Cascades, Blacksburg, Va

Trip Report - Cascades Recreation Area, New River Ranger District, Blacksburg, Virginia

Saturday, May 10, 2003
Day 1 - 2003-03-31
This trip has started off with a great start; we had two inches of snow on Sunday and reports were stating about eight inches in the area of Blacksburg. The temperature was just at the freezing point so by morning there was very little remaining. Most of the snow left was on the tops of cars and trucks and had the habit of flying off anytime one got to close tot he rear end of the vehicle. There was still plenty of snow on the mountains however and while crossing the Allegheny Mountains going from Interstate 81 to Interstate 64 so I could stop at James River Ranger District and drop off the slides that I had digitized and of course pick up more so hopefully I can finish that location before I head south in July. I do not think I will be concerned with snow in Georgia in July and August. It will hot and muggy and just what every Georgia summer is like. I dread to think what Fort Frederica will be like when I get there in July. I am sure it will not be cool and it will be buggy.
Once I left Interstate 81 snow showers started and became very heavy for a while and I was wondering if I was running into trouble but shortly before Covington the snow stopped and the sun came out and it was very attractive. The drive down took just four hours and I stopped just about hourly for a short break. Traffic was light except around Roanoke and never slowed down at all. Interstate 81 has a reputation as being a high speed through road, it is one of the through ways between New England and Mexico. There has been talk about widening it to 10 lane, four lanes for trucks and six lanes for cars. Conservation groups are screaming, they say the money would best be spent on increasing the capacity of the rail road tracks which are largely one way all the way. I would tend to agree with the conservation groups, the destruction to the scenery surrounding the Interstate would be fantastic. It would take a good portion of National Forest from the Pennsylvania border all the way to the North Carolina border. The state doesn't have the money and will be hard pressed to complete I95 and the bridge.in the Washington D.C. area. the price tag for thast work is currently 4 Billion dollars and you know that will go up.

I stayed at Covington for about two hours and then headed for Blacksburg via US 220 rather than the Interstate. 220 is a decent road, half of it is four lane and runs into Interstate 64 just north of Roanoke. From there to Blacksburg is about an easy hour drive through rolling hills and I made decent time. I stopped at Christianburg to stock up on perishable food. I actually didn’t plan to show up until the 1^st but since the drive took less than expected I came down all the way.
The ranger district sent me here to a motel till the site is available in the morning. This just happens to be a motel that Mimi stays at when she comes down to a location near here on her business trips. It is a small world. At least here at the motel I will be able to take a hot bath in the morning which is something I cannot do in Tiny. Tiny's hot water tank is minuscule and just sufficient to shave it seems. I will also be able to go out and have a restaurant meal which is something I will not be able to do once I get to the recreation area.

Indeed I did have a store bought meal, one of the few I planned for on this trip. I also developed a hell of a case of heartburn. The Mexican restaurant next to motel is very good, one of the better I have been to and the wine was extremely complementary to the meal. However the wages of sin made me pay dearly for the experience. I should have taken an anti acid before I went to my room as I have many packages of Tums with me which has saved me from evenings of painful distress but I was lazy and paid dearly for it. It was a rough night but I did feel better in the morning. I do not often overindulged any more getting to old for that but sometimes I do get carried away with enthuiasm and pay the price afterwards.
One would think that I would have learned my lesson after being out in the Southywest last year but I haven't, I tore my stomach up again and it will be almost a week before it is back up to normal. At times I think I will never learn that I cannot mix chili pepper with red wine.

Day 2 - 2003-04-01 Arrived at the Ranger Station at Oh dot dark and then I was out here at the Cascades before the sun really got into the valley and there`was still four inches of snow on the ground. I am completely surrounded by hills, no TV and radio reception is lousy; all of which I enjoy. I have spent the day getting Tiny set up, getting the lay of the land. The guy I work with at the ranger station truly has his act together so suspect that it will be a great month. The telephone either is not working or there is a trick to it, hopefully I will have that up and running tomorrow so I can get back on the Internet.

