Busy day!

It would be a shameful exaggeration to suggest that my timetable today was one of endless drudgery. Yet within the context of retirement there is at least some thrust to the poetic observation. Having to acknowledge anything approaching dutiful performance is guaranteed to spawn a veneer of labour. The obnoxious element of exertion is a transgression upon the habit of cultivated leisure which has lately seen incremental enlargement. The science of nature abhorring a vacuum is amply illustrated among those of us no longer caught in the web of employment.  My matutinal routine for example has dilated over the past two years from what was once a succinct 30-minute ceremony dedicated to a ritual breakfast to what is now a two-hour vaporization involving prolonged cups of coffee, progressive courses of mixed fruit, protein boost and even a gloss on dessert. Small wonder therefore that the imposition of the most inconsequential obligation succeeds to contaminate a life of inactivity.

The overarching affair on today's calendar was the return of a letter inadvertently included among our own correspondence. Yesterday when we collected our mail from our estate agent we were provided with a larger than usual collection. Neither the agent nor we noticed the foreign letter stuck among our own. Later when examining the missives the matter came to light.  Our immediate reaction was to communicate the oversight to the agent by email; and then to set ourselves upon a course of rectification, something we could only accomplish today. The preliminary issues affecting this curative project revolved around whether to attend to the matter in the morning or the afternoon, whether by car or bicycle, whether as a dedicated mission or as part of a larger scheme (which might for example include grocery shopping).  Clearly the manifest complications engendered their own additional obfuscation. But ambivalence is no friend of ours! Our predominantly unscheduled vernacular does not under any circumstances trump the inbred preference for decision and action!

Upon arising this morning I strategically undertook the ceremonial ablutions and immediately embarked upon a plan of vestments to address the catalogue of challenges to follow (which by now I conceded would embrace shopping for household provisions and groceries).  I reflected that my apparel must accommodate any vehicle of choice (four wheels or two); it must provide insulation from the wind from the southwest while at the same time affording suitability for moderate athleticism; it should present a semblance of smart-casual appropriate to both beachwear and semi-formal business needs (one wants to avoid being viewed as a colonial).  It was time to revive from the depths of my past the judgement required to straddle the boundaries of work and play. Serious occupation was afoot!

When (as is my custom) I examined the Tide Chart it was apparent that the realistic window of opportunity for beach cycling (a daily constitutional now elevated to the status of mandatory) was between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. A similar consult of my iPhone weather App indicated that the direction of the winds would conveniently propel my initial lap to the destination for return of the envelope.  Without the benefit of a backwind the time out would be close to an hour; however with the benefit of the backwind the time out would be reduced to 30 - 45 minutes (depending upon the current gravitational strength of the moon and its concomitant draining of water from the beach). I eclipsed any extraneous debate of the matter by conceiving an unqualified determination to go!  This Pony Express would deliver!

Buoyed by a revitalizing shower and nourishing breakfast, the azure skies and dazzling sunshine adorned the picture of perfection!  Nature itself had conspired in my favour! There was no intermission which would daunt me in this enterprise! The tact to enter the beach at Tower Beach proved to be a good one.

The sand was dry and flat!  The wind compensated for any excessive warmth from the cloudless sky! Smooth sailing was the order of the day, spirited by the forceful utility of my assignment.

The first stop was Coligny Park, primarily as a general rest-stop but also for its advantage of free Wi-Fi.  One mustn't lose touch.  Checking the email, absorbing the rays and taking in the sights, all part of the journey.

The increasing afternoon heat motivated my departure from Coligny Park. And the fact that no one had had the courtesy to send me an email. I noticed too that the Town was oddly quiet today, as though tourists had collectively withheld visiting for the time being. Accordingly making my way through the parking lot to the path on Pope Avenue was seamless.  Momentarily I was at my destination and the "package" was delivered. A palpable sense of relief accompanied the achievement. It only remained to retrace my steps before fulfilling that inescapable passion for lounging by the pool.  I chose to pedal on the beach once again, this time against the wind, mostly to face the sun but also for the Puritanical advantage of strenuous effort.

With a concentration of attention and vigour (gale force winds off the Atlantic Ocean tend to command such focus) I regained the residential fold by early afternoon.  The sun was practically at its height and the poolside patio beaconed me thither!

But my hard-won repose was meager. There were still the provisional needs to attend.  By the time we took to the road and visited our two favourite stores we were still back home by 4:00 pm and I again repaired to the oasis, lounged briefly, caught the sight of a yacht and retired to the drawing room for coffee as usual (the newly adopted preprandial).