Glenlivet 12

Things have been really hectic in my life lately, and today I decided to take a much needed break to go hiking. There is this beautiful hike in St. Mary's Wilderness that has several gorgeous swimming holes and is perfect for hot summer days. My friend and I have been trying to find time to do this hike all summer, and today was the day. We set out for our adventure...and much confusion ensued. 

Fast forward to the evening when we stopped by Fardowners for Scotch and sustenance. Their computers were down, I was getting emails of chaos at work, and after the misdirection of our hiking adventure, my friend asked the question:  

Mercury's in retrograde, isn't it?

I hadn't planned on meeting a new Scotch this evening, but apparently it was in the cards. The only single malt at the bar was Glenlivet 12. I've seen him around; he's in a lot of the bars and restaurants, but I didn't think he was my type, so wasn't in a rush to meet him. Tonight though, it felt right. So Ben, the bartender, poured me a dram.                                                                                        
His nose wasn't the most attractive. Not too offensive, really, but sharp and pungent. The first sip was spicy, and as the evening went on, I realized that was one of Glen's most prevailing traits. There was a sweetness to him as well though - perhaps caramel.                                                                                                                  
I added a drop of water, and while it mellowed his nose into a softer scent with a touch of vanilla, it didn't change the flavor much. If anything, he became sassier and spicier. Lots of people seemed a little cranky today, it wasn't just him. We can blame Mercury. 

                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                               
If you follow astrology at all, you undoubtedly will have learned the meaning of "Mercury Retrograde." It is the time when the planet appears to move backward in the sky because of its relative to position to Earth. This is supposed to give an energetic influence to our lives that affects technology, communication, legal dealings, etc.... all in a negative way.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Flashback to our hike: Although we followed the GPS, we arrived at the wrong entrance to the trail; Although we followed the map, the trail seemed to disappear in the direction we needed to go. So...we never did reach the refreshing swimming holes, but we had a good hike anyhow. The highlight was probably these fascinating twisted trees that we found. Here's one example, but there were several along the way. We still aren't sure exactly how this would have happened.

The conversation with Glen continued, and while I was enjoying it, I realized he was pretty sarcastic. The sips started off with a hint of sweetness, but then took a wry turn to almost caustic spice in the finish. He was fine enough, but not very deep. I also sensed a slight note at the end - ashy? bitter? The heat kept things interesting, but I doubt I'll see him again very soon. Of course, first meetings when Mercury is in retrograde...they may not count.

When we arrived at the bar, the radio was playing Bob Marley's

 

Everything's Gonna Be Alright.  

I think Bob's got it right - it's all gonna be alright. The twists and turns of life will come. Sometimes we get caught up in the chaos, sometimes things don't go the way we plan; Sometimes we blame ourselves, and sometimes - if the timing's right - we can blame Mercury.        

*For any and all technical errors in this blog for the next 6 weeks, please contact Mercury.