I just got back from my three week vacation to Northern California with my son Wesley. It was a bittersweet vacation. Not complaining mind you. Many hard working folks never get out of the house long enough to enjoy themselves let alone travel as extensively as I have over the years. I had a great time, as I always do, but there was a sense of sadness that settled over me as the trip winded down. Before I desribe what prompted my sadness let me first share what was sweet about the trip.

What was sweet.......

1. Beating the heat.... While friends and family were scorching, sweating, having second thoughts about global warming, taking cold showers, and generally cursing the weather I was staying cool in the shade. Not that I needed to be in the shade. Northern California, along the coast, never gets hot, and I mean," never", which is one of the reasons I love to hang out there almost every summer. The highest temperature in Eureka the entire time I was in the area was only 68 degrees. That's right, 68 degrees!.....The mornings were so cold you could see your'e breathe.

2. Spending time with my son Wesley....Growing up I never spent much time with my father and he died while I was only in the seventh grade....so.....I am determined to spend as much time with my two sons as they will tolerate. Vacation time is important to me because it provides an excellent opportunity to bond with family members which is why I have made it a priority in my life for the past twenty years. While Wesley didn't have as good a time as I did I am very happy that we got to spend this father and son time together. These are precious moments that I am sure will be remembered forever....and.....are one of the foundations for a strong father, son relationship. Teenagers today lack important cultural rituals to initiate them into adulthood/ manhood and I can think of no better way to help our children become adults than spend significant/quality time with our sons and daughters.

3. Quality sleep......During the course of the school year I average about six hours of sleep a night and I am prone to wake up at least two or three times a night. During the course of this vacation I figure I averaged about nine to ten hours of sleep a night.....why the dramatic increase of sleep?....The combination of the weather, lack of distractrions, and daily activities/exercise that promotes good sleep. I don't sleep well in warm weather but I sleep like a baby when the night time temperatures are in the forties and the sun is obstructed by the trees and the fog.....

4. Dramatic improvement in my health.....When I left Bakersfield three weeks ago I was feeling pretty depressed about my health situation. My left knee was really bothering me and I hadn't lost any weight this summer which is something I generally do. Well....this vacation is just what the doctor ordered. My knee feels much better despite the fact that my son and I hiked and rode our mountain bikes about two hours a day....go figure....and....I have lost about two holes in my belt buckle. I feel great....The best I have felt in the last nine months....Now if I can just figure out a way to transfer all this good health momentom over to the stress filled school year....

5. New direction for the future?.....While attending a campfire one night I had a very interesting conversation with a ranger. It turns out he grew up in Bakersfield and taught school for twenty one years. I asked him how he became a ranger and he told me he took only one class at Humbolt State and just applied for seasonal work. Eventually the seasonal work became almost fulltime and that is when he decided to retire from education. I find the idea of becoming an interpretive ranger very appealing and something I think I would be very good at. For years I have pondered how I might get more involved in enviromental causes and have yet to get anything off the ground because I am so busy and I don't find the political angle on the environment very appealing....and.....I strongly believe that the best way to convert people to the stewardship of the planet is to get them out in nature and educate them about the wonderful world God has entrusted to our care....I don't intend to act on this inspiration before my two sons graduate from high school, but maybe in a couple of years I can began pursuing what I need to do to position myself to work in the California State or National Park system part time in the summer until I retire from education....I am inspired.....


What was bitter....


1. Having to juggle it all.....Last year my two sons, my girlfriend, and I all took a three week trip up the Oregon Coast. This year I took three seperate vacations and thus did alot of driving....and....missed the company of us all being together. Just not the same......

2. The end of a season in my life?.....For the past sixteen years I have taken my two sons for at least a two or three week vacation every summer....but....this may be the last summer that either of my sons goes on vacation with me. My son Paul stayed home this summer and his brother Wesley expressed he didn't want to be away from his friends for so long any more....and....both sons said they want to work next summer.....I feel very sad about this and at one point during the trip my eyes swelled up with tears because I realize this may be the last time I spend any significant time with either of my two sons. I have so many wonderful memories of our trips together to Canada, Yellowstone, Colorado, the Oregon Coast, Washington, the Sierra's, and the Redwoods, many, many times.....listening to....... the Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter series on tape. I will greatly miss our times together, hiking, biking, cooking, and sleeping under the stars in our tents, and just the thought that this probably the end of these special times makes me very, very, sad......

3. Coming back to Bakersfield.....I don't like living in Bakersfield....It's hot, crowded, and very polluted....and....down right depressing at times.....and my vacation time away just reminds me how much I don't like living here.....but....thank God.....I can get away during the summer.....because I don't think I could handle it otherwise.....I start work on Monday.....and start teaching class on Wednesday. Our school district starts two weeks before everyone else in the area because we get one week off at Thanksgiving and three weeks at Christmas....but....it is a long....long....haul....until November.....so..... as the memories of summer began to fade and I begin to think about another school year it's time to say goodbye, for now, to another great summer sleeping under the stars, hiking, biking, and just living life at the pace God intended. Life is indeed bittersweet..........