It turned out that the cable plug was defective and once I used the new cable and forced it into the receptacle it worked very well. It take a while to adjust to a modem of course for after using DSL I am spoiled. My one concern was that someone, with the best of intentions, would send me a huge graphic file and it would an hour to download. I had that happen once while I was at Petrified Forest and it cost me almost $15.00 for that long distance phone call. It does not take a very large graphic file to mess things up. Files are downloaded sequentially and the download queue is not released un till all files in the queue are released, one just cannot jump a file or delete it. Like a pipe, if it is clogged, nothing is going to get through until everything blocking it is cleared out.
Putting this on a modem just slows things down even more. I would love to high a truly high speed link but they are expensive, more than I can afford nowadays, I squawk about what I pay now being too expensive. I am going to investigate

I am parked about 50 yards from a very cold, very fast, and very noisy creek. It drops 900 feet in less than two miles as it heads for the James River and then of course heads for the Chesapeake Bay. I have a private well not far from here and that water is very good. I did have to add a filter to the hose line but that just might because the line hasn’t been used since last fall. No chlorine or anything like that. Coffee made with it tastes pretty darn good.

I took pictures of the area while it was still covered with snow, I do not think snow will be here very long. By late afternoon snow has disappeared from the grassy areas and I suspect by the end of tomorrow will be gone completely. I am probably going to do a heavy duty police call in the morning to catch that and then finish getting set up and hike up to the falls. I hope it will not be icy as I do not want to take a dip in the water when it is that cold. That could lead to a heart attack of course and perhaps hyperthermia f I am too far away from Tiny to get warm right away.

Day 3 - 2003-04-02
Great day, temperature inside Tiny was up to 80 degrees in mid afternoon - dropped once I opened ceiling vents - and outside temperature was in the mid 70's. Blue skies, there isn’t much of any breeze down here where I am parked but I can hear it higher up.

Did my police call, policed up quite a lot of junk has collected over the winter and checked the restrooms, finished getting things and setup in Tiny and managed to get into the Internet so all is well with the world. I had over 100 emails to respond to so I kept busy for several hours late in the afternoon. I have so many slides to work on and in so many containers that there is scarce room to walk without tripping over something or putting your foot into one of the boxes and destroying something. My priorities will be completing the larger containers so I can return them on next break and before I break my own neck in doing it. There are times that I would like a larger RV but I will make do. The secret is not to accept more work than what I can carry comfortably. Of course once I complete the audio tapes that will free up even more space, both in the RV and at home where they take significant storage space.

I am disappointed that I didn’t walk up to the falls but I was just too busy. I will make it first thing in the morning however. I have heard that the falls are at their best when they are frozen but I strongly think it is too late in the year for that. I just have to drive down here next winter to photograph them as one extra large size ice cycle. It is apparent that Spring has sprung. The woods have the green cast of budding and some of the trees are showing the first signs of blossoms. This will be a very attractive time of the year, everything should be out by the time I leave at the end of the month. I haven’t seen that much as far as wildlife; there were some turkey buzzards circling overhead looking for winter kill I suspect and I have seen some of the smaller birds such as robins and sparrows but no mammals yet. I know there are deer in the area as I have seen their hoof printsand I have been told that there are black bear and wild turkeys wandering around the site as well. I can do without the bears of course even though I know they are little threat to me in Tiny. Brown bears wouold concern me even more.

This is a day use only area meaning that once it is dark I am the only person here. I might have one or two cars come in late but I suspect they are young lovers looking for a place to make out so I do not bother them. I fear that if they were at all noisy I would run them out. I could lock the gates if this becomes a real habit but as long as they are not bothering anybody and nobody is making complaints why should I stand in the way of love. It certainly isn't anything thaty I haven't done when I was much younger
Rain, rain and more rain. I basically did nothing outside all day. I did do a fair amount of imaging so the day wasn’t totally lost. The forecast for tomorrow is more of the same which is not that promising. The creek must be much higher as it is much noisier. I do not fear that the creek wil overflow up where I am situated but down lower I would imagine that it will close the road until it runs off.

