Unplugged

The last few days, for me, have been about what Michael Stephens calls "unplugging." I checked email and the discussion boards of my classes a few times, but I ignored Bloglines and didn't surf. I had projects to do--our first statistics quiz for Research Methods is due today. But I worked on them in a more relaxed manner than I would have at home. This was our first weekend of the year at our cabin in Innsbrook and I took to heart the new speed limit signs.

It's fairly easy to get myself to stay off-line at the cabin since we use a dial-up modem. It's also a reminder of what the World Wide Web is like for all the people who don't have high-speed Internet--it loses much of its magic.

Our alarm clock this morning was an aggressive male cardinal attacking his own reflection on the window glass. When that failed to do the trick, he stood on the deck rail to out-sing his rival. Then it was back to the physical attack. "Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Ree-cher-cher-cher-cher-cher. Ree-cher-cher-cher-cher-cher."

This weekend, I watched a deer graze on leaf buds, the sun set over Aspen Lake, and the stars of Orion come out as the sky darkened--all of this from the hot tub deck at the fitness center. I took long walks and long soaks and had long restful nights. I saw a turkey vulture, a flock of turkeys, a pileated woodpecker, and a pair of very excited titmouses (-mice?). I heard yipping coyotes and a killdeer. No frogs, yet, but Rick said he heard spring peepers on the Katy Trail so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they show up in our valley.

Just what I needed--if the weather cooperates, I'll do it all again next week!     #

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