Both sides of the river

I had a job today in which I sat in a pediatric exam room for four hours and waited for people in need of support. They never did arrive. 

I walked across the Black River on a bridge of spiderwebs out into humid summer up somewhere in the 90's and out into some of Vermont's many folds and creases. I opened all four windows in the car after spending two hundred dollars on Sunday just to learn I'd need to spend 600 more to replace the compressor for the AC. Screw that. I was raised in the back deck of a station wagon in the 1970's. Go ahead and get some wind in your hair. 

Now, I'm in a company sponsored hotel room on the banks of the Sugar River housed in a renovated building once known as the Monadnock Mills, a manufacturer of fine cotton bedspreads. This town has an all but abandoned 1950's style Main Street. Clean, well-maintained, and free of life and commerce. 

I put on shorts and sandals, took off my shirt, and headed out for a walk along the river bank. Someone was camped out in the shadows when I got down there. Someone else had scrawled a message in chalk on the granite wall thanking someone sardonically for a fucked up Father's Day. The water was shallow and clear but my eyes could not find any fish. The sun was still very strong after 4PM. 

On the way here, I took a rural route near Mt. Ascutney and caught a few minutes of a syndicated program out of Baton Rouge on the car radio. One of those rare radio gems that I live for when I'm traveling. Stumbling upon it gives you that feeling that there are places and things you haven't seen or heard or tasted before. 

The desk clerk did a lot of talking. He likes to take you through his entire process with him, let you know exactly why he's doing each and everything he dose. He told me I didn't look like the type that was going to "Motley Crue" the place, but he was going to need a credit card from me all the same. I appreciated the validation. It's good to not be entirely dismissed as someone incapable of losing his mind and breaking up the place.