[at-l] "My Weekend" by Felix J. McGillicuddy

[Felix <athiker@smithville.net>]

My weekend started out Friday night with an incredible thunderstorm. I 
drove home with lightening crashing all around. Power was out all over 
Bloomington. I got home around 8 and set all the clocks in the house. I 
then spent the evening on the porch swing (the best danged porch swing in
America, it is.) Saturday morning was a drizzly one. At one point I said 
to Pokey, over my AT mug of French Vanilla coffee, "Do you want to take a 
little hike tonight?" I'm not sure what she said. So, I went to work (I 
had to finish what I was doing when it started pouring the previous 
evening) and got back home at about 4 in the p.m. We loaded our packs and 
headed out to a wonderful little spot about a mile and a half from here. 
This was the first time since 1:30 a.m. January 6th that I had my loaded 
pack on my back. It felt really good (partially because it weighed about 
19 lbs.) Oh, I forgot to tell you...When I got home on Sat. there was a 
new dog on my porch. I get dumped dogs a lot :(  So, this dog, whom I 
named Abigail, went with us. She chased a squirrel and a deer before we 
got to our 'campsite'. The campsite is a large pasture on top of a hill 
that has an old homestead in the corner. The home is falling down, but 
the sense of what it was like there 80 years ago is still very powerful. 
Anyway, we set the tent up and go about our business. Abbey's business 
was treeing a coon. Pokey's was going to pick blackberries. Mine was 
writing prose. (Well, actually, mine was reading Penthouse.) (Well, 
really, mine was watching Pokey walk the 400 yards or so across the 
pasture to the blackberries. She had her gaiters on.) For the first time 
since I got home from the hike (1:30 a.m. on January 6th)  I MISSED THE 
TRAIL. I mean, I think about it everyday. Most of the time, in fact. But, 
I hadn't really missed it until that moment. The cool air (it was 
surprising cool for July in Indiana), Pokey in shorts and gaiters, my 
loaded pack, the smell. I missed it.

Anyway, we had a wonderful night (albeit very dewy and cool. we only had 
one small blanket.) We got up at sunrise-time on Sunday and followed a 
dry creekbed through the woods. I saw my first ever Yellow-breasted Chat. 
I got home and ate breakfast and waited for my good buddy Stoat. He 
picked me up and we went canoeing. We put in Salt Fork at about 12:30 and 
floated to Lake Monroe. Right as we got to the mouth of Salt Fork, we saw 
two immature Eagles. (We knew they were immature because the were calling 
us names...Sorry) I actually got to see a Bald Eagle vomit. Anyway, we 
paddled back up Salt Fork and got to my truck at about 6:00. We got to 
Stoat's house and called Pokey and she brought Chinese food. 'Twas a good 
weekend. (All of this was true except the Penthouse part and the calling 
us names part. )
-- 
Felix J. McGillicuddy
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"

Stop and see me at:  http://members.tripod.com/~Felixhikes/index.html

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