An Almost Perfect Summer’s Day

Yesterday was one of those days that really makes me appreciate my lifestyle choices. It was scorching hot, about 35 degrees Centigrade, and I’m in my country house. I spent the morning doing some finishing work on one of my hide paintings I’m currently working on, then moved into the garden to saw, sand and screw some planks into a huge frame for another painting.

After lunch I got on Scarlet, my BMW F650GS, and rode the 45km of bush roads to my brother in law’s brother’s house where I then transferred to his Volvo SUV and we, and my brother in law’s brother in law, made the fairly long trip to the middle of nowhere, the other side of Humenne, for some skeet and trap clay pigeon shooting.

I eventually got the hang of skeet and did fairly well but I’m still not grasping trap shooting technique. We shot for a few hours, consuming untold boxes of 12 gauge shells with the Beretta Silver Pigeon, and an unbelievable amount of fluorescent orange clay pigeons, before making our way home again. Once back at Jozo’s, I donned my leathers, helmet and cut, then rode the 45kms home. Unfortunately, my right shoulder was aching from the recoil, which made throttling a chore.

I got home just in time for some fried cheese and chips and then our daily constitutional walk up the hill as the sun set. We returned home in the dark to a rising full blood moon and a predatorial creepiness only the Carpathian bush can provide.

It was a damned good day and it reminded me about why, how and where I choose to live. There are many options available in life, each of which require compromise at one level or another. Find what suits you and go with it, for fair weather and foul… because the fair days make up for all the foul.