Despite being done with the majority of my coursework and having all of the free time in the world to do what I want, I really haven’t been up to much.
It’s not because I don’t want to do anything. I’ve never been able to sit around and just do nothing, and I have a very strong desire to get out of my house and do something. Unfortunately, we’re just well into the “dog days” of summer, which are, by far, my least favorite days of the year.
To be honest, I never really liked the summer, mostly because I just can’t stand the heat. The summer’s heat has the same effect on my overall mood as winter has on people with mild Seasonal Affective Disorder. During the late summer months, I tend to slow down; I get tired faster, I lose all desire to spend time out-of-doors as soon as I step outside and am enveloped by the heat, and my thinking gets clouded.
I mean… the reason why I’m writing this piece isn’t necessarily because I want to. I just can’t seem to translate my thoughts into words when working on any other piece, which is due to the fact that my creativity simply isn’t flowing thanks (or no thanks) to this damn heat!
That, and it’s the end of the summer semester. I’ve written three papers in two weeks (including a two-page paper just today that’s due on Thursday), and have two final exams and one more quiz to take before Saturday. I’m understandably tired, but not nearly tired enough to lose any motivation to do anything. In other words, I’m not burned out, because, the motivation to write, go outside, and finish my summer semester strong is still there. Again, I just can’t really translate my thoughts into words, and I sure as hell can’t go outside unless I’m willing to roast. And, again, enduring the heat just ruins any enjoyment I get from being outside.
Of course, during the dog days of summer here in Colorado, when it’s not hellishly hot outside, it’s probably storming. And Colorado thunderstorms are no joke!
Just this weekend, I decided to spend time with my mom by going to Evergreen, Colorado. While enjoying an elk burger at Murphy’s Mountain Grill, I convinced my mom to check out the South Platte river near Deckers with me. She agreed, and we B-lined it to the river as soon as we left the grill.
The weather was seemingly perfect! There were a few clouds to the west, but nothing alarming was showing up on my radar as we left Evergreen and aimed the Xterra towards Foxton. The skies remained clear all the way to the riverside, where Mom stayed in the Xterra (for some reason, she decided to wear flip-flops instead of hiking shoes), while I skidded down to the edge of the river with my camera, excited to get some long-exposure shots of the water as it flowed.
Outside by the water, with a slight breeze blowing through the canyon, it was cool enough for me to wear a hoodie. I managed to spend a good ten minutes by the river when, out of nowhere, a gust of dusty air blew past me. Instantly, I grabbed my gear and bounded back to the Xterra, getting inside just as quarter-sized hail began to pelt the hood. I told my mom to flip the Xterra around before I even had a chance to put my seatbelt on, because the rain and hail were so heavy that I was worried the canyon might flood!
Thankfully, it lasted a full five minutes before the skies cleared and the sun shone through. Once that happened, both Mom and I breathed a sigh of relief. And then my mom proceeded to laugh at me for getting so freaked out. But, it turned out the storm was going the same direction we were (back towards Evergreen), so we ended up getting hailed on all the way back to 285. At least I stayed dry.
Needless to say, I was given yet another reason to stay indoors during the summer.
On the bright side, I did get some cool shots of the river before the gates of hell opened above me.
To be continued… maybe…