the recharging effect of a good weekend

My weekend ends in a few hours.

Rocko and I went around the block twice this week. On Monday we took the trip, then on Tuesday I was bored so we went toward Canton. I needed to pick up my prescription refill and I wanted to wash the car. I recently replaced the rear brake pads and there was still brake dust that I wanted gone.

When we got to town, I remembered the car wash but forgot the prescriptions. On the way home I decided to head up Lake Logan Road again rather than turning left toward Cruso. It worked out well; we explored a section of the West Fork of the Pigeon that we hadn't stopped at before. The water had an odd milky cast to it, not the usual crystal-clear mountain water I am accustomed to seeing; Rocko didn't like drinking it. That particular stretch of the river is downstream from the fish hatchery, which probably has something to do with it.

By the time we reached the Blue Ridge Parkway at about a mile's elevation, we were inside rain clouds. All of the overlooks were overlooking grey nothingness. The fog (cloud) was so dense that I pulled over at an overlook for a while. I was worried about being rear-ended by someone because I was going pretty slowly. We wandered around for about 15 minutes, watching other cars go by slowly. There was a long line - maybe 10 vehicles - who drove by close together. I told Rocko that it looked like somebody traveling at a sane speed for conditions was being followed by a bunch of fools, and I was glad that they passed us by.

Soon it started raining hard and we jumped into the car and headed off again. Torrential rain continued until we reached the bottom of the hill on Route 276, at the Big East Fork trailhead. A couple of miles away at home, we had received 0.21". Not a torrent, but appreciated nonetheless.

It was a good weekend. We got to play in the water, see the wilderness, and escape civilization for a while. I feel rested.