FRED FIRST: No Place Home

The good news is that COLUMBIA has been easy to navigate, and our son’s house near the trails has increased our miles per day by a good bit.

The bad news is that we are not yet reunited with our possessions still aboard a hot United van in an undisclosed location that is NOT Columbia.

After loading on August 26, it looks like it will be September 11 before we will be able to leave this motel. I will not elaborate on the frustrations of living out of a suitcase packed on the assumption we would be under roof in CoMo in less than a week.

How many complementary breakfast bagels can a person eat for lunch?

I asked for a top floor room since this was The highest vantage point we’re likely to ever have in flat country. And the first evening offered us validation that beauty could also be found in the Show Me state.

It has been a pleasure and a comfort to see many familiar flowering plants along the walking trails, as well as all the same invasives we knew in Virginia.

And I am learning new invaders fortunately not prevalent yet in southwest Virginia, like this Amur honeysuckle that dominates many woodland understories. The berries are devoured by birds but but contain empty calories, and so are an inferior nutritional source for migrating birds, that will be migrating south down the central flyway soon.

Our grandson Oliver hastily created this banner for us, and we do indeed feel ‘Melcome’ in CoWo. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On the other hand, if I had it to do over again – – and I do not – – I would consider renting three pods, loading them myself with the help of friends and hiring somebody predictable and dependable to deliver on the day we say. United Van Lines has another way of doing business and I don’t like it, and I assure you they are aware of my displeasure. ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)

And life goes on….

Sun-dogs and a circumferential halo

– Fred First is an author, naturalist, photographer watching Nature under siege since the first Earth Day. Cautiously hopeful. Writing to think it through. Thanks for joining me. Subscribe to My Substack HERE

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