Day 5 -2003-04-04 The forecast was correct, the only difference was that it rained harder all day. I do not think there was a single visitor today. I did watch a movie and finished reading a book that I had started before I left home. This is truly a tough and demanding job, one that only a tenacious volunteer can fulfill to its utmost. I did spend almost twelve hours imaging so it was not all simple and vain pleasure on my part. !2 hours staring at the monitor can cause a threatening headache plus one's vision starts to distort.
Day 6 -2003-04-05
I think one of the chores I must accomplish when I have the time this summer is have my eyes tested again, especially my near vision. I think it has changed drastically in the last three years. I hate the though of the expense of new glasses but it goes along withy my more advanced state of maturity.
A beautiful day for once, the parking lot was overflowing and every picnic table was being used.; I dread to think of all the beer cans that will have to be picked up tomorrow morning. Compliance regarding paying the $2.00 user fee seems to be a problem, I wrote some forty warnings today. The more expensive the car or the brighter the color the more apt it is that the driver did not pay the fee. It is almost automatic for me now to get out the paper and pen when I see a red sports car. I now know why insurance companies charge red cars higher premiums, it is an attitude thing, I will not discuss Hummer drivers, they are in a class by themselves. Why anybody needs that much of a status symbol I do not know; of course it is one of the safest of the SUVs.
I did take the time to talk to some of the students, it is very obvious that Virginia Tech is not a liberal arts school, most of the students that I have talked to have their heads together and pretty much know where they are going in life. There was one flea brain mixed in but it was explained to me later that she was a student from Radford University a few miles away from Blacksburg. She had a great body but not much of a brain. To give her credit she did have an opinion of just about everything liberal and would expound on that subject at great length until someone would tell her to shut up.
In all it was an enjoyable day. The forecast is for the same weather tomorrow, I hope so as I was fearful of green mold or fungus growing under my chin. Locals can probably develop gills after a few years of living through the Springs here. I do not think they were impacted upon that much by last year's drought. I sure cannot say that for the area around the house as all the reservoirs are at the lowest in fifteen years.

Day 7 -2003-04-06 I had to drive Tiny out today, propane supply was running a little low. This cold weather truly drinks propane even though I use the electric heater as much as possible. I think the water heater uses a disproportionate amount of gas as well. It has to be on continually unless I want to wait for thirty minutes for the water to heat when I have to break down and wash dishes or shave. Using cold water just doesn’t do the job I fear. I hate it when I pick up a dish that still has a little grease on it; I like even less when I have to shave in cold water. I remember from out in Arizona when I would go through a tank a week which gets expensive after a while. I can get reimbursed by the Forestry if I remember to keep the receipt. I have to remember to get another igniter for the stove as well. I know I do not have any matches in Tiny, they go bad due to the humidity and I am not quite up to using a piece of flint. I also splurged and purchased a container of ice cream. Man does not live by bread alone, some meat and vegatables are an appreciated addition to the meals even if it means a few additional dishes to wash after dinner. I will just have to suffer that one out and get chapped hands.
I had my second store bought meal while I was out, there is a small family restaurant across the street for Walmart so I tried it. I do not think I will return to this restaurant as everything was totally overcooked, the liver I could have used to resole my shoes. The only other option was Kentucky Fried Chicken which I am not that keen on either. I like it but there is too much grease which I should not have at my age and cholesterol level and for which I am taking pills daily. Of course I wish the doctors would agree what is good for you and what is bad.
It seems to that when Kentucky Fried Chicken first came out or when I was first exposed to it, the batter turned out much crisper and I thought that it tasted better. I guess memory slips over the ages or is it simply the taste buds going along with the rest of the body. Youth is wasted on the young; we old people who are more mature think that this should be reversed. To be twenty withy what I know now, what a blast that would be.
I picked up some food as well, I was running low on meat and fish. I am sure that I am set until I go home on the 14^th. I usually only eat once a day so I do not use that much and I prefer a one pot dish so I have less to wash. I am getting lazy in my old age.
When I returned to the recreation area it was jammed packed again and I was writing until my fingers cramped. I had a bite to eat and then stayed up until quite late imaging again. I would like very much to have all of these slides digitized before I leave here and go to Lake Moomaw
. If for no other reason, I would like to have the floor space back so I do not break my neck. The way I have things packed in Tiny I have only one area in back of the dining table to sit and one of the captain's chairs; the other captains chair has audio tapes strapped down in it. No wasted space in Tiny. I think when I get back from this years trips I will completely take everything out and see what I can part with. The area on top of the sleeping ledge on top of the drivers compartment is overflowing and I know I do not need everything that is up there.

