Lake Pend Oreille (2)

Arrived at this waystation in the early afternoon... no sign of milkweed or monarchs, so I sowed more seeds. While recording a small piece on the banjo, a blue heron landed in the marsh beyond, and a small moth danced in the weeds by my feet. Meanwhile, the constant rush of vehicles up and down the highway continued. Long-distance bicycle touring gives a small glimpse into the world that modern civilization has left behind and pushed to the margins. As a cyclist, you are trying to survive in these margins, whether it is the crumbling shoulder of a highway, an old gravel road, or an abandoned piece of dirt to pitch a tent. The ambitions of the industrial world leave less and less room for the natural systems that have evolved and persisted for millions of years. Contained in the steel and glass bubble of a car, it is easy to ignore this other world, but as a cyclist you begin to notice and even perhaps feel a part of it.

--Caracol