On July 23, 2007, Julie and I were on our way to Hannibal, Missouri, for our first wedding anniversary, to stay in a rennovated 1800s-era mansion near the riverfront. On the way, we stopped at Bear Creek Campground, just north of Quincy, Illinois, to sit near the Mississippi River for a few hours.
It was bright, sunny, and hot over the water, but cool in the light breezes and under the shade of a big silver maple tree. We watched the river, read our books, and drank a beer; and I played a few songs on the guitar.
I thought, when I retire, this will be my life.
The illustration of this photograph, drawn by Patti Malmborg Reilly, was placed just before Chapter 21, "In Praise of Sitting and Staring," in Side Channels.