I am going to have the cushions on the dining table benches re stuffed, it is almost like sitting on plain wood the cushioning is simply shot. Of course anything I plant my more than ample posterior upon for any length of time will have that happen. I will probably wait until the summer is over. The place that I had the cushions for the day bed redone can probably do it and have the covers dry cleaned at the same time.
Day 8 -2003-04-07
Monday, time to pick up all the beer cans. Actually I should not insult beer that much. This is usually not beer but Bud and Millers Lite. There is little resemblance to that mouthwash and beer. I picked up two trash bags full along the trail and at one picnic table. At least the cans were aluminum and light. That many beer bottles would be a killer to lug down the mountain
I noticed one picnic table with drinkers where most of the female participants in the beer drinking did not look to be of age, however it appeared the males were, but I am not an enforcer unless they become obnoxious and then I notify the sheriff. In reality the area didn’t look all that bad. I had it back to pristine well before lunch and still had time for some imaging. The weather is overcast and chilly but I did walk to the falls. The hillside is becoming noticeably greener and more attractive, dogwood is sprouting out in many places.
I can remember in the 60's while living in Alaska it was the thrill of the year to watch the snow work its way down the mountains and then again an escape from cabin fever when snow reversed itself and started moving back up the mountain. It meant that the days were longer and that we could play golf until almost midnight and time was getting close to when the salmon would be running and we could catch and smoke them. I wasn't into sushi in those as I am now, drat what I was missing.
Of course the longer days became gave the B29 mosquitoes more time to prey upon you but I do not remember having West Nile Fever to be concerned with. I think everybody traded blood types in the event that somebody needed a blood transfusion after being drained by one those huge blood suckers. I used to get very amused when one would attack a golf ball with the suggestion of carnal intent. Of course at the air base they used to pump them full of jet fuel until they discovered it was only a insect.
One more week until I go home to check if Mimi will call the police when I walk in the door. It will be wonderful to go back and soak in the tub for a while. I also would completely enjoy some good Korean food. I also need to pick up some minor supplies for the computer. I want to be able to transfer files from the two computers so I can work on both at the same time.
Day 9 -2003-04-08
Lousy weather, cold in the low 30s and raining off and on all day. I did a fair amount of imaging and reading as well. I didn’t see too many people come in today except for some really dedicated trout fisherman, they are all beyond help anyway. My favorite dog came by for his nightly attention of ear and belly scratching; that was the most enjoyment of the day. He is part Jack Russell Terrier and just so enthusiastic about everything. He loves to play tug of war and keep away. According to his owner he will play so hard with his grandchildren that he will just drop and have to take a thirty minute nap. He does not know what it is to stop. He loves to see his friends and he runs full out until he reaches ten or twelve feet away and then just leaps and lands on his back so his tummy is exposed and ready to be rubbed or scratched. I do not ever recall such a dog before. Thai loved to play but he was no way near as aggressive about it, everything had to be on his terms. He was a character all of his own. I do miss having a dog to keep me company, there was just something so relaxing about that. He seemed to be very aware of the mood I was in and if I needed an additional dose of TLC. He was a major part of our family for many years.
Day 10 - 2003-04-09 The weather improved a little bit, at least it wasn’t raining. I did some trimming along the side of the trail, clearing away some of the ice damaged trees so people did not trip over them. The high water recently is quite evident, it was washed away some of the clay supporting the stone steps making them a little loose. Some of the rocks shift if you step on them but I do not feel they are dangerous. I am in awe of the crew that out these rocks into place. The rocks were probably carried a significant distance as well.
They were better men than I. I know I couldn't do that know, I wouldn't even want to try, I do not need to have a heart attack to prove to myself that I am getting old. I do not think I would have tried thirty years ago, I had more smarts then - I think but I would not be too sure about it. If I were competing with my father all bets would be off. Anything he did I had to do better, and he used that competitiveness whenever he could and it darned near killed me a number of times.
I do not believe it is a safety hazard but awful close to it. Some of these stones must weigh over sixty pounds and I am not about to attempt to move them. I spent a fair amount of time in the creek picking up cans and that sort of thing, gads that water is cold. Once I returned to Tiny I propped up my feet in front of the heater until such time as I could feel the blood moving. My feet actually hurt for a while from the cold and my entire body cooled off for a little while. I would think it was a minor case of hypothermia.
