Meditating the Lust Away...Or Not

Love at first sight.  Will it last, or is it merely a temporary thrill that will vanish as quickly as it appeared?  

I headed north to camp near Mount Katahdin where I would have no electricity, no internet, no FaceBook, no text messages, and no phone calls.  I was on a mission to give myself to nature, to sit still, to silence the voices in my head, and to meditate amidst the beauty of our world.

Upon arrival at Penobscot Outdoor Center (located between Millinocket, ME and Baxter State Park), I was thrilled to discover that I would indeed find solitude--the place was deserted.  (Note to readers:  If you do not like crowds, camp on the Wednesday following Labor Day.) 

The note on the door instructed me to roam the woods to find my preferred campsite and/or sit on the dock by the pond to take in the views.

I did both.

After finding a ready-made tent (it would be a late check-in), I settled myself, cross-legged, on the dock.  I inhaled deeply, relaxed my body, and waited for the calm.

But it was too beautiful; I needed to snap a picture.

Okay, hands, rest yourselves...Oh, hell, I'll take another picture.

Enough.  Enjoy the tranquility.  But my hands!  They must be doing something!  Picture.

This wasn't working.  My body could not stop, so I gave in to the camera…

About an hour and a half into my quiet time, Dave arrived (he has the same hairstyle as mine--shaved gray on the sides, color on top), took my money (thank you, Helene for your donation), and I unloaded the Prius to set up camp.

Dinner time.

And back to the pond to meditate.  

Forty-five gazillion sunset pictures later, I returned to camp to prepare for bed.  As the temperature dropped, I unpacked and crawled into my sleeping bag (thanks, Lynzey, for insisting I purchase one for freezing temps); I retrieved my book, Lighting the Way:  Nine Women Who Shaped Modern America, by Karenna Gore Schiff; adjusted my head lamp (best invention ever); and began to read.  It was 9 PM.  I usually go to sleep well after midnight.

But you know what?  I fell asleep. It is easy to see why folks used to go to bed at nightfall; without technology, my mind seems a bit less occupied.

The next morning, after introspection on what is now my dock...

...I went on "Dave's Tour."  He drew me a map of places to visit, and I raced to the Prius, ready to merge with my surroundings and calm the lust that had penetrated my being.

First stop, the view from a bridge where I spied Appalachian Trail hikers and heard their excitement at the sight of the mountain.  "Is that it?" one shouted to his friend?  "Yes, yes! We are here!" My heart swelled in their joy and my love grew.

The bridge:

Next stop:  The rapids - I missed seeing the rafters...

A few miles down the road:

The hydroelectric power station...I roamed around, because nobody was there...

Hello, danger...good to see ya.

Looking down from "Danger:  Loose surface area"...

After three hours of driving, stopping, hiking, and taking in the beauty, I was famished, so I hit the road to treat myself to a cup of lobster bisque at River Drivers Restaurant and Pub.  I drank the last drop.

I love driving...

Cravings satisfied, I returned to my dock...

...where I once again sought to still myself.  But my yearnings only increased.

I bid farewell to Pockwockamus Pond and headed back to camp. Despite my inability to sit still, my mind had been deeply affected by this place--this planet, our home.  And I was more in love than when I arrived.  

Or (you know what I'm gonna' say) maybe I'm just tripping...

julie