Wonder why God didn't patent the snowflake? That would have kept me from skiing the man-made stuff up and down the tubing hill in the middle of the night until I sprained my ankle. Ah, well, skiing until injured is really just a cue to canoe, so I made the switch, and the moon-stained snow transferred easily to the glittering ice pack on my lake. Crystals giggled and hissed the first night I went for it, thinking I could carve right through. But when I reached the end of black water, the hull suddenly rose and roared over a rotted but still intact ice mass. The paddle broke through, lifting chunks that sparkled with lunar star diamonds. Kind of spooky. Like being lifted on the back of a leviathan. I thought I might roll in the chill lake, but what followed was a magical if strenuous night of ramming, backing and poling through ice fields. Stunningly beautiful sensations and most exciting! I also found open water into some back bays where night animals scurried away or popped through ice islands for a look at this wild human. The whole lake seemed to be gossiping in that eerie sizzle talk that thawing ice makes.
In general, it was a month of minor thrills. Such as canoeing half over a waterfall in a high wind, and rocker Tommy D and I out-running Bowser the semi-senile, crazed black lab that comes after us on Steig Rd like the croc in Peter Pan ever after a 2nd bite of Captain Hook. Tommy D is the rock-climbing rock lead singer of 20 STORIES HIGH with whom I sometimes bike to Crow-Hassan park or ski at Elm Creek (see last photo below).
Must knee-cap a couple of rumors here: skinny skiing is not skiing nude. Even my tight-lipped pharmacist, a brilliant woman and very articulate, once made the same false assumption. See Comments here: http://janlockert.blogspot.com/2010/01/american-writer-deserves-international_24.html Also, several emailers worried about my heart rate of 522. Thank you very much for the concern, but was just kidding and thought the sarcasm was clear by referring to having 7 capillaries south of my neck and dogs trying to bury me! Actually, my resting heart rate is very low -- down in the lower 40s. If you want to hear me NOT exaggerating but dangerously candid, read Grant Soosalu’s diabolic interview just up in Australia. Got carried away as if I o.d.-ed on truth serum (oh, that question #2). Here’s the – um…skinny – on freedom, control, choice, etc.: http://enhancingmylife.blogspot.com/2010/04/freedom-part-2.html
First 2 photos below are a day-time reprise of the ice pack canoeing described above (night photos don’t come out well). Then there is a photo of the twins (Emma & Julia) from the family who adopted me and myself in front of a waterfall where we sometimes climb rocks (yeah, same waterfall I canoed half over in a high wind). Next photo is from a fav romance setting for me every March 27th at Elm Creek. Then 3 thrill shots of Elm Creek’s last night ski adventures (the dark line is the drop-off on a narrow sweep). And the next two should have crime scene tape because that’s where the ankle sprain took place. Last but not least, rocker Tommy D at Crow-Hassan where we were flooded out after a long bike ride.
Wish I could live up to this kind assessment from water polo/kayak guru and author Chuck Hines’ latest newsletter: “It's entirely possible, I believe, that Sully is William Wordsworth reincarnated, and I know he's planning a sea kayaking trip in the South Pacific later this year. Hmmm. Maybe he's a reincarnated Joseph Conrad, as well.” Thanks, Chuck, but alas, those two icons are spinning in their graves at the thought. I even need help with my next book. A solitary lifestyle leaves me sadly without the depth of relationship experience most people have, and so my new column at StorytellersUnplugged is an SOS to any of you gender savvy readers out there who are willing to help me write/research. Feel free to weigh in by answering some questions at this link, if you will: http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2010/04/16/thomas-sullivan-would-you-write-a-book-for-me-or-what-do-you-really-know-about-sex-love-and-terror/
If you want to spy on my crazy musings and largely illegal activities in small bites, may I invite you to follow on Twitter? It’s just some fun you can peep at when you want without having to interact. Samples of recent Tweets: “Frogs getting a jump – so to speak – on the mating season. Croaking in the middle of the night. (What a way to die.)” Here’s the link: http://twitter.com/thomassullivan . If you’re reading this on a mirror site, it may not have photos. I’ll be happy to put you on the mailing list if you email me at: mn333mn@earthlink.net . Past columns and newsletters w/photos are archived at the author’s website below under Sullygrams & Columnss (http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com/sullygrams.htm ). The newest ones are usually up within a day of being sent out.
Thomas “Sully” Sullivan
http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com/
http://twitter.com/thomassullivan