I still did imaging until after midnight and I do not have that much more to do. I know that I will be finished with the scanning before I leave and at least the editing accomplished on all the loose images that do not belong in collections or presentations. I have come to appreciate just how time time and energy it is to keep a collection such as this up to date, especially if the general attitude is one of benign neglect. I also realize that what efforts I expend now will not be visible after a couple of years. I just give it my best shot and walk away from it. It is frustrating but it will never change unless it is worth while to management to make it important and I do not see this happening. All one has to do it look at the individual parks home page to see just how much attention is paid in this. Times are changing however, supervisors are being held responsible for automation finally. I guess that Mimi and I were lucky in that we became involved in office automation quite early. To think about going back to typewriters or even writing checks would be such a major step backwards. There are times when I am cut off from Internet and I have withdrawal pains. I would find it very difficult to accept a volunteer position that does not have internet communication capability it really has become a mainstay in our life style, I guess we are becoming quite spoiled in this age of technology. How did we ever survive before this when we actually had to pick up a pencil and to reconcile the monthly bank account was approached almost with reverence, and maybe a bit on intrepidiation as maybe there would be a mistake.
Day 11 - 2003-04-10 Very cold and windy today, Tiny rattled and shook all day. There were gusts upward of forty miles an hour which if it were blowing directly toward the side of Tiny I would start getting concerned. However it was coming directly from the rear so no concern. I did little outside other than checking for debris and compliance. Of course I made a large dent in the remainder of the slides but right about now my eyes are starting to blur and weep. It is time to call it quits for the day fear. I have brought sufficient DVD's with me to be able to watch one a day, I think I have only watched five or six as I have been keeping very busy.
I may listen to a few audio CDs before I call it quits but I do not know if I will last till the completion of the first one. It is wonderful not to have to be concerned with disturbing one's neighbors, I do not have any closer than a mile away. I like it when I do not have any neighbors to disturb, and I do not care if I disturb the wildlife unless it irritates a bear or something like that.
Day 12 - 2003-04-11 Another nasty day, the front came through early in the morning with some snow on top of the higher ridges. It was just below freezing at my level and I had to turn the heat all the way up just to keep the chill off. I have wrapped my feet in a quilt to keep them warm as the floor was cold. I invested several hours of the day on the Internet looking for some forestry facts.
I read an article in the Sierra Club magazine that I found to be a little over dramatic and felt I needed to investigate further before I wrote anything on the subject. I like the Sierra Club, I am a member but at times I think they exaggerate situations just a little bit too much. I object when they start telling me who I should vote for. Of course that is exactly why they lost their tax free status. I understand that the Washington Post is going to do an article on The Nature Conservancy and its rapid rise and if they should continue their tax free status. I suspect the government may try to do to the Nature Conservancy as they did to the Sierra Club.
Day 13 - 2003-04-12 I spent a good portion of the day putting things away so I can get a early start in the morning. It is about a five and a half hour drive and I would like to home about lunchtime. I might even go over for the sushi buffet. The weather should improve tomorrow which will help the drive.
Day 14 - 2003-04-13 Home and a hot tub. The simple pleasures of life. I soaked in the tub for almost an hour and feel much better. Now I have to mow the lawn and other Honey Do chores. Then I can settle down and pay the bills and other sundry activities. I will leave Thursday and I will be busy all week so I can leave with a somewhat clear conscious. Mimi is quite tied up with school work,
Hanna is going to NYC so I guess I will take Red with me. He should enjoy himself. He tries so hard to act like a dog but really he hasn't a clue how to be one. He is extremely smart so we will get along.
It is nice this year that I will be able to come home every two weeks for the first three months and do things around the house. I will not be able to do this when I am in Georgia for July and August but it is enjoyable while it lasts. I also like having the ability to take long showers whenever I want. I also like the opportunity to have home cooked meals once in a while. I do not do very elaborate cooking while I am out, I try to stay mostly with one pot meals that I can also eat from the pot so there are less dishes to wash, so I am lazy I admit to that.
Day 15 - 2003-04-18 Back at the sweat shop, Red made it and is having a ball being outside a good portion of the day. There is a chipmunk that gets very close into him and it drives Red nuts. I do not know what would happen if Red gets loose but I suspect that the instant chipmunk makes an aggressive move Red will be hightailing it for the door. He is not know for being overly protective, in fact I think that he is afraid of his own shadow sometimes.

