11 Azamat 165 B.E. (Baha'i calendar)
Soundtrack in my head:  LTJ Bukem, “Atlantis (I Need You)”

I came home from yet another day of hiking outdoors.  This is the third time in four weeks I've done this.  I suppose I'm now officially addicted to the outdoors at this point.

This trip occurred very spontaneously.  I'd planned to spend the day writing, organizing my online music, and looking into converting my computer system from Windows to Linux.  But  I ran into a housemate in the kitchen and she said that she would be going up to Poynette to feed some ducks as part of a job she has with the Department of Natural Resources, and from there she was thinking of doing some hiking at Devil's Lake.  She told me she would be leaving in an hour if I wanted to join her.  

The title above is a quote from Kurt Vonnegut's “Cat's Cradle.”  (At least I think it's “unusual travel suggestions”--when I've done a search on Ask.com, other people have quoted Vonnegut as saying “peculiar” or “bizarre” instead of “unusual.”)  As I wrote in a previous post, I've felt a calling to spend more time outdoors, and so when I got this invitation,  I decided to drop everything and accept the invitation.

Before I knew it, we were on US Highway 51 going north and we ended up pulling onto the property of a farm owner who had given her permission to set up the duck cage.  It was interesting to see what she was doing.  It was also interesting to be on a farm.  I realized I'd spent very little time in a real barn, and ended up clicking this picture.

From there, we headed towards Devil's Lake.  We stopped for lunch in Portage, where I had a very unsatisfying Philly cheesesteak at a little diner.  There are certain things Wisconsinites are usually good at, such as bratwurst and cheese, and other things that Wisconsinites, with a few exceptions, aren't so good at, such as gyros and Philly cheesesteaks.  So I should have known better, but oh well.  I got my sustenance.

On the other side of Portage and Interstate 39 I saw beautiful green hills and bluffs.  I was reminded of one of the reasons I moved to Wisconsin.  It is an absolutely beautiful state. I feel privileged to have all these beautiful hills and bluffs and rivers and state parks all within an hour's drive of me.  

I'd heard a lot of good things about Devil's Lake.  I know at some point my parents took me there, but I was so young that all of the Wisconsin excursions are lumped together in my head as a single blur.  But I did recognize the place once we got there.  The lake is surrounding on three sides by high bluffs and it is stunning. 

The hiking trails we took were described as “easy to medium,” but they were a little tough for me.  I realized that while I've been losing a significant amount weight recently (to be talked about in a future post), I still needed to develop a regular exercise routine.  Much of the trail was uphill.  It was a bit hot and buggy, but the views were spectacular.  Along the trail, I was surprised to discover patches of cottonwoods seeds that were so thick that it looked like snow on the ground. 

I've been feeling a little stretched and busy lately.  In addition to my outdoor excursions, I also was elected as Madison Community Co-op's Finance Co-officer, and have been serving on another committee helping a struggling co-op.  As such, I've only been posting once a week.  I feel I should be posting twice a week at a minimum. In addition, I've been entertaining upgrade and re-design ideas for this website, and I haven't moved as quickly on this as I would like.

But like Kurt Vonnegut said, “Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.”  I think part of the dancing lesson is to keep my balance.  The important thing is that I'm doing things that I enjoy, that give me nourishment and make me happy.  Balancing these is indeed a dancing lesson, but once mastered, I think it will be a beautiful dance indeed.