jesse_the_k | Northern Happinesses

The basic, eternal joys of Rhinelander: the clear cold lake ringed with conifers and birches. Eagles and loons and deer and (maybe) a cougar. Excellent, copious simple food. Constant reading except when we're napping or strolling around outdoors. MyGuy takes Lucy out on the rails-to-trails, where she frantically follows new smells. Barb and I (when awake) discuss what's happened the previous year, with commentary informed by our forty-year friendship.

Fate sent me a remission to coincide with my vacation! One day I walked in town, swam, and still was able to make dinner. This is more than twice what I'm accustomed to accomplishing, and I was truly thrilled. Just realized there was a direct pain/fatigue tradeoff. Still worth it.

The weather turned hot, which is rare and wond'rous. I shimmied into the wetsuit Barb found me at a garage sale! and slithered into the lake like a very happy otter. The top 12 inches of the lake were around 80°, then the water temperature swooped colder in mysterious patterns. Some were 70° (thank Ghu for wetsuit). While I leisurely walk and ski and scull in the water (more of a jellyfish than an otter, really), Barb performs her ritual meditation: raking away the pine needles and water plants to expose the pale sand. Eventually she joins me. The lake quiets as sunset approaches. The mosquitoes must be tormenting some other mammal, as we bob gently in the clear, hard lake.

We took several trips to town, which not only provide stocking-up opportunities but permit me to push my walker on smooth surfaces without hot sunlight (which makes me melt and eventually faint). We always stop at "Blissmart," a natural/organic food store run by a Christian commune, which is past ready to go head-to-head with Whole Foods. The onsite bakery provides an aroma that even us atheists and celiacs find heavenly. They sell industrial quantities of anything that fits in a polypro quart container. Chamomile and comfrey, sure. Quinoa flour and dried cherries, of course. Hot pink sprinkles and jimmies? I guess so. We looked for almond butter and ended up with dehydrated taro/green been/carrots and much much more. Being on vacation invites too many choices.

Most of the time, MyGuy cooks for us all. BB cleans up, and I sometimes fret about what I'm not doing, even though they both reassure me it's OK. One day, however, I cooked pulled pork, GF cornbread, and collards with bacon & vinegar. I was anxious but it was tasty.

A recent tradition is marathon DVD watching. We've shared THE WIRE, HOUSE of CARDS (UK), SLINGS AND ARROWS, FIREFLY/SERENITY. This time, we made it through episode 5 of HOUSE OF CARDS (US) (where Zoe gets into actual bed with Francis Underwood (UK+Urhquart); Rep Russo, D - PA, loses it; Claire plays mind-games with a photog; funding crises lead to a BBQ party outside the hotel, complete with picket line). I really like the photography and editing. It makes DC look royal. Sadly Kevin Spacey's FU seems flat, not Machiavellian. Ian's Richardson's FU was almost salivating with glee as he pondered the power-manipulations at his fingertips. I hope Spacey et al ramp back up to nefarious toward the end.

We don't start our TV watching until we get the sunset signal, thus:
Photo description: Sun below the horizon, filmy clouds reflect pink, violet, orange light. Pale blue sky below clouds, horizon defined by dark green trees; all these colors reflected in the rippled lake surface.