It was a dark and dreary day, but I was still at Afterglow. The bugs had forced me back into the cabin but I remembered another place where they can't get you - over the water. With that I got my suit on and made my way out onto the HD.

The only negative part about this weekend was that I was all alone. I've never been alone at Afterglow before, like completely alone. My Mom, Jenny, Brian and Kevin have been part of the previous Rage for Timmy weekends and they were all back at home. So it was rather lonely up there and even more so when I was out in the boat looking back at the shore. So even though I was loving it out there I was feeling sad at the same time. This made me want to row back to shore and figure out something else to do today.

I had never brought my camera out to the high dive. My cousin Stacy always does but I guess I don't trust myself (or my other cousins) not to get it wet in the Summer. Today I was alone, so it was a perfect time to capture Afterglow from a different view.

I stood out on the diving board and captured some never before seen selfies. Out here I was high above the World and felt completely free. It is so calming and a special kind of therapy that can only be applied in person. That's what keeps me coming back for more.

I love the panoramic function on this camera. When you are presented with the perfect opportunity for a great pic, I'm glad to have that option. This seemed like one of those times to use it and it turned out really well. This picture is probably the best one I can use to describe how I was seeing the World around me. This allows you to see the true scope of the landscape around me.

This is an incredible vantage point. From up here you can see every inch of the lake. Somehow it makes me feel powerful and so small at the same time. When you can see everything in front of you, I feel like I am in control because I can prepare for anything coming my way. But then I feel so small because by being able to see the big picture, I realize how insignificant I appear. Maybe that's what makes it calming up here. I'm able to balance the feeling big and small at the same time. Life is all about balance.

I didn't like being on the end of the diving board looking down. It's like staring at your mortality because life ends when you leave the HD. That's why I just kind of teetered on the edge. But I got uncomfortable, so I backed up a bit. I set my drink out there so that I would have to sum up the courage to grab some liquid courage. I suppose I was trying to prove to myself that I can be brave and forthcoming without alcohol in my system. That or I'm just trying to sound like an intellectual because my drunk ass left it at the end of the board.

I don't know how much time I spent out here. That's mostly because time doesn't matter when you are on the HD but also because I didn't have a clock or the sun to use as a point of reference. I just stayed out there as long as I wanted to. I didn't have anything else to do and no where else to go, so I sat there. It wasn't the warmest day (it was early June in a colder than average Summer) and the clouds were hiding the sun from keeping me warm. I stayed out here as long as I could, and when I was done I left this sacred site.

The only comfortable bug free zones were in the cabin and out on the water. I wasn't ready to go back to the cabin and I was done swimming for now. Good thing someone invented boats. I don't know why the bugs weren't out over the water, but I wasn't going to ask silly questions. That didn't matter right now. There's hardly any current on Afterglow Lake so you can sit out in the middle of it and just float there forever. This was my plan. I had a drink and a radio to listen to the Brewers game. What else could I need?

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