Day 82

Had a good morning. Went for a long hike with Mark in Wild Burro Canyon (in Marana, AZ). The weather was beautiful - not a cloud in the sky and warm. We hiked about 3 miles, much of it over rocky terrain especially during the ascents and descents. Mark recommended that I not wear tennis shoes. I’m glad I listened to him. The extra ankle support from my Timberland boots gave me a lot of confidence walking the trail. I saw lots of saguaro cacti, several that were over 25 feet tall. 

Me standing next to a saguaro cactus on the Lower Javelina trail. Estimated height 30 feet. 

This afternoon we drove south of Tucson almost to the US-Mexican border. We went to Tupac, Arizona. Tupac has lots of artist galleries and a few restaurants. After a nice lunch at one of the local establishments, we spent the next couple of hours exploring some of the galleries. I lost interest after the third one. I spent the next hour bored out of my mind but tried really hard not to complain. I think I was mostly successful. Mostly. 

On the way back to Mark and Kip’s house (in Marana), I fell asleep in the car. I don’t know why I was so tired. It may be because of the hike but I’m more inclined to believe I didn’t sleep well last night. During dinner tonight, Dawn kept asking me what was wrong. Nothing felt wrong but, admittedly, I was not very upbeat so I can appreciate why she would keep pressing me. Hopefully I will sleep better tonight.

Thinking more about it now, I’m a little worried that my disposition this afternoon and evening may be the first signs of trouble related to going back home tomorrow. Back to Suwanee. You know, where all my troubles await. One thing about grief that doesn’t get a lot of press (unless you are looking for it) is that while you may be able to push it out of your mind for a time, you can’t hide from it forever. It will patiently wait for you, quietly biding its time until you let your guard down or run out of steam in terms of staying distracted. I went through this when Dawn and I flew home from our trip to New Mexico at the end of January. I know this is going to also be the case when I go back to Georgia tomorrow. I just don’t know exactly when this will happen or how intense it will be when it does. All I can do is let it happen and deal with it when it comes. 

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