Night and Day

If there is a down side to my rowing it is I’m not able to carry a camera to document the voyages on the river. When not manning the oars, I’m helping to hold the “set” of the boat. The break time between rowing transitions is getting shorter and shorter as we improve.
With the time change we are once again setting out in the dark at 5:45 a.m. Thankfully, it is warming up a bit although there was a bit of mist this morning early on. I was supposed to cox this morning, but we were short rowers again. I filled in on the port side, and one of the women collegiate rowers filled in to cox. She was GREAT! I learned so much from her.
Rowing up river I was facing west. There was a HUGE full orange moon hanging just above the tree line. The air was still, the only noise was the oars breaking the water and Jason giving drill instructions from the launch.
The moon means so many things to different people. Whenever I study a beautiful moon such as this I think to one of the most important books I’d ever read; All But My Life, by Gerda Klein. She was one of the few survivors of the Nazi work camps. She relates in her book how early on in her separation from her family she looked at the moon and asked him to keep watch on her family. The moon I’ve seen my entire life is the same moon Gerda looked at. I find myself saying the same prayer when I see it now and I always think of her.
We had a great workout getting almost to the steel mill. Turning the boat around to return to the dock I was now facing east. This was the perfect perspective to watch the sunrise. We were rowing sixes and eights: trying to row in synch with the other rowers and keeping the boat set did not allow me much time to appreciate the beauty of the daybreak.
My homefries and onions are cooking as I type this out. I don’t have any sausage or bacon, so I’m splurging with having two eggs instead! Thursday morning I’m leaving for North Carolina to attend the phonograph show in Mooresville. I’ll be staying with my nephew Matt and his wife. Billy will be up staying at Leroy’s place. It should be a fun time. I need to get the oil changed out in the truck before I go. That poor beast has 122K miles now! It’s just getting broken in!! LOL!