Lots of exploring on the bike today.

Some easy black top riding and some off-roading. The forest service roads reminded of the days I lived in Bemidji  and walked other forest service roads hunting grouse.  That was another lifetime ago, but the memories are still there to be dusted off.

Speaking of which, here’s another memory of an entirely different sort. This one has a smiling face staring into yet another campfire having freshly showered.

Showers are something we mostly take for granted. Until the circumstances give them new value. When I first started planning this trip I used to jokingly tell my sister that my visit to them in NM early next month would be my second shower of the trip. They have been intermittent, but nothing like that.

So here’s the memory of the circumstances and the value.

When I was in the army preparing for my tour in Viet Nam, upon returning to the barracks after a long day of training in the field, we used to cut cards or roll dice to determine the order of showering. As you might expect there was never enough hot water to get through a whole platoon of guys, so winning a place that insured a warm shower was no small thing. And there were a lot of dirty, surly guys making sure you didn’t linger. Circumstances.  Some of the memories of those days are not so dark.