There is a wild turkey that walks by every morning and that bird is apt to tangle with Red. The bird outweighs Red and with those huge wings is quite impressive. I will wait to see what happens. I walked Red up to the falls shortly after we arrived and had Tiny taken care of. He did quite well for himself despite the steps he had to scramble up but he fell asleep as soon as we arrived back home and he has been sleeping ever since. He hasn’t even bugged me for dinner.
At first I thought he might be sick but it was just his sore and aching muscles. He eventually woke up when I was cooking my dinner so he had to attempt to mooch some from me. He wasn't very successful except for getting a fifteen minute massage of his tired aching muscles. I keep forgetting that he is not a young puppy dog anymore. He is an old man of my age relatively, not that I think of myself as old of course, I am only more mature than most, maybe I should refer to this as senility challenged. That seems to be the way to be politically correct in this letigatious society.
Day 16 - 2003-04-19
Red woke up at 2200, starving of course, ate his dinner and went right back to sleep. He didn’t even want to go outside, I carried him out but he wasn’t happy about it. He walked around the RV and was ready to come back inside and climb back up on his warm spot.
It was raining today so we didn’t go back up. Red likes it when I put a pillow or two on the seat by the dining table bringing him high enough so he can see out and sniff the outdoors. Being next to me assures him of a scratch or two while I am working. He “talks” in his sleep when he is tired or his muscles ache as I think they do today. We went out for a short walk but he really doesn’t appreciate the rain.
He is much better about it when we are traveling, around the house he may get away with his whining until somebody takes him out under an umbrella and wipes his feet when he gets back inside. He is so abused at times.
I think there is a black bear that walks by Tiny early in the morning as Red must hear him and wants to hide underneath me. I know that he is scared as he is trembling. Of course I am not going outside to check either.
Day 17 - 2003-04-20
At one time there was a saw mill near the top of the creek, only the steam boiler remains, the floods have removed all evidence of the other locations. There is a road that goes most of the way to the top, there are still some private property at the top and I have to allow them to reach their property. They cannot drive up there but they are free to walk up. The road is not in the best of condition and one would require a 4 wheel drive vehicle or an ATV to even get to the falls themselves. The road is muddy all the time due to the "weeps" that come out of the small springs. The sandstone in that area is full of holes that collect rainwater and as it is not impervious to water, it leaks all year except when it is frozen, the entire Allegheny Mountain chain is filled with caverns.
It was a warm day with bright sunlight. Red spent most of the day sunbathing outside the door keeping his eyes and nose open for what would be close. I did more trail work and then back to the computer. I still have quite a bit to do but I think I will have it done by the time I leave. I did get rid of two boxes giving me a little bit more foot room but there are still two boxes to go. I think the total number of slides for the month will be close to 8000. Red had his encounter with the chipmunk and the chipmunk won. Red dashed for the door to be saved. He is a big brave dog - ha! I have seen chipmunk chased by sparrows and titmouse.
Day 18 - 2003-04-21
Another nice day, Red went out early and curled up on his favorite site keeping a wary eye out for the chipmunk. He should have kept an eye open for the turkey as the turkey decided to flex its wings and Red would be panicked. He stayed much closer to the door the rest of the day after that incident. I remember a gander (Male goose) at my mother's family home that terrorized all of the twenty some of the grandchildren by chasing them with his wings flapping away. At the time I thought he had a wing span of twenty feet and a beak of surgical steel. My greatest ambition when I was a kid was to catch that bird without being bitten and wring its neck.
Then the family moved to Kentucky and Fort Campbell before I ever had the opportunity, I never did here what the fate of that bird was. Maybe one of my cousins might remember, most of them never left New Jersey until they finished their educations. I have been a gypsy vagabond all my life. I guess in a way I am still that gypsy wanting to see what is behind the next mountain. Why else would I become a volunteer at so many different locations. I am sure that many people do not understand why I do this and the degree of pleasure that I obtain from doing this.
In the afternoon we walked up to the falls, he did very well and wasn’t as tired when we returned. He did go to bed much earlier however. He stirred abut 0100 but that didn’t last very long and he continued to sleep until 0530 which he feels is the best time to wake me up as then I get up, feed him and then start my work. He is doing a great job in training me. Thai was just as good and spent many more years doing it. He had a special knack for it and he worked it for all he was worth up to and including the day he died. One of these days we will find another replacement for him and I think I will be much happier.
We did go on a walk but not up to the falls but he didn’t seem enthusiastic so we went a shorter trail. He is fun to have around to keep me company. I will miss him when he goes back to Hanna. He wants very much to learn to be a puppy and play but I think he is receiving mixed signals of what he can and should do. There are times when he loves to play "chase" but he is afraid that he will be chastised if he does.
The weather started turn wet in the afternoon so we spent the rest of the day imaging. I know, how thrilling I still have a lot to do if I want to find out what color the carpeting is. I will have to rent a carpet cleaner the end of the season and really clean this thoroughly. When I hit that tree limb that tore loose a bolt and caused a very serious leak the carpet has a massive stain. There is another such stain further back on the right side as well. Tiny is beginning to show her age. Aren't we all though. She has done well however and will last a while longer.
Day 19 - 2003-04-22
It rained almost the entire day, not just a light mist but a heavy downpour all day. I could see the water rise in the creek and of course the noise level increased as well. Red would go outside only if I carried him and then he would duck underneath Tiny to do his business and then back inside. Then I would have to wipe his feet and dry off his back and put him up on his cushion by the dining table so he could see outside at what he was subjected to. Then he would attempt to mooch something in payment for all the abusive treatment he suffered. He is an accomplished carn artist as are all dogs I think. Red is great to have around, he is very conscientious about scaring away elephants, I haven't seen one once while he is with me. He will bark at birds and small animals and when startled but most of the time he is quite quiet and is content to just lay there and get his ears rubbed every so often.
I did take some umbrage when he wanted to walk across the keyboard of the laptop in anticipation of getting more attention if he could snuggle closer to me on that side but he found out that he would wind up on the floor. Who said life had to be fair even to puppy dogs, it is a cold cruel world out there. Howsoever, a keyboard for that laptop costs about $150.00 plus installation which is probably more than $100 itself. I love him but not that much.
I did get a lot of work accomplished and some reading. I finished “The Haj” by Leon Uris and started another book on Saddam. He really has an interesting background and certainly not someone I would like to met in a dark alley. His sons do not seem to be any improvement either.
One of the nice things about being so far out in the boondocks is that one doesn't become saturated with media. Local radio carries little but local advertising and news which I pay very scant attention to.
Later in the afternoon there were kayakers in the creek, bouncing off rocks on their way down. What some people do to have fun. I saw that they wore helmets, probably the only thing keeping them from broken skulls. I had seen that stream when the water is lower and I know just how many rocks are there. Not for me! I have done enough bone breaking in my lifetime. I am very content to allow the younger set to do such things.
Day 20 - 2003-04-23 Getting closer to departure. I do not know just how fast time can slip bye even when I am working sixteen and eighteen hours a day. I feel that I have never`really been busy unless I push myself close to the limits of my ability. Part of my so-called success story I suspect or my father's expectations for me I guess. I wonder if it could be genetic? Time to make an eye appointment for sure, this blurring drives me nuts at time. Hearing problems annoy me (tinnitus) bothers me but it doesn't impair my work most of the time. I think I am going to be pushed to met my schedule. I have been slipping somewhat with having Red around to keep me busy. The weather was better and we climbed again to the falls. The water was deafening as it came crashing down the sixty some odd feet.
On the way back Red slipped on a rock and went for a swim. He was not happy with me at all as he hates water; I think he feels I was the cause and am extremely guilty one way or another as he has been giving me very dirty looks ever since it happened. It is a rough world out there for short legged puppy dogs. He dried off rapidly and all was forgiven by the time we returned to Tiny and he had a small treat. Of course I had to pay him off.
He had a bite to eat and then it was under the covers for a snooze. He was talking in his sleep so I had to wake him a few times. I stayed up for a while and digitized some more slides, I guess it was 0130 by the time I went to bed.

