A Whole Lot of Not Much

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Oubache Trails Campground, Vincennes, Indiana

I don’t know exactly what hit me, but after breakfast yesterday, I started feeling not-so-great. A little bit of nausea, a headache, a lot of aches and pains, and just a general malaise (who remembers that word from the Jimmy Carter days!). Part of it was really physical, the rest, I think was kind of a reaction to the heat and humidity. I wrote my post, and drank my coffee, outside on the picnic table and, while things were pretty quiet among the human organisms, there was a whole lot of flying insects that seemed to want to share their morning with me. Maybe it was just the whole oppression of ‘southern summer’ that kind of got to me.

But all I felt like doing was going back to bed. After looking at the National Park description for the place we are seeing here, we sort of decided that it wasn’t all that necessary to get to it and we could afford a day to rest up. So, granting myself permission, I went back to bed. Joan, not having a whole lot to do herself, joined me. And I guess we needed it because we didn’t wake up until afternoon. We walked the dogs again and then settled in for some reading outside. Eventually, we got around to dinner. I grilled up some brats, Joan heated up Grillin beans, and made a salad. We remarked about how late it already was, read some more, and then hit the sack. We didn’t turn the A/C on for the night, but that might have been a mistake. I tossed and turned a bit. But, overall, I feel more rested today and ready to get out and about.

I understand that time is precious and wasting any of it is about as big a sin as I can imagine. We don’t have a whole of time on this earth and there is so much to experience - things to learn and beauty to appreciate - that it is difficult to accept a day when you just don’t do a damn thing. But you also have to listen to your body - it has needs too. And, especially as it gets older, it needs more time to recuperate. Making adjustments to changing weather and even the minor little assaults your body takes riding the bumps over a highway, all combine to wreak a little bit of havoc. I suppose it is only natural that, sometimes, your body stages a rebellion, demands a little respect, and says ‘not today, please’.

So, that’s what we did - an unplanned day off. We are rested up, feeling more energetic this morning, and ready to see some more of the world. We’ll talk about that tomorrow.

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Photos

96AAEEB4-7FF5-4084-9650-AD5782182ADC.
Southern-Style Forests and Humidity