Parked
Scrolling through the images on my new camera, I thank Virgil for the delightful gift. He grins and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I’m
enjoying it, too. This is so much better than when we had to wait days to see
how the photos turned out.”
“And I can
snap away without the dread of wasted film,” I add.
He points
to the image of a resting dragonfly. “Did you just take that?”
“Yes. A field
beyond the campground is teaming with insects.”
“What
are we waiting for, then?” he asks, folding his newspaper. “I’ve been sitting
on my behind entirely too much this trip.”
I haven’t
complained because seeing him relax so completely has been wonderful. But if I were
to be completely honest with him or myself, this sedentary side of him got a
bit dull this third day of camping. I’m ready for a little adventure.
“I have
a better idea. Why don’t we go into town and rent some bikes?”
Usually I’m
the one happiest setting a sedate pace on foot. My suggestion clearly delights
my guy. I just hope [i]my[/i] behind doesn’t regret this departure from the
norm.
An hour
later, I think I’m doing pretty well. We’ve ridden past some really neat
historical buildings. Even better, Virgil points to an ice cream stand.
“What do
you say, Gladys? Ready for a break? I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
I’m
almost off the bike before it coasts to a stop beside the shop’s cluster of
picnic tables. Virgil laughs. I tell him to purchase another of whatever he
decides to get just as long as he makes mine smaller. It’s not often that our
tastes are not in accord.
And this
is not one of those times. A scoop of pistachio ice cream on a waffle cone
tastes great, a cooling treat after our exertion. Virgil groans when it’s time
to pedal on our way.
“Want to
head back to the rental shop? You look ready for a nap.”
“I
should work off some of those calories,” he says, “but yeah. Let’s go.”
“Just
one second.”
A teenager walking by is kind enough to take our picture as we pose before the bicycles. Then I'm ready to park myself by our tent until time to light a fire and start dinner.
***
Nice! Makes me dream of camping and ice cream and lazy bike rides. Especially however the ice cream, pistachio!
ReplyDeleteYou're very kind. I'd love to join you on the venture. :) The ice cream sounds surprisingly good right now.
DeleteMmmm..sounds like a lovely time out together!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words. It means a lot that you took time to read and reply. I look forward to what you post next, my dear.
DeleteSounds like Virgil and Gladys's (?) big adventure was a success! I could picture them in a little coastal town riding bikes. Funny thing...I was in my pool the other day and a dragonfly landed on my toe! I really enjoyed your five days of photos and stories!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat encounter with a dragonfly! Thank you for taking time to read and reply. I'm so glad to have found your blog.
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