Day at the beach

5 A.M. I peel open one eye to see the red numbers on the clock. Well theres only one way my ass is going to pedal up to the lake and thats by getting up and throwing the bags on the bike. Out the door I went. Stop off at BK for a breakfast sandwich and rolled my way down the road 20 miles up to Port Clinton Ohio. The sun was bursting through the big morning clouds in Giant beeming rays. The town from my childhood looks quite different now, new buildings and a changed skyline. None of the old demons of the past lived here anymore.



Another ten miles and I was at my destination East Harbor state park. Tall white egret bird standing his spindally legs into the wetland waters along the side of the road. I ride into the park on a nice bike trail leading me to a shelter house were I set up for morning solitude watching the birds and clouds roll into the sky. Lake erie stretches out on the horizon smooth like rippled glass. Though the silence gradually gives way as by noon a few hundred people have filled in to the beach.



Hanging out with a friend who was vending hot dogs near a water slide on the beach I was sitting next to a father of one of the children in line. He was about my age and after seeing my veterans for peace t-shirt asked if I was a veteran. Turns out he and I had served together back in 92. We talked it up about old times. What are the odds.



Well Ill tell you the odds. Just then my sisters father in law Steve came walking across the beach dragging what seemed to be a 400 pound cooler behind him leaving a ditch in his wake. Looked over to me sitting there and said, "Hey rick your sister is right over here." Wow you kiddin me? what a day. The universe was really showing off today.



I walked around the slide and there she was my sister with her husband Jeremy and my nephew Andrew. We went out for a swim together chatted about my Kentucky crush among other things and she invited me for BBQ with her and her inlaws. It was unexpected deliciousness. What a day!



Rode out as I had just enough sunshine left for my return trip rounding out a nice 60 mile day to the lake. I pulled into the house scrubbed off a full bottles worth of sunscreen I had accumulated during the day at the beach and nuzzled into my pillow. Blissfull, Happy, Content.



Peace, Luv, and Ferret kisses,

Rick and Dick