Day 151

i have focus. right now. that's good, cause i haven't the past few days when i've gotten on here. it gets hard to write something interesting every day, but like it.

i have some cool news to share. and will.
but first, a raconteur. sort of.

the rain has stopped. finally. i went outside into the cool, crisp autumn air today to do some landscaping work and was sent back by the familiar scent of sweaty, leather work gloves.

days in australia, last summer, started with the same feel of this clear afternoon. cool. the outback air was always on the verge of direct sunlight at five thirty a.m. and, as i rolled out of my tent and into the hazy chill, i most often continued without a hoodie. minutes into a mostly silent walk down the airstrip, the edgy mist was warmed by a rising orange haze. the horizon glowed, then grew- endless and quiet and wild. hours later, around five p.m., we would be finished working and would be trudging back in the dusty glow of a shrinking sun. the gloves, damp and dusty, would come off. the baby kangaroo, quantas, who'd spent his day sleeping in a suspended canvas bag, hopped around the kitchen and came to lick the salt from the palms of these hands, sweaty and stained by the smell of leather work gloves.

it's a good association.

today, as i began to plan re-entrance into canada, there's been an exciting and relieving occurrence to be able to join the very date, weekend, and overall schedule of this trek with the arrival and intercepting of friends from back home, illinois, who happen to be in this area of the country on the very weekend i pass through the area. remember, this already happened once when eric drove up and was able to meet me with supplies and extra gear.

seriously. these things cannot be planned for and, in a way, are little encouragements that i'm doing the right thing. i'm blown away.