Day 69: Missed confluence

I biked into Virden because it had been more than two weeks since I had called anyone.

It had also been more than two weeks since I had bothered to clean myself up at all. I decided I would stop at the first sand or gravel bank to bathe myself, shave, and make sure the bike was operational. But no clean shores ever came; all I saw was mud. So as I drifted along I soaped myself down and stuck my limbs into the water to rinse. I clipped my nails, tried to shampoo my hair, shave the edges of my beard, and even trimmed my nose hair. That last bit is tricky when you are floating backwards down a river and apt to hit a log at any time.

When I reached the bridge that was to be my connection to the road, I had to walk through mud to secure the canoe, and bushwack through weeds up to the road. By the time I got there, my legs were muddy, my hands were dirty, even my beard and nose hair had regrown.

While there, I decided to check out the electronics store, hoping they would have XD cards for my camera, or extra plugs for my computer. A red sign said closed, and a hand-written notice on the front door announced they would be closed for the long weekend, August 30 through September 1. But there was light coming through the window, and it was August 29.

I called in to see if they were open, and a girl flipped the sign and let me in. I immediately asked if they had any XD cards, and she almost ran back to the memory section to check. It was only then I noticed how shockingly beautiful she was, and this was not from bush goggles but from a lifetime of admiring this kind of beauty.

She must have had a nice sandy beach to lay on at night, and fine gravel from which she could wade into the river to bathe herself. Her river must not be as muddy either -- certainly it smelled nicer. There must not be too much rain, I supposed she hung her clothes from the branches of a tree. And not much wind either, because her light hair curled evenly down to her shoulders. She must have a proper boat launch, with wooden staris down to the shore.

She had no XD cards. I had to leave the store, alone.

I went to the Ice Cream Island and ordered myself a bitter burger and sour shake; my stomach was growling. Must not be any sun on her beach, if her face is so white, I thought.

Day 69 ended: 49*51.155N, 100*49.389W