It’s “Biscuit & Gravy Sunday” here at the Wayside, and because it’s biscuit Sunday, everything else will have to wait. It was the only thing on today’s agenda for me, and I came into it fully expecting it to fill the entire morning. I’ve been looking forward to this, and being mostly an herbivore, I don’t even eat biscuits and gravy!
It felt proper to put on my “Sunday Best” for the event, which truth-be-told just meant socks, shoes and a pair of pants fresh from the “clean” pile. And although I ordered my now-typical breakfast sandwich, in my chest beat the heart of a woman eating biscuits and gravy. It was enough just to be here, partaking in this weekly gathering of this season’s locals.
I spend a lot of time visiting small towns and have developed a bit of an “radar” for these sorts of “happenings”. They aren’t the sort of events locals feel require a poster or other advertising. Maybe one line on a menu. They have a natural buzz about them that just attracts more bees. A quiet reference in a nearby conversation is all you may receive “to be in the know”. On Wednesday, I think I overheard someone say, “You in for biscuits Sunday?” and I just knew it was important, this being “in for biscuits”. I wanted to be in for biscuits too.
Breakfast-bar-talk included ongoing concerns about the lake being drained, and hopefulness that due to a lack of available divers to make repairs on the dam, it may be postponed. People who had not been seen in a couple days were accounted for by others; like an informal roll-call. It sounds like there is enough crappie fish in the collective freezers of this community to keep everyone here alive until next season; someone has been secretly feeding it to the dogs so there is room in the freezer for hamburger. Yesterday, fishing, we saw someone with a line full of crappie trying to give it to other fisherman, so it didn’t surprise me.
I sure find myself less and less drawn to the “big” attractions as I wander, and more and more interested in the people and communities I have the pleasure to meet and participate in, even for just a short time.
But to do that, I need to stay for a while. Spend time lazy-talking. Poky-listening. Walk-talking. Sit-hearing. Slow-watching. Drift-feeling. Float-breathing. Cloud watch-humming.
And so here I am. Five days at Alamo.
After breakfast, Pippa and I did some winding-wash-walking, and I decided to act on the plan to move camp to the spot I looked at yesterday. I spent the afternoon up here, with good cell signal, writing. There were many more song birds here, and it was cool to be able to look down on the vultures circling, rather than across at them. There is a jack-rabbit living just over my new knoll. I saw him twice. I saw another eagle too.
But it was windy. Very windy. Pippa was clearly unhappy with this choice (I can tell because she puts her ears WAY back so that they look attached to her skull) Also, the weather is changing tomorrow and we’re anticipating a few days of significantly colder temperatures. Before the sun went down, I moved to a nice site right on the lake. Equally gorgeous. Better protected. Happier Pip.
Tonight my friend and I played cribbage. I haven’t played cribbage in a long time. Tasks like this make me realize how my brain still becomes very tired and struggles to keep linear things in order. I would deal, and immediately forget I had dealt. Keeping track of which direction the pegs were moving was challenging. But my friend is tolerant and we laughed a lot because he thought I was trying to cheat! I don’t remember now who won and it doesn’t matter.
One thing about having memory challenges is that living in the moment is pretty easy most days, and I’m not likely to ever be a sore loser 😉
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To my friends along for this 28 Day Ride: A heartfelt thank you for your comments, encouragement and sharing. It’s such a gift to have you all along. I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me to read your words, here and in various online forums. It is a gift to know I am not alone. I’m sorry I’m not able to respond personally to each of you who has taken time to connect at this time, but it seems as soon as I complete one post, it’s time for another! 🙂 But in time, I will. In March, lol. For now – from my heart- thank you.
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I am SO enjoying your blog! It’s been almost a month.. and I am so hoping you will continue.
Love it when after being without cell svc for a few days I can get a cell signal, make a mug of coffee, and catch up with online “friends”. I always look for your latest posts…..thanks for your generosity in sharing your experiences. You make me smile.
Post after post, you capture the essence of why I want to do what you are doing. Thank you!!
I love “Biscuit and Gravy Sunday” ! It is Family day here in Ontario and I am hanging out reading and planning my own getaway. Like you I also fancy a journey that focuses on people and what they are doing to make their lives and communities better. I love talking to people who are growing food, tending bees, making bread, making art and music. Thank you so much for sharing your Biscuit day.
Really enjoying your stories here. I am on a disability from a pesticide poisoning and have some similar cognitive issues so today’s entry got me chuckling. I don’t know if it’s an issue for normal people but I find the light coloured text pretty difficult to read though. Cheers. Peter