Road trip and Rodeo

STILL TO WRITE:

Widge's last home - Swim at Sewanee - Race car in CO mtns - climb in
the rain - 4x4 with Knox - mushrooms with everything - to Dillon - new
fence and long talks - Blue Goose down in Missoula - Meg salvation -
To Omak - the Stampede - Meg and Mols - Juan's confrontation - Saved
from the heat and a ride to the mountains - Winthrop - Pasayten
Wilderness - time with Anne - Beer-gut Triatholon - of Ali and Mt
Rainer - many flowers - Helena - sushi and climbing - Spokane - To
Ballard - Finding Berg - Willy's horse ranch - the sweat and the 7
glowing stones - John Rand Reunion -

New Life

Wow ... so much to tell. And I don't know where to start ... where
did I leave off? ... and so so much has changed. How can I explain.
I live in a city. My boat is for sale. I bought a great bike in live
in a great great place: I've got chickens, a wood shop, and a
garden--and my landlord is a good friend.
There are all many of job opportunities. Well, at least right now I
am meeting so many people who are offering interesting ideas. I am
trying to sort out the opportunities that matter--really, trying to
soul-search and learn what I need and want out of this stage of life.

Seattle is buzzing with fresh thinking and opportunity to get
involved. I have good mentors: Anne and her roommate Mike are
insatiably active and involve. They vollenteer; they participate in
buckoos of various activities. For instance, Mike gets his vegetables
from a CSA, which is a way of buying produce directly from local
farms--not the store. You eat what is growing right now! I'd never
heard of CSAs.

We go mushroom hunting and blueberry picking. There are weekly
lectures on permaculture and the "transition town" concept which are
issues I'm very interested in. Anne and I climb on Wednesday nights,
play goaltimate (half-court ultimate frisbee) on Tuesdays, camp or
hike on the weekends (or climb) ... on and on. Dally bike rides are
slowly teaching me the arteries of my new home.

So I'm busy; I'm enthused; I'm ready for this stage, not really
knowing where this all goes. More education: mechanics or nursing?
... maybe. Business? Farming? Nautical? I have a long list of
ideas and I'm gaining information, pros and cons.
I want to be here ... I can ski in the winter, climb and camp in the
summer, live amongst the biggest trees in the world, sail in the San
Juans, be near Missoula, spent time with and learn from interesting
and dynamic people. Opportunities look endless from where I am today.
I'm excited.

This IS NOT a separation or a diversion from my past. This is a
contiuation of everything I believe in: challenge, learning,
....fear. It is building skills I want and need. It is a rebuilding
of things I've lost over the five years afloat. It is a reckoning..