Getting Back into the Swing of Things

MacKaye Harbor, Lopez Island - Spandex Free Zone

We've been back on the island for a little over a week. Getting back into the swing of things has been a very slow process. I still had a little lingering intestinal stuff for a few days upon re-entry that had me babying my gut & my activities. As soon as the gut stuff cleared I caught a nasty cold that has had me coughing, sniffling & sneezing and really limping my life along. I'm having to be real patient with myself & not do too much, or stress out about not doing too much. It's hard! I have so much on the agenda that needs to be taken care of and it's summer, everyone is bustling around here and I should be too.

Leaving at the time of the year like I did; Mid- May and returning one month later on the eve of Summer Solstice has been disconcerting. It was spring-time and everything was in mid-bud and the island was still relatively empty of summer tourists and the days were just beginning to lengthen. Now the island is full of hordes of gawky spandex clad bicyclists clogging up the roads and the hustle and bustle of the summer tourist season. Also, everything alive; plant and kid-wise has grown about 4 feet with the start of summer. In Bolivia they are only 3 hours ahead of us but it was winter. It was 80 degrees in the day but there was an early morning chill and it didn't get light until around 8 a.m. with darkness descending around 7 P.M. I am having a challenging time adjusting to all this summer light! Around 6 P.M. I find myself saying; "Sheesh! this is a long day! When is it going to end?" and as a consequence going to bed real early most nights, hours before it even gets dark.

I'm feeling much better today. A couple glasses of red wine last night seems to have cut through a bit of the chaff. I'm looking real forward to feeling totally better and fully getting back into the swing of things and beginning my summer.