Days Cut Short

I had been planning to do something fun today. I haven't done anything fun yet this summer.



My first plan was to head out to Opal Creek for a hike then a swim at Sawmill Falls. Sure, I tried to find someone to go with me. When that failed, I resolved to go alone. I wanted to get an early start. Click the post title to go to a website showing Sawmill Falls and how beautiful it is.



However, I've had stomach issues, from the long marathon I experienced Tuesday and Wednesday, rounding up then transporting cats. Stress, heat, dehydration and lack of sleep combined to roil my stomach into knots that wouldn't move. I still thought I could salvage doing something today.



That too has been cut off. I agreed to watch a friends cats. Her neighbor checks in on them in the mornings and I in the early evenings. This pretty much takes out the day and has been now for a week and will for another week. The entire day is hijacked by the need to be somewhere for even a very short time in the early evening.



These are the last days of summer. I feel a panic setting in that I have wasted the only sun time Oregon gets. I haven't been swimming even once.



I'm not a fan of huge crowds. I do like rock music and to dance at concerts. I thought, "Ok, I'll go to the Joan Jett concert at the Arts and Air Festival." Problem: the venue is tiny for a big name, about half a field in a park. It's a free concert and people set up blankets and save their space half a day at least. I have tried to find anyone to go with me, who would be there to save the space while I go do the mandatory cat check in for my friend. I can't find anybody.



There's no sense going over there at 7:00 p.m., paying five bucks to park to be unable to find anywhere to sit.



I wanted to get away so badly this summer and do something, see somewhere outside of this concrete car heavy jungle crammed with unfixed and neglected cats that is the town where I live.



I need to get away!



This town offers nothing as far as hiking or exercise parks. Corvallis has many hiking parks. Most of the parks in this town are square block grass fields, maybe with a sports diamond for baseball or basketball hoop or a bench. I should get it together to at least go over to Corvallis to get in a hike. I have not done that. I like hiking those parks but I have hiked them so much, guess I'm bored with them.



When I lived there it was convenient to walk over to then up Bald Hill. But now that it's a twenty minute drive one way, it's not so attractive, since I hiked them mainly for exercise after the first few times. For exercise, however, they are excellent. But to drive so far for an exercise hike, I don't know, I just don't get it done. Lame!



I quit going up to Foster Reservoir to swim. It's an hour drive and once there, you battle jet skis and motor boats to swim and even the thought of heading up there has become decidedly not pleasant with more and more motorized boat traffic.



But if not there, where to go? I can't think of places. Not close anyhow. Do people have suggestions?



There are plenty of wonderful Oregon lakes and rivers I'd like to visit and camp beside. I can't do river floats because I'd need two cars, one at the start site and one at the end site. That leaves swimming holes and lakes. Most are quite a distance from where I live.



I waited too long. Now I have this lengthy obligation, a promise I made without really thinking about. I did not think I would be checking in on the cats in the evening, but rather in the morning, which leaves a person the day.



By the time she returns, the summer is gone.



I'm mad at myself.



I had told myself this summer I'd go for one hike a week, in a different location, to see some new territory.



Maybe we'll have an Indian summer, with warm weather extending far into October.



I still plan to visit Opal Creek at least and swim at Sawmill Falls or Three Pools. Anyone want to come? Cutting through Scio and Lyons, via 226, makes it close.



I tried calling both brothers today. They are not interested in my life. They are too busy with their own families. Sometimes I want to tell them "I exist! Let's do something together before we all die!"



I get so lonely. I go for weeks without any meaningful human contact. This is hard to withstand sometimes. It's my life though. I really don't need someone interested in what I do in my day to day struggles.



I do want to spend time with the people I've met whom I love, if I can. I have lots of friends, but most live a long long way from here. I cherish them from a distance. I long to visit them or spend time with them, but if I can't, I can't and that's how it is.