An Ounce of Preparation, Part II

One thing that drives me is, I want to Know. What I think is casual conversation, Cy laughs and relabels interrogation.

We have a brief stay in Masanutten, and I know nothing. I don't want to just get acquainted, I want a trusting relationship, I want to become the mountain's beloved confidant in too short a time.

I put out my feelers--the web lets them reach far. Three degrees of separation connects me a photographer who loves and knows the mountains the way I want to--and is a neighbor on SmugMug. Dave is generous with his insights. A trip to the library (air-conditioned bliss on a sweltering day) and AAA lay further framework. Casual conversation (I'm working on toning down the interrogation!) at parties turns up little but a recommendation of bear bells.

Jamal joins me at Borders and reads Naruto as I power back and forth between the shelves and the squishy chairs with armloads of books. They prove to be both a disappointment-- no insights revealed and overall crummy photography-- and an inspiration: that leaves more to be discovered. I laugh at myself and admit to him, "here I'll do all this digging and planning, and in the 11th hour end up just following where the Spirit leads!" That's cool. We both know the Spirit is the world's best tour guide!