So, I get to start over again, again. My companion of ten years loaded all of his stuff into a friend’s van and headed west to relocate to Oregon. Quite a distance from Pennsylvania. He goes to join his young adult children and get his own fresh start.

The parting was bittersweet. It’s the right thing for both of us. I threw a family party. After we ate, we gathered in a circle and passed around a pretty good bottle of champagne. As the bottle went from person to person, each expressed wishes of good luck and explained how they would each miss him. It turned out to be a very nice tribute.

Tonight, I continue the process of moving on. I’m going to the first meeting of a group of people, some of whom I already know, who are planning a vacation canoeing in the Wabakimi Wilderness in Ontario in August. It’s been about 20 years since I made such a trip, and I can’t wait to hear the loons again.