ONE PARTICULAR HARBOR or CAMPSITE

"I know I don't get there often enough

But God knows I surely try

It's a magic kind of medicine

That no doctor could prescribe"

(Jimmy Buffet, One Particular Harbor)

Haven't been on here much lately. Been pretty busy getting moved out of my bro's house and setting up my new digs here at the State Park.

As of yesterday I have completed my first work week at the Park as a resident volunteer. That work week consisted of 20 hours of refurbishing some specialized benches, killing some weeds, doing some repairs to the old covered bridge at the North Gate and spending an entire day on the worlds fastest lawn mower trying hard not to get too distracted looking at the vistas all around and running the Dixie Chopper off some cliff.

Still getting organized a week after getting my new camper set up at the park. It's 25RR Grey Wolf Toy Hauler with plenty of room for my Honda Shadow and me to make the trip to Florida for the winter after Christmas.

 I'm at the lake now, hanging my laundry to dry and storing some things in the little cabin. Between my camper at the park and my shed/cabin at the lake, I have just about enough room for my "stuff". Seems like I have been spending the last 15 years downsizing. I keep thinking about the line from an old Jimmy Buffet song One Particular Harbor. 

"I used to rule my world from a pay phone

and ships out on the sea

Now times are rough I got too much stuff

can't explain the likes of me" 

My existence seems to be a reverse order of that song as I downsize, simplify, prioritize, dematerialize and homogenize.

When I say homogenize I am referring to the need to blend my campsite at the park with my camp away from camp here at the lake.

My two homes are 7.5 miles apart. There is no busy commute or traffic jams to fight. In fact I can make the trip by bicycle if need be. I did that on the day my camper arrived at the park so I could bring my big bike from the lake to the park. The trip out of the park on the bicycle was a piece of cake as it was all pretty much downhill off of Indiana's Little Smokies. When I got close to the lake it was a different matter due to some killer hills that needed conquering.

I needed to do some laundry today and I knew that would require a trip to town just 1 mile from the park entrance. I also needed to organize and store some of my "too much stuff" in the loft of the cabin-shack. I decided to bring my washed wet laundry to the lake and hang it out to dry like in the days of yore.

After a quick trip to Bear Hardware (one of my favorite places here), for some wooden clothes pins I hung up the tighty whitey's and such and let the nice breezy day do the work. 

This seems like a good system for laundry day!

There is a competition as to which place I want to be when I think of the this part of the song

"But there's one particular harbor

So far and yet so near

Where I see the days as they fade away

And finally disappear"

I have closed out many days here at the lake watching the sun slide over the trees and the night creatures on the water and in the woods begin their shifts.

The stars come out in enormous count, far away from the lights of the big city.

But now there is the other place. My camper sits next to the service area 1 mile from the campground. The sign on the drive says "Authorized Vehicles Only". Seclusion is the result.

A few steps away from my camper I pass through a stand of huge pine trees that opens up to a large field of grass that makes for a nice place to lay on a blanket and star gaze. A few more steps and I'm at the vista where I think if Got would have pushed just a little harder here Indiana would have a full blown mountain range.

A short walk or bicycle ride down the road is a fire tower where a guy can pack some beers in his backpack, climb the steps and watch the sun melt away from the highest point in Southern Indiana, yeah checked that off my list the first night.

In the daylight with my family and friends swimming in the lake and my grandson playing with his trucks in a pile of sand or do we want to go see papaw's camper then go hiking in the State Park?

"And there's one particular harbor

Sheltered from the wind

Where the children play on the shore each day

And all are safe within"

So you see my dilemma. I can't be in two places at one time. The two places are 15 minutes apart.

When I was a young man I had no idea the weird winding path that would take me from there to here, I just lived for that particular day with not much thought about the future.

"But now I think about he good times

Down in the Caribbean sunshine

In my younger days I was so bad

Thinking about all the fun we had"

Ahhhhhh, this particular song by the great JB hits me on so many different levels.

"I've seen enough to feel the world spin

Mixin different oceans meetin cousins

Listening to the drummers and the night sounds

Listening to the singers make the world go round"

Yes sing it Jimmy!

"La OraTe Natura

E Mea Arofa Teie Ao Nei 

La OraTe Natura

E Mea Arofa Teie Ao Nei"

Jimmy I have no idea what the hell that means.

"Most mysterious calling harbor

So far but yet so near

I can see the day when my hairs full gray

And finally disappear"

Ok JB both our bald heads can relate to that.

You know, I didn't intend to write about One Particular Harbor becoming my new theme song. It kinda just took that turn like so many things do.

Although I still cannot rule my world from a pay phone, I have been making great strides toward ruling my world from the Internet and a P.O. box.

I'll get there.

Till then my one particular harbor is right here.