Lower Notions

I'm no fan of trash in the woods, but this giant tire charmed me somehow just the same. Washed down in countless subsequent rushes, when Kniffen Brook was swelled with rain. Perhaps it'll continue the journey when we finally find our way to another downpour. For all the distance this rubber once covered for someone, now it finds a new drive in retirement. These long, hot days always leave me thinking I need a break. Maybe a sudden snap in time like a twig beneath my feet. I've been winding my way to lower notions, the kind that pick me up when I discover where the rocky bottom lies. You've got to try your luck with the light, go down to where less gets its way. I've taken years with the lesson that over-exertion has no honour, and dying with your body broken is worth no more praise that preserving yourself for a later date. I'm always cautious of not pushing past a mental or physical limit. What doesn't kill you leaves you permanently damaged — cheap thrills bring the most expensive payoffs. I'll aim for the joys of endurance instead.

August 3, 2025
Waldeck West, Nova Scotia

Year 18, Day 6475 of my daily journal.