Day 21 - 2003-04-24 Another nice day, I spent several hours cleaning the outside of Tiny and sweeping the floor and other household chores. The parking site is covered with cinders that track in the house easily and are a pain to get rid of. I also did the stove and windows so things look a little bit better. There is no rest for the wicked.

I worked again until after midnight with the scanning, I think that I will make the schedule now to include the editing and color adjustments. I had one hell of a headache when I was finished for the evening at 0130 in the morning, I guess caused by eye strain. I guess I will have to have my eyes tested again. The wages of sin and of getting old.
My wrists hasn't started hurting yet, when carpal wrist syndrome starts kicking in I have to start wearing that wrist brace which is hot and itchy. If I ignore the pain for too long I simply just cannot use the wrist for a day or twoi until the swelling goes down.
Day 22 – 2003-04-25 Again a nice day and spent time back on the trail trimming trees and shrubs that impede hiking. This will be the last day for this, I do not want to do it on the weekend. I was tasked with waterproofing the picnic tables but one is not supposed to do it on wet wood or if it is going to rain in the next twenty four hours. The weather just has not cooperated except on the weekends and I didn’t want to do it then as it would be sticky for anybody wanting to use it. The park doesn't need to have some hungry lawyer present bills for replacing clothing I am sure. Some of the settlements that I hear about are mind boggling,
I do not understand how a jury can think this is equitable. I know that many are overturned in appellate courts on appeal but it is still the lawyers that get rich, I then the claimants are sometimes lucky to break even. Some claimants wind up being in debt even after winning multimillion dollar suits, it doesn't happen to lawyers who operate on a contingency fee plus expenses.

