TheoBilly: A Day Well Spent: What Does a Pastor Do on His Day Off

15 September 2014

A Day Well Spent: What Does a Pastor Do on His Day Off

This Friday I had my first full day off in a good while; I took a bike ride and went on a hike. I do not know what my other colleagues do on their days off but I try and get out of the city and to the countryside whenever possible. I know that i need to fill up my "silence reservoirs" as much as possible. But with only a bike/bus (or car share) as my transportation and deeper explorations into agrarianism, and having to be home by mid afternoon to pick up the kiddos my options are limited. But that doesn't mean there are not meaningful options.

This Friday I made a pot of coffee, hopped on my bike, and started riding.

First stop, Melo-Glaze donuts. As an old-man-in-training I ordered one plain cake donut, but they were out of cake donuts. So I got a plain long john.

Second stop, public library. I turned in some books and checked out a few magazines, movies, cds, and books.

Third stop, Fort Snelling State Park for a hike around Pike Island.

Fauna spotted: one whitetail deer, plenty of squirrels, one eagle, two crows, lots of birds (I really do need to start learning the names of birds), and lots of beaver signs.

Flora: cottonwood, oak, wildflowers, and lots of once tamed grape vines.

The hike began with an interesting historical flood marker. I wonder where the flooding of this Spring and Summer was on this marker?

The main destination of the hike was to see the point where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers converged. It was a little melodramatic, maybe I had more in mind, maybe it was the steamboat pushed by a tug boat, maybe it was the crowd of high school students on the steamboat waving to me, maybe it was that the convergence was like any other meeting of two rivers.