A Summer's End: Road Trip Prepperoni and Ghosts at Home

I have about 570 miles of driving to do today. This is it, the summers end. We have everything packed up. My CRV is repaired and we have arranged the logistics of Em's Asheville departure and Ohio arrival. We had a great summer full of memories and pictures and expectations for the next year.

Late tonight, after I return home, I will face the ghosts of the summer...the sounds of TV shows, the visions of scattered art work and belongings across the floor. I will face a silence and loneliness that I have not experienced since June. The remnants of our time together will physically be with me and she will not. Initially it will be hell to pick up after her when she is not here. The Bicycle has always been there for me since 2001. It will be there for me these next few days until I can wrap myself up in my little world of wake, work, ride, sleep....wake, work, ride, sleep.

Furthermore, I am anticipating life-changing curve balls over the next several weeks. My little life could really change....actually, it has to. I believe the time has come. I can see the boat parked just off shore. I don't want to miss it again. I am the captain. I need some divine intervention and a small crew. It will float to new opportunities and adventures.
Here is a little poem I wrote and picture I put together and gave to my daughter years ago. I am going to work so that the Spirit of Frank is not extinguished.