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.Around the Sanctuary (our new home) lies dozens if not hundreds of acres of woods. "I'll go for a backpacking hike right here!", I thought. Right.
Between the underbrush and the Katrina-felled trees, hiking (as you and I think of it) was out of the question, especially backpacking my tent, food, kitchen, bedroll, etc.
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.Once I was truly into the woods, I made only about 50 yards headway before I was worn out and confused. I picked this lovely clearing (?) to pitch my tent.
I did manage to cook a meal (ham&rice pilaf), and settled in to rededicate myself to writing in my sadly neglected journal, while waiting for nightfall and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
Alas! The sky was overcast all night with nary a star to see, let alone a hint of a shooting star.
And Alack! I waited for the night to cool me off from the 98 degree temperature (and 110 degree heat index), but not a whiff of wind was stirring. In the morning when I put my shirt back on, it was still just as soaked with sweat as it had been when I took it off.
This was not one of my better camping experiences. Perhaps better than the time I waited out a two-day blizzard under a tarp, but not by much.
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.But I have not given up. I left my tent and sleeping bag behind, carefully marking the trees on my outward trail, lest I should never see my gear again. I'll give it a try again soon, for the night-time temperature is now dipping into the frigid (brrr!) high 70's.
2 comments:
LATER:
On second thought, I'll take the blizzard over the 110 degree heat index. At least I was able to sleep during the blizzard.
"hobbling around half lame..."
I'm now walking two miles every morning (the alarm clock goes off at 4am), which is beginning to ward off the hobbles. My weight loss program seems to be back on track--or at least, I'm down to the tightest notch on my belt. It may soon be time for the next size smaller jeans.
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