How many times today did you walk into a room and forget why you were there, pick up the phone only to forget who you wanted to call, take a half hour to find where you put your car keys?
If you’re of a certain age — that being the middle one — more than once, no doubt. And no doubt when one of the above happened you took it as further proof that your brain continues its rapid descent into the abyss. Well, Ha! You’re wrong!
Things I might be doing this Easter weekend if my nose wasn’t running like a Delta Tau Chi keg from spring allergies.
1. Paddle at Merchant’s Millpond
Merchant’s Millpond may be man made, but after 190 years the millpond has shed most signs of its civilized past. Today, the 760-acre millpond is much more coastal swamp than center of commerce. The pond’s dark, acidic waters meander through a forest of bald cypress and tupelo gums dripping with Spanish moss. Cooters, snapping turtles. water snakes and a host of vocal frogs add to this aquatic adventure, which is as easy as plunking down $5 for a canoe (for the first hour, $3 each additional hour). Easy paddling, no previous experience in a boat required.
Last weekend, I discovered a new park. This weekend, I rediscovered a park that, somehow, had flown off the radar.
Every couple of weeks, usually on a Saturday, Marcy and I pick a direction and drive. Whatever we discover along the way is what we do for the day. Yesterday, our compass pointed west.
I’ve long wanted to go to the Banff Mountain Film Festival but I’ve never gotten my act together to make it happen. Now, the next best thing is happening: The Banff Mountain Film Festival is coming to me. More significantly to you, it’s coming to us. This month, the film fest featuring the best in outdoor adventure will show, in scaled-down form, in Boone, Brevard, High Point and Charlotte.
You never know where you’ll find inspiration. You could, for instance, think you’re passing some idle time at work by surfing the web and — viola! — you stumble across a video that makes you think, “Wow! I’d like to do that!” Or, in the case of some of the following videos, “Wow! I’d like to do something like that but without risk of loss of limb or life!”