Excerpts from Worlds End, part 3

2005-09-26 - 1:26 p.m.

September 22. Power went off this morning shortly after I got up. Seems the parks folks were doing some maintenance. That headed off my plan of a long, lingering coffee time on the porch. Luckily it was back on before noon and the fish in the freezer stayed frozen.

Big event of my day was hiking the Double Run Trail. Now this is supposed to be the only woose trail in the park. It's a mile and some long and is listed as easy to moderate. I think what they meant is that there are some easy bits and some moderately insane bits. Actually, I'm sure for someone with any experience and a set of fully functioning knees it wouldn't be a problem.

The route of the trail is sort of like a lollipop. You start at the bottom of the stick, follow it around in a loop in and then at some point it joins you back up with the stick to return you back to lemonade and showers and a significant reduction in the smell of sweaty denim.

Only it wasn't very clear when it got to that return bit. Stuff started feeling familiar, but it kept seeming to try to lead me back around the loop and I couldn't tell how you were supposed to find the way back to the stick. Some slight panicking followed by a careful gathering of every scrap I knew about the place, a short detour offtrail and even a jaunt crossing the stream without the benefit of a bridge eventually did the trick. Direction's usually not my strong point but I finally found myself back on the path in the direction I wanted. Hurrah! Go me! Yay no needing to spend the night lost in the woods.

Also was a bit shocked that the park service would make the EASY trail so tough to figure out AND that they have some of it go through hunting lands! WTF?! I didn't get shot. I didn't get lost. I didn't get trapped anywhere and have to gnaw my own arm off. So, in all, a success. And darned pretty. Ok, pretty darned good exercise too.

Dashed back for one of the all-time best showers of my life, timer-button-operated though it was. Made some lunch and spent the afternoon reading and relaxing on the sun-dappled porch sprawled on a blanket where I was apparently causing a chipmunk much grief. Where's the babel fish to translate chipmunk when you need one?

Tonight, no surprise, was my last campfire. Not quite as elegant a start as last night's perfect example but was still a good fire after a bit of coaxing.

My previous campfire meals were confined to canned food (the ill-fated lentil soup, some chili, and heating apple cider). Tonight I got fancy and cooked up some roughy in sesame ginger sauce in my cast iron pan over the fire. A big mug of hot cider washed it down. Much, much thinking by the fireside.

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