Bicycling Prince Edward Island

July 12, 82

Fortunately, Mike and I avoided a rerun of our last bicycle trip.
We didn't hook up because Mike was out looking for the trout-fishing
stream that the guy in the grocery store told him about. We finally
found each other at a campground not far from Summerside. Mike was all
hyped up about fishing, so after we set up camp, he started to prepare
for his fishing trip. Poor Mike, by the time he got it together it was
already late afternoon. His disregard for the clock got in the way of
his own plans. At the end of the evening, sitting around the campfire,
he complained about not having enough time to fish and I was quick to
point out that when you ignore the clock things hardly ever work out.
I think (hope) Mike has become more time conscious now. I realize
that it's a nice to forget about the clock, but it sure isn't
practical. Even if we were fishless, the six beers he brought back to
camp made the disappointment-both his and mine-easier to handle.

This island gets more beautiful all the time. We camped further up
along the national seashore last night. We arrived at our campsite
late, around 8 PM, but this time it wasn't bad. We managed to get a
campsite because the campground had no hookups. The motor homes found
somewhere else to camp. In fact, I'm still waiting for my morning
coffee because open fires are not permitted. My pot is sitting on an
old cast iron community stove. I haven't even checked out the ocean
yet. I'm helpless without my morning coffee.

Yippee, the crows are cawing, the bugs haven't surfaced yet, and the
sun is out, and my coffee is done. This is just the beginning of what
looks to be a great day. Mike isn't up yet, but I expect him soon.
I've been thinking about some of my ideas and (there goes a rodent,
maybe a marmot?) soon, I hope, I'll be writing them down. Mike has
uncomfortable sunburn, but I think he will survive. He's also a late
sleeper. I had hoped to talk to him about my newly acquired
philosophy. Back in Michigan, I gave him a copy of my last paper and
he told me that he would read it, but unfortunately he lost it before
reading it.