Took the kayak out this morning. It was partly cloudy, but a mist covered the whole river and Second Creek. I decided to stay on Second Creek to avoid any fast bass boats who have more horse power than sense. Second creek is quite shallow so I knew I would be safe. It's amazing how quiet it is on water and in a mist. It's surreal, gliding quietly in the mist and then suddenly come into a pocket of clarity, if only momentarily. It's a treasure to be able to glide silently and approach with in a few feet of a wading blue heron or come silently up to an eagle in a low hanging branch feeding on a fish that it has just caught. At times it was rather easy to image that I might be somewhere up the Congo in Darkest Africa or on a tributary of that great river the Amazon. Eat your heart out, Walter Mitty. Anyway, it was a great way to enjoy the morning.

I hope the weather hold tomorrow and Sunday as I have both days off to do whatever I wish.....

By the way, and I am gloating, the temp is a very pleasant 78. I have a potato in the oven and a steak ready for the grill. Have store bought fire logs ready to light at sundown. The telescope is set up and aligned. Having enjoyed the morning, I am getting ready to enjoy the evening. A grocery store in Athens is carrying a local muscadine wine, bottled here in Alabama, and I have one chilling right in the icebox right now. Muscadine wine comes in both red and white varieties, and I bought several bottles of each. It's nice to support the local economy, in fact, in this case particulary it's a delight to do so.

Sometimes it takes effort to enjoy things that life has to offer, when it seems that life mostly offers pain and tragedy. En fact, mon amis, I think it is a moral imperative to look for the good things, and take advantage of them. It seems that for me, anyway, if I can find a reason to change my attitude, I can change the kind of day I am having. The trick is remembering that attitudes are changable.

I have the new Jimmy Buffett cd playing. I am quite taken with this song on the cd.

Kinda sums up my attitude, at times.

Party at the End of the World

Calling Paris

Come in London

Come in New York

Hello Rio

The bad news is the world is ending

The good news is there's a party

But you better get here quick

When you feel like a written off actor on Deadwood

About to get fed to the pigs

When that preacher's bus from hell

Blastin' just cowbell

Parks itself in front of your digs

There's a place you can go called Tierra Del Feugo

Down in the Southern Hemisphere

It's kinda Troy without Helen

Past the Straits of Magellan

Things are always looking up down here

Cause there's a party at the end of the world (end of the world)

Where the locals do the tango twirl (tango twirl)

Forget the temples in Nepal

Cancel the fete in Montreal

There's a party at the end of the world

It seems like I've run out of reasons to be here

So I'm just gonna steal from myself

If your attitude's appalling

There's a latitude that's calling

Get yourself past that continental shelf

Now the band that we hired

Is playing quite inspired

Singing Eskimos and eunuchs from Bangkok

And this location's so nice

We'll never run out of ice

'Cause Antarctica's just around the block

And there's a party at the end of the world (end of the world)

Where the locals do the tango twirl (tango twirl)

Now don't make that big mistaica

And wind up with Miss Jamaica

At the party at the end of world

Flying machines, yellow submarines

French girls in cowboy decor- "D'accord"

RSVP isn't needed you see

And they all just be screaming for more-AMOUR

Now in case you hadn't heard

Things are getting quite absurd

No one really shocks us that's for sure

Roadside bombers and tsunamis

Oh god How I miss those Commies

No one really plays fair anymore

But I've spoken to the yogis

And had meetings with my roadies

Who tell me that arrangements are complete

Just below the "Roaring forties"

I am going to fly some sorties

So you best reserve that cherished window seat

To the party at the end of the world (end of the world)

Where the locals do that tango twirl (tango twirl)

I don't care about "the Rapture"

When there's native girls to capture

There's a party at the end of the world

Who cares if there's no playa

We'll be rocking in Ushuaia

At the party at the end

You surely must attend

Elia