“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” — Mark Twain (And unlike a lot of famous quotes attributed to Mark Twain, this one he actually said.) As has often been the case in my life, travel prompts big and broad thoughts in my noggin. Sure, I contemplate short-term and in-your-face notions on what I’m seeing and doing, the people I’m meeting, and how much fun I’m having. But…
In early August, I returned to Annapolis from Massachusetts after my two-day trip to get my car inspected in the Bay State turned into a 12-day trip to deal with a sibling in crisis. I got back to Naptown and spent four days packing up a carload of crap — surfboards, kiteboarding gear, kitchen stuff, books, clothes, clothes, more clothes, etc. — and heading back north to Mass, where I would remain for the rest of August and all of…
I pumped up Further‘s dinghy this morning, one of several chores my faithful steed required after having been neglected for the better part of two months (the other big chore: washing all the bird shit off the deck). The tubes once again all taut with air pressure, I took the dinghy for a spin on Back Creek to go visit a couple of friends. I should have known such a trip would set me off but I went anyway. Oh…