Thursday, April 15, 2010

"Nature Is My Religion"

I don't know who wrote that quote, but my daughter-in-law Kathy posted it on her Myspace profile quite some time ago. I really liked the quote because it conveys a deep reverence and respect for the earth. I get that.

If I had to take the quote a little bit further to encompass a bit more of my spiritual perspective, I would also say "Nature is my church." This is not something my pastor would like to hear, I am quite sure. But, quite honestly, nature - water, trees, flowers, dirt, beach, wild critters large and small, all of it - is where I feel most connected to everything and everyone around me; where I feel most uplifted and fulfilled; where I feel most reverent and grateful; where I am rejuvenated and have the most fun. I am stripped of life's have-to's and I can just be. You know, whatever the hell that means.

What started me on this vast and meaningless train of thought has been the weather. It has been unseasonably beautiful for almost two weeks. Lows have been in the 50's and the highs in the low to mid- 80's, with low humidity and lots of sunshine. Even though I've been swamped the last few days, dinner out on the patio every night has been glorious and deeply satisfying. I'm easily amused.

This weather always begins our discussion of what we are going to do with our boats - should we keep them in the water, docked at Eden Isle or shall we take them out and just put them on trailers and launch them when we plan to use them. The sailboat has been in the water in a slip at Greers Ferry Lake all winter long, but Tom pulled the ski boat out of the slip late last fall and it's been sitting on it's trailer on the concrete RV pad at the side of our house since then. Now that Tom is working on the travel trailer, we need to start thinking about where we are going to dock the boats that is also in close proximity to a camp ground.

Do we leave them where they are? The rates are reasonable, the lake access is really good, but no camping nearby. What about going back to Dam Site Marina? The campground is right above the marina within easy walking distance, but the lake access frankly sucks. The marina sits in a channel and the water gets very choppy and stays that way all day long. A ski boat can quickly make an escape to calmer waters, but maneuvering a sailboat in that mess is no fun. A slip on the outer breakwater (the worst location) is over $500 more per boat per year than what we currently pay. A slip closer in and more protected is over $700 more per boat per year. What about Choctaw at the other end of the lake? The cost is about what we pay now (maybe even a little less), and camping is just up the hill, but it is rather remote and there are fewer coves nearby in which to anchor and just sit in our little floaties and enjoy the water. Decisions, decisions.

Since Tom won't be finishing the trailer renovation in order to use this summer, I think for the rest of this year, we will keep the boats docked at Eden Isle and sleep on the sailboat on weekends or rent a small condo nearby, but we will be on and in the water most of the summer, rest assured. And I can hardly wait.

2 comments:

Laura from Chicagoland, a few times a year, from a little camper in Higden said...

Found your blog tonight, by happy accident. Love it!

Terri said...

Thanks for visiting Laura. :-)