Reminders

Went to get an oil change today. It was a bit under the 3K miles recommended but the road trip tomorrow will take us well beyond and I'm still feeling out the new rig for bugs and would rather eliminate or reduce one potentiality than pull over while crossing the mountains and out of range of cell towers.

Still, I had my guy, Brian, give a quick look at the front end. I had a suspicion.

"Yeah, you've got a little extra wear on the inside of both front tires."

See? What'd I tell ya? I'll figure in an unscheduled road trip next week to take care of it and cross my fingers in the interim. "Not dire," I tell the wife, for I don't believe it is.

But that's not why I came here tonight, when I should be checking off items on the 50 item departure checklist. While Brian did his thing, I did a little of mine.

Think of it as a warm-up. And pray for a little sun when we get there.

You will note the third is a close-up of part of four. In fact, the order of shooting is reflected here. I felt fortunate to see the old strap and how it roughly marked the height of the dead weeds. Still, three was easy.  Heck, one and two were as well. Maybe number two less so. But number four...

Four days on the beach is going to present me with all sorts of "picture-perfect" opportunities. Fine. But there has to be something more. After all, that's why I do this, to find that something more: The undefinable that somehow, despite itself, works.

I find myself thinking back to my childhood when my brother and I played in the woods for hours at a time doing nothing but exploring little spring-fed streams. We'd turn over rocks in the water just to see what was underneath.

Something like that.