Day 23 - 2003-04-26 Full house again, cars were parked anyplace they could fit. Of course then it is a compliance issue and I will get writers cramp. It has been a little cooler so there will not be as much skin exposed. I doubt if there will be many belly buttons exposed. However, I may be surprised. Fashion overrides common sense when at this age. I worked again until after midnight, I think I will finish with everything tomorrow which is good as I will leave Monday morning for home and household chores.
I suspect the grass is as high as an "Elephant's Eye" as the song goes. I sure hope that some of the grass that died last year due to the drought comes back, there are several very large bare spots in the front of the house that look like hell. It will take two days at least to mow and trim the yard and if I have to do significant pickup of dead limbs and then have to chip those I will stay busy.

Day 24 - 2003-04-25 Another packed day, overflow only parking. Met a number of very nice people and the day went rapidly. I have almost everything packed so that we can leave early in the morning. Red seems to be very anxious about the packing and has to be in the middle of everything. He can be so funny at times. It will be nice to get home and hit the hot shower again. I will be working quite late to finish and still get a good nights sleep.

Day 25 - 2003-04-28 Uneventful trip back, made the front door shortly before lunch. Road conditions were good, there are no cities to speak of so there are little rush hour traffic. Rush wouold be a misnomer, nobody seems to be that much in a hurry except for those going hunting or fishing. It certainly is different than in the D.C. area where a second delay is considered a major disaster resulting in road rage and other histronics. Unlike California gunb incidents are not that common but getting rammed certainly is.

I have to thank Robert Duggan, volunteer coordinator, who runs a taut ship that is shipshape. The program is well orchestrated and it was a very delightful stay, one that I look forward to doing again.

Thanks Robert, even if I did walk off with your saw.