Explorers

Explorers | Chelan , WA | 2013

They were there when I arrived at the library and, an hour later, had hardly moved. In rugged coats and beat-up boots, they sat in winter light sifting through what looked like books and maps — two stationary explorers (I imagined) prepping for an upcoming adventure. A reasonable escape from the cold would be Hawaii or Key West, but these two dressed as if familiar with challenging trails and harsh conditions. Destination: Alaska? Norway? Antarctica? I moved in closer, feigning to browse while eyeing their research materials. Darn it … not geography books and maps. He was studying a two-page diagram about replacing fittings on an RV septic system. She thumbed through a copy of “Resorts and Campgrounds.” So was that their 45-foot luxury motorhome I spotted in the parking lot? Still explorers, I figured. But comfortable explorers.