World' by John Prine. Do these devices sense our mood when in 'mix' mode? Needless to say, the mix of songs did put me in a particular frame of mind for the hike. It was also good to know that I am not the first, nor will I be the last to be in this predicament.
Since the end of the last blog, I've been doing a lot of therapeutic hiking with friends. Friends who mostly listen but who also counsel. On Thursday I hiked the Monashka Mountain - Reservoir Ridge loop with Lisa and Gregg, on Saturday I hiked the Red Cloud Canyon - Blueberry Bowl - Bear mountain loop to Golf Course with Michael B, and today I hiked the Erskine Bowl - Deer Mountain loop with Philip T. All spectacular hikes (photos here just from the second hike).
Generally at this time of the year when I go hiking it is with a gun and the intent is to harvest a deer. But as Gregg tongue-in-cheek put it on the first day - 'no guns on this hike'.
It has always been my belief that when you are hunting you are so much more aware and see so much more into the landscape. You are looking for deer, and are observing the terrain closely - looking for sunny spots in the lee, areas of good browse, which direction is the wind blowing.
But I must admit I have really enjoyed just hiking and not paying particular interest in anything. Just ambling along, chatting away across the alpine tundra, and soaking in the scenery. It is a completely different experience, and one that I have been surprised to find holds merit in its own right. I think there are more 'hikes without rifles' in my future.
And today on the car ride home the ipod mix picked out 'Angie' by the Rolling Stones.
Patrick
Hello Patrick
ReplyDeleteThe only place I have ever heard 'Big old Goofy man', is on our road trip 24 years ago. But this weekend, for some reason, I was singing it to myself. I couldn't even remember who sang it, and yet here it is. I'll go listen to it again! As you know, I'm not a great Country fan, but that song did make an impression.
Really sorry to hear about your situation. Obviously being this far away, and not really communicating much, other than the odd viewing of your blog, and Zoya's Facebook posts, I would have no inkling of your relationship dynamics. None the less, it sure dd come as a shock when I saw it on Sunday morning.
You really have been in my thoughts since then. Your wedding week was one of the greatest travel adventures of my life, I will never forget it. When I told my oldest daughter (Erin) that my friends on Kodiak were getting separated, she immediately went off to her little treasure chest, and came back with that tiny little aromatic pillow from your wedding that I had kept, and asked if that was yours. Sadly I had to tell her it was.
Hopefully you are well, and the next few months go as smoothly and easily as possible for all four of you.
If you want to write, I'm philly@icon.co.za
Love you both.
Philip