As we began our walk, I told John that I was having difficulty leading a balanced life. I tied my shoes as usual, left first. When I walked a few steps, I realized the left was quite loose compared to the right. Having blooded an ankle the first time I wore those sneakers, I went right back and retied it. Two miles of botheration would be entirely too much. Wouldn’t you know it? The right one then felt loose. I could have spent all day trying to get them balanced.

A mile later, the view would have drawn my attention away from my feet if simply walking hadn’t done the trick. There was rime ice on top of the mountain. The toy camera gave equal billing to the sun on the clouds, so you’ll have to imagine how dramatic the ice appeared.