11-25-2021, 10:55 AM
This whole week had been to damn hot for most people to be outside. I think that is one of the reasons Sally had been in such bad shape when she stumbled onto my property; the heat, no food, and lack of water had given her a mild heat stroke in my non medical opinion. She was much better now after eating everything I offered (and then some) so we set upon our 10 mile hike.
An average distance with a 40 pound pack and someone in good shape with good foot ware, could be 10 miles a day if you were pushing it but....it was so hot I figured if we could do 5 miles a day we would be doing good. Dennis the mule carried most of the heavy stuff such as more water and food stuffs but my pack still weighed at least 30 pounds with the water blivet half full and all the ammo and a few food things in the pack. I was not going to get separated from my back pack .
Out of my property's gate onto the two lane paved road our little march started. It did not take Cally long to figure out the asphalt was to hot for her by 10am to walk on so she ran the grader ditches seeing if she could scare up something to eat or drink. We had not heard nor seen any vehicles or even airplanes these last 6 hours we had been walking and for that matter I had not heard or seen anything mechanical since my house burned.
Sally was starting to not walk as sure footed as she had upon our departure so I called a break underneath a big wide Oak tree just off the side of the road. I broke out some MREs and gave Cally one of the cans of Vienna sausages with the statement, "those are for the Squirrel the other day." She looked very interested in what I had to say (in case I had more food no doubt) but her understanding was about as good as me talking to a closed aluminum door. Nevertheless she was part of our troop so if one eats we all eat. I was not to concerned as I figured we would be at the airport by sometime tomorrow.
It had to be 15 degrees cooler in the shade of the Oak tree coupled with once off the hot Asphalt I had an idea .
"It is so hot why don't we take a break here and try and get some sleep. We can continue when the sun goes down and maybe even bag a night critter for something to eat"?
"Good plan I like that as I am feeling faint headed," was Sally's response.
"Why didn't you say something Sally...this does not have to be a forced death march"!
"I feel like a wimp as you are carrying the pack your guns and everything and all I have is my fanny pack and the .22"
"You are a wimp but don't let that bother you as you are only a girl," I said with a smile hoping she would not shoot me. She just smiled and shook her head in agreement.
"I am surprise you noticed under all this dirt and filth."
"Sally there is a small lake along our route, not to far off this road."
"You mean the Phillips lake"?
"That's the one," I said.
"We can have a wash, freshen up and maybe even get a fish or two if we are lucky" she said beaming enjoyment by just the mere thought.
Cally just wagged her tail and slobbered as she was also very hot.
It would start cooling and getting dark around 18:30 so I spread out my pack as a pillow and laid back for some sleep after tying a long rope onto Dennis for him to graze. Next thing I know Sally's head is on the opposite side of the pack. From her breathing I could tell she was asleep within 5 minutes....I followed shortly thereafter...
An average distance with a 40 pound pack and someone in good shape with good foot ware, could be 10 miles a day if you were pushing it but....it was so hot I figured if we could do 5 miles a day we would be doing good. Dennis the mule carried most of the heavy stuff such as more water and food stuffs but my pack still weighed at least 30 pounds with the water blivet half full and all the ammo and a few food things in the pack. I was not going to get separated from my back pack .
Out of my property's gate onto the two lane paved road our little march started. It did not take Cally long to figure out the asphalt was to hot for her by 10am to walk on so she ran the grader ditches seeing if she could scare up something to eat or drink. We had not heard nor seen any vehicles or even airplanes these last 6 hours we had been walking and for that matter I had not heard or seen anything mechanical since my house burned.
Sally was starting to not walk as sure footed as she had upon our departure so I called a break underneath a big wide Oak tree just off the side of the road. I broke out some MREs and gave Cally one of the cans of Vienna sausages with the statement, "those are for the Squirrel the other day." She looked very interested in what I had to say (in case I had more food no doubt) but her understanding was about as good as me talking to a closed aluminum door. Nevertheless she was part of our troop so if one eats we all eat. I was not to concerned as I figured we would be at the airport by sometime tomorrow.
It had to be 15 degrees cooler in the shade of the Oak tree coupled with once off the hot Asphalt I had an idea .
"It is so hot why don't we take a break here and try and get some sleep. We can continue when the sun goes down and maybe even bag a night critter for something to eat"?
"Good plan I like that as I am feeling faint headed," was Sally's response.
"Why didn't you say something Sally...this does not have to be a forced death march"!
"I feel like a wimp as you are carrying the pack your guns and everything and all I have is my fanny pack and the .22"
"You are a wimp but don't let that bother you as you are only a girl," I said with a smile hoping she would not shoot me. She just smiled and shook her head in agreement.
"I am surprise you noticed under all this dirt and filth."
"Sally there is a small lake along our route, not to far off this road."
"You mean the Phillips lake"?
"That's the one," I said.
"We can have a wash, freshen up and maybe even get a fish or two if we are lucky" she said beaming enjoyment by just the mere thought.
Cally just wagged her tail and slobbered as she was also very hot.
It would start cooling and getting dark around 18:30 so I spread out my pack as a pillow and laid back for some sleep after tying a long rope onto Dennis for him to graze. Next thing I know Sally's head is on the opposite side of the pack. From her breathing I could tell she was asleep within 5 minutes....I followed shortly thereafter...