Saturday, November 14, 2009

that overused word

How I love a morning espresso with a wallop of hot milk! And this, too: muesli with chopped fresh fruit (mangoes are available) and kefir! (Note the exclamation marks.)


It’s the middle of November. In Wisconsin that’s about as interesting a time as oh, say the middle of March. Naked raw earth, bare limbs. Yawn.

I don’t think Ed minds, or even notices. Every day is your birthday...

Do you want to bike from McFarland to Lake Kegonsa? Oh... I am completely in love with the idea of biking somewhere that is not work!

It’s gray and the forecast says “showers later.” Later. I’m okay with that. Later. Not now.

We leave our bikes by the McFarland Town Hall, where farmers are selling (against all odds) roots and apples and hemp bracelets.


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We buy apples. You can always use apples. Ed’ll eat five at a sitting and consider it a fine meal. Fresh and honest.



The twenty mile bike loop is easy (Ed’s evaluation). Just small hills. I love how small to him is strenuous to me. And how my cold is his toasty. And how he can push the pedal down so hard that one stroke will put him miles ahead of me.

The scenery is pretty in spite of November's best effort to make the world bleak. You can always count on cows to add life to a toneless landscape. Ed watches as I step down to take photos. Run from her! She’ll eat you tomorrow!


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I briefly consider giving up meat forever.


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Close, but no. Maybe next year.



The air is pungent with the smoke of burning leaves. This is autumn as you want it to be: smoky, woodsy and slightly threatening (with rain).

We come to the point where the Yahara River runs into Lake Kegonsa.


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We were here four years ago. Kayaking. I remember iy well: we landed here.


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The me of November 05. The Ed of November 05. In those days, I still showed off my perky and robust ways. Now I grumble about hills and steep inclines and cloudy gray skies.

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A few tentative drops of rain hit the windshield as we eventually make our way home. Okay, not home. We part ways: Ed is off to get a beard trim, I’m off to work at the shop.

I think about how hard it is to love mid November. Except that today, it's sort of easy.