November 9

This is too good to be true. I'm sitting in the shade, and glad for it, at the picnic table for my campsite in Big Lagoon (Florida) State Park. The sky is perfectly clear. There is a light breeze, and I'm surrounded by sand and pine trees. Pensacola Naval Air Station is about 3 miles west. When I rode past it this morning I saw two flights of 3 planes each take off in formation. They were WWII vintage prop planes. I'm thinking Grumman AT6's, and the Blue Angels flying them. The campground will fill this afternoon, with people getting a good location to watch an air show this weekend.

Last night I spent $83 on a motel room, having run out of options. I should say that I ran myself out of options by riding past urban sites next to or behind supermarkets or banks. Somehow I could not generate the will to sneak. So I went to bed feeling guilty, and slightly depressed, and doubtful of my ability to get from breakfast to lunch in Mexico, given my very limited Spanish. Not the best ingredients for a good night's sleep. Add two more pints of beer than what I should have had (for a total of 4) and a cold supper cobbled together from items available in a limited convenience store, and you got trouble. At 2:00 AM, wide awake, I got on the net and searched for Buddhism in Alabama. Surprisingly there is a lot of Buddhist activity in Huntsville. Surfed a little more and found a document about meditating in the moment, which was defined as essentially being aware of the emotions, and examining them, rather than act on them, as they occur. Sound advice, for me, in this time. And now to transcribe.