The Choices We Make

It was an absolutely beautiful Sunday in Blacksburg, VA -- mostly sunny and unseasonably cool for August.  Tara had recommended I bike the Huckleberry Trail.  It also came up on my TrailLink app, so, the Huckleberry it was.  One of Tara's ambrosial smoothie concoctions for breakfast, and I was on my way.  I passed through the Virginia Tech campus and downtown Blacksburg (which are essentially the same thing) on my ride to the trailhead.  The Huckleberry itself connects Blacksburg and the town of Christiansburg via a six-mile paved segment of former rail line.  The trail has more slopes and gentle curves than most rail-trails.  Shadowfax and I were an effective team of man and machine as I employed his full range of gears to traverse the hilly landscape.  It was definitely a great way to start the day.

Superhero smoothie by Tara

Is there anything better?

Ridin' the rails

Through the mountain

When I returned to the house, Brett was conducting a clinic on the Xbox game Diablo with Tara's three kids and her oldest son's best friend.  The consensus was that everyone was up for a trip to Cascade Falls before our neighborhood concert.  So Tara, her husband Chris, all four children, Brett, Mikey and I boarded two minivans and headed out.  We stopped at 7-Eleven for gas and supplies.  The kids had been discussing Slurpees this morning, and it brought back fond childhood memories.  Brett decided he wanted to revisit his youth and bought a blue Mountain Dew version of the legendary ice beverage.  Wanting to join in on the nostalgia, but not wanting to negate my healthy food choices, I opted for a six dollar pair of official Slurpee sunglasses.

Power lunch before Cascade Falls

Slurpee - the taste of childhood

Slurpee Shades!

We drove a half hour to Jefferson National Forest in Pembroke, VA.  It was a popular destination today; we had to wait several minutes for parking spaces to open up.  We hiked the two-mile scenic route to the 69-foot waterfall.  As the Giles County website claimed it would be, the scene was "both breathtaking and peaceful as the falls combine both power and beauty."  A few of us braved the cold Appalachian water of the swimming hole.  I walked to the base of the falls, admired the incredible view, and took the icy plunge.  It was energizing to say the least!  We stayed for a while, then chose the somewhat less-scenic and slightly faster trail back to the parking lot.

I had a chance to talk with Tara and Chris a bit more.  Chris coaches women's volleyball at Virginia Tech.  He's been coaching volleyball at one institution or another for twenty years and enjoys what he does.  I'm very impressed with Tara and Chris, as well as our Roanoke hosts, Anne Marie and Keel, as parents.  Both couples demonstrate a perfect balance of fun, discipline, friendship, and guidance in their parenting skills.  They are powerful parenting partnerships, and they're raising some great kids.  It's interesting; these four parents and I are all the same age, give or take a year or two.  If things had gone differently, I could be a father myself.  If I were, I would want to be the kind of parent I've had the honor to observe these last few days.  They remind me of my own exemplary parents.  As I get to know these friends better, I feel a connection due to our generational similarities, but I have no firsthand experience with the highs and lows of parenting.  I don't actually want to be a father, but spending time with these special kids and loving families makes me wonder if I'm missing something.  I wonder if I'll look back someday and wish I'd had children.  But that's not in the cards for me at this point, and not a part of my journey.

The family that plays together

A popular spot, indeed

Preparing to take the plunge

A little slice of paradise

We returned to Blacksburg and played a neighborhood concert in front of Tara's house.  Ideal weather, friends and bluegrass made for a perfect summer late afternoon.

A little bluegrass among friends

Summertime and the livin's easy!

Tara and Chris prepared an amazing meal consisting of salad, steak and Brunswick stew.  I don't eat meat often these days, but I decided it was time for a "when in Rome" moment and enjoyed a delicious family dinner with friends.

The perks of being a flexitarian!

After sunset, the temperature dropped significantly, and neighbors gathered around the courtyard fire pit, complete with roasted marshmallows.  We enjoyed a clear view of the night sky, and thanks to my Sky Guide app, were able to identify a moving dot as SeaSat 1, "one of the earliest Earth-observing satellites" and nonoperational since 1978.

Just mellowing out by the fire

The plan is to head back to Brett's grandparents' place near Halifax, VA in the morning for a few more days until we begin our Tennessee run.  We're halfway through the tour at this point, with three weeks left to go.  We've been incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful hosts here in Virginia.  I can't possibly express my gratitude enough.  Also, I've said this before, but I appreciate everyone who has read my blog and thereby encouraged me to keep posting.  For anyone keeping score at home, today was Day 68 towards my goal of 100 days alcohol free.  The occasional temptations are still there, but they are more psychological urges than physical cravings now.  Staying active and healthy has definitely helped.

Thanks for being with me!

- Jon