Where do you read? There are lots of good places to read a book, magazine, document, or perhaps electronic device, and the living room sofa can certainly be one of them. To an outdoors person however, the sofa might seem like an acceptable spot only on a rainy day.
Fortunately, the issue of where to read isn’t a highly regulated one, so we can pretty much go where we please.
Speaking of rainy days — I once made it through several chapters of a book while sitting in my car at the beach during a rainstorm. The drumming sound of the rain on the car, the howl of the wind, and the crash of the nearby surf combined to drown out everything, allowing me to totally concentrate on that book. It was a great reading experience.
Reading outdoors is something that has been on my mind of late. I’ve been paying attention to where I see people reading, and I’ve been scouting around for places that seem perfect for hanging out to read. I think it is great to sit under a bridge next to a creek bed and read while feeling far from the rest of the world. To each his own, right?
Public parks get their share of readers and it makes perfect sense … a large area in a somewhat natural setting, usually with trees and grass. Park benches are not very comfortable for prolonged relaxing, so I recommend bringing a lawn chair or engaging in the grand old hunt for just the right soft spot next to a tree, at just the right angle to be comfortable sitting and leaning against the tree.
I’ve made friends with a few trees and boulders in this way.
One of my own favorite spots for reading is on one of our public piers. Goleta pier is an awesome reading pier. I’ve taken a little six pack-size cooler with some drinks and snacks and spent some good reading time out on the pier.
Allow me to clear the air, for those who have read a number of my articles. The answer to the unspoken question is YES — of course I had a line in the water while reading. I can’t help it. I can generally sense a strike from a fish, by instinct. If you don’t quite have that going for you, consider one of those little cowbell attachments for your rod tip, so a fish can inform you of its hooked status.
There are plenty of other good outdoor reading spots, and I invite you to ponder the issue and add to this list: Patio, porch, creek side, turnout on a road, mountaintop, treehouse, boat, library, church, stadium, a sandy beach. The possibilities are nearly endless.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
