Afterglow RFT VIII: Before It's Too Late

Afterglow RFT VIII: Before It's Too Late - Day 2

Eventually I have to make the trek out to Memory Point and visit Timmy. I mean, that's why I am here, right? Can't have a Rage for Timmy adventure without Timmy. So I took the path through the woods out to this sacred spot and began the reflective portion of my day. It's hard to come here and not think about the past and what I could have done to change things. But maybe I couldn't have changed the future. Maybe it was always meant to turn out this way. Who knows. I certainly don't. God doesn't trust me with that level of responsibility.

People have added more artifacts and rememberances to Memory Point over the years, which could mean a number of things, but it is mostly because another friend/family member/pet has died. As beautiful as they are, it does make you stop and think about how things change over time. In the Summer at Regular Afterglow, James added a rock for his dog Tucker. When I was there a frog used it as a resting place. It must be tough hopping around all over the place. I wouldn't know. But I am glad this memorial served a dual purpose. That makes it less sad.

Now that my swimming was done and I made it out to Memory Point, it was time to do something else. Since none of the other cousins/family are around, figuring out what to do is more difficult this time of year. I didn't have any booze, so I decided to take a ride into Eagle River. This time of day (and this time of year) is a good time to go for a ride. But let's face it, any time of day and year (except for night or probably Winter) is good because you never know what you might see. I nearly got a DEER U I as this beast crossed the road in front of me. Luckily I was at a stop sign at the end of Sugar Maple Road about to turn left onto County Highway E, so I was able to take a picture and give the deer time to cross.

We've certainly added many many things and tributes to Timmy's burial site over the years. I'm going to go on the record and say that it is a little too much and that some of them should be removed, but I don't want to tell people how to mourn the dead. So it is what it is. At the end of the day, does it even matter? With or without all of the artifacts, Memory Point will be whatever you want it to be. And nothing will ever change that. I never know how long I stay out there, but I always know when it is time to leave. I wish I could say that I would be there forever, but that's not possible. Eventually you need to move on and do something else. And so I begin the picturesque walk back to the cabin and soak up the imagery that makes this one of my favorite places on this Earth.

Once it was clear that the sunset colors were gone and all I would see was night, I got back in my car and made the 16 mile drive to Eagle River. I got there around 8pm, which was plenty of time to buy alcohol before the State of Wisconsin cut me off. I picked up a case of Rhinelander Shorties (which is hard to find in the Milwaukee area) and a bottle of whiskey and then head back to Afterglow. Since this is these are the last pictures I took, I doubt that I did much else with my day. But when you look back on it, I did a lot with the one true day I had. That's all you can ever ask.

It wasn't my intention to stop in "downtown" Phelps on the banks of North Twin Lake, but as I turned the corner onto Highway 17, I saw that the sun was setting and realized that this faced due West. In all of the years that I have been coming here, I have watched many a sunset, but never from this vantage point. I parked my car and set my phone on hyperlapse video mode and hung out here for about an hour while I got enough footage for a proper video. As you can see in the video, I ended up watching some of it from the end of the dock as the sunlight faded away and led to some of the most beautiful colors that I have seen up here. This place never fails to amaze me. Been coming up here 30+ years and still I can find something to do/see that is brand new. Simply amazing.