The Thinker

July 10, 2017

Greetings from the thinker,

I’m thinking about walking in the rain.  Refreshing, and kind of carefree to just walk in the warm summer rain.  Today is not good because I have a full day already, and it wouldn’t be sensible to get my clothes all wet.  But I’ll do it.  Not right now, but soon, while it’s still summer.

I’m thinking about hanging up my hammock.  It’s a good one, big enough to nap in.  I’m thinking I’ll get my favorite books out and just flip through the pages and slip into the stories at random.  I’m going to do that; I just need to find the right place.  Probably need to clear away some poison ivy first.  Might as well trim those trees while I’m at it.  Don’t want to nap too late in the day or I won’t sleep well at night, and I have to get up early.

I’m thinking about going to the beach.  Take a blanket, get a good spot on the sand, not too far from the water.  Bring some little shovels and buckets to make sand castles or little mud statues of Buddha.  I’m going to do that, but I need to get some sun first.  I’m so pale right now, except for my hands and my neck.  I look like a mismatched mannequin.

I’m thinking about going camping.  Haven’t done that in years.  Get out the tent, some sleeping bags.  Bug spray.  Wood for the fire.  Groceries.  Some of those lanterns.  Might be better to have an air mattress to sleep on. How to make coffee?  Probably need to borrow a campstove.  And those little folding stools to sit on.  Maybe get a new tent.  Maybe first go to Gander Mountain and see how much some new gear costs.  Probably should research good places to camp.  Look at reservations.  Check reviews on campsites.  Top 10.

I’m thinking about tossing the Frisbee around.  Like at a picnic.  Go to the park, bring a cooler of food, claim one of the picnic tables there.  Invite some friends, toss the Frisbee around, eat some sandwiches.  Slice up a watermelon.  Weekend would be best but it’s hard to get everyone together.  Calendar says weekends are not great for me, so maybe on a Thursday.  I should check with all my friends first.  People working, some on vacation.  Kids’ activities.  Maybe closer to fall when it’s not so busy.  Really, you don’t see people throwing Frisbees much anymore.

I’m thinking about going kayaking.  The river has been up, would be a good time to drop in here and paddle north to the next town.  Leave the phone behind; just take some water and a snack and go.  Have to get someone to pick me up, so I guess I’ll need the phone, plus if someone needed to reach me it would better to have it.  And that way I can take pictures.  But I wouldn’t want it to get wet.  I’ll have to see if the kayak will fit on the car.  Might need a rack to carry it.  And I really shouldn’t ask someone to wait around for 2-3 hours for me to call to get picked up.  I’m not even sure where the paddle is.  Or the lifejacket.

I’m thinking about getting out the croquet set.  Brand new, never been used.  Got the deluxe version.  Best mallets and some good solid wickets.  I could set it up in the back yard, maybe get a little competition going with the neighbors.  I suppose I should find out their names before I just invite them over.  Moles have been making a mess of the yard so that would be a challenge.  Soon as I get a roller to flatten out those tunnel humps I’ll go looking for that croquet set.  It’s in the basement I think.  Which really needs to be reorganized.

I’m thinking about going for a hike in the woods.  Not real aggressive, just find a path and go exploring.  Just be out in nature, soak it in.  It would be fun to look for birds.  Get one of those books and learn about birds and then go hiking and see if I can spot them.  With binoculars.  I should see if there is an app for birdwatching.  I doubt I’ll ever use binoculars again, no sense in investing in a pair of those.  There’s probably classes I could take in birdwatching.   I don’t think I could hike in my running shoes.  Maybe go to Gander Mountain and look at shoes.  And read up on lyme disease.

I’m thinking about going to an outdoor concert.  I am always hearing how much fun people have sitting on the grass and listening to good music.  Being in a crowd, singing along, really feeling the artist’s passion.  Might be tough to find musicians I know nowadays, most of my favorites are long past touring.  Have to take a chance on some unknowns, which I might not enjoy.  I wonder if people still smoke pot at concerts, I’m not sure I want to be around that.  I’m definitely going sometime, so I’ll check the local venues and see who’s playing.  Maybe watch some YouTube to see if anyone looks appealing.  Learn some of the songs so I can sing along.

I’m thinking about watching the sun rise.  The sun set.  Eating ice cream without a plan.  Cooking out.  Watching ants.  Wading in a creek.  Going for a really long bike ride.

I’m thinking about making a list of things I am thinking about doing.  Get a good pen, something with a medium point.  Maybe a legal pad.  Numbers down the side.  I could use different color highlighters to prioritize.  It’s a good idea to set priorities so you get to everything you are thinking about.  Summer is going fast and I want to be sure to enjoy it.

Hope this finds you acting,

David

Copyright © 2017 David Smith