~Edgar Allan Poe was a diabolical super genius and one of the greatest writers of all time~
-
· In Book Club Juxtapositions Episode 1: The Tell-Tale Heart and Episode 2: The Cask of Amontillado, we discussed Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). Many have conjectured whether Poe was crazy or drunk and whether those character traits may have influenced his writings- for example, how he was known for writing about obsession, madness, revenge, etc. In his short story, The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator recounts the story, in the past tense, of an incident between himself and the older man that he was the caretaker for and the obsession he had with his cataract eye. We discussed in this episode that the narrator spent the bulk of the story trying to convince the reader that he was not mad- justifying his sanity and deflecting from his insecurities. He ultimately defers to his character flaw of self-sabotage. We discussed the personal struggles that Edgar Allan Poe had in his personal life- for example, the prominent females in his life who died very young of tuberculosis. So they may have impacted his work.
After reading Edgar Allan Poe’s The Philosophy of Composition, I would argue that he was a very skilled and intentional writer that didn’t write aimlessly to air his grievances based on internal wounds. Poe wrote The Philosophy of Composition in response to a note from Charles Dickens (1812-1870). Dickens, referring to Godwin, says, “By the way, are you aware that Godwin wrote his ‘Caleb Williams’ backwards?” Poe responds in great detail, shamelessly recalling and revealing his method of writing. He says that Godwin must have used a similar process; however, instead of writing backward, he wrote with the end clearly in mind.“Nothing is more clear than that every plot worth the name, must be elaborated to its denouement before anything be attempted with the pen.” Edgar Allan Poe
He emphasizes that it is only with the resolution of the plot clearly in view that a story should unfold and that all parts of the story must be directly connected to the end or should not be written. Poe stated that when considering writing, he must decide how the story should unfold, either by “ordinary incidents and peculiar tone, or the converse, or by peculiarity both of incident and tone…”.After examining his Philosophy, I gave The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado a second look. In The Tell-Tale Heart, we have a Narrator that is telling about very peculiar incidents. He describes the old man he says, “When the old man looked at me with his vulture eye a cold feeling went up and down my back; even my blood became cold. And so, I finally decided I had to kill the old man and close that eye forever!”. At the same time, he balances the story with an ordinary tone, as seen in how he so calmly tells the police officers that the crying sounds that the neighbors reported were actually his own and that the older man was away visiting a friend. He is so ordinary and calm that the police officers buy his story and are about to leave before he reverts to peculiar incidents and confesses the entire crime. The story is beautifully wrapped up in a Poe bow!
Conversely, in The Cask of Amontillado, Poe uses the opposite approach and starts with ordinary incidents such as a festival during Mardi Gras. He then casually asks a friend to help him identify a rare amontillado. Everything seems very typical; however, we as the reader pick up on clues to the victim’s pending demise through the peculiar tone interlaced through the entire composition. All the while, the denouement is clearly insight in both stories.
four in a row,
The little sunflowers sprouted
and began to grow. The post “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” ~ Albert Einstein first appeared on Lily Pads of Curiosity.]]>
four in a row,
The little sunflowers sprouted
and began to grow.
First an inch
then doubled to two,
Each day that’s what
they would focus and do.
Their necks stretched like a giraffe
leaning towards the sun,
Following its daily path like a tennis match,
observing this was so much fun.
“It is time to bloom!”
the others implored,
“Its time for your beauty
to be adored”.
Trusting their instincts
they kept reaching high,
Trusting that together
they could touch the sky.
The four- focused and reached
striving for more,
All the while working
on building their core.
Their hard work paid off
Their goals are reached,
Gentle and patient
their stress was not breached.
Today is the day
They opened up and kissed the sun,
One goal reached
but their journey not done.
A new chapter begins
on this beautiful new day,
Butterflies, bees, and birds
have so much to say.
I once heard a story of an instructor giving an assignment to her students where she asked them to take a phrase and write 50 observations about the phrase. The students had a difficult time coming up with 50 observations. They struggled and got frustrated, lost sleep and even tried to “cheat” by asking others for their observations.
The next day in class they were asked how many observations they came up with and what they discovered. Some shared that they were able to come up with 20- 30 before giving up on the task and casting it aside as a waste of time- and a few determined students came up with 50, however, they didn’t feel like each of the observations were truly worthy of their ink. The instructor then told the students- much to their dismay- that their assignment for the next night was to come up with 50 more observations and they could not duplicate any of their initial observations. The students grimaced and complained while guffing that it must be some kind of a joke and the instructor needed to get a new job because she clearly didn’t know how to teach. She convinced the students that they needed to give the assignment their best effort and trust her.
As the students went along with their day they started observing things around them differently and new connections to the phrase began to unfold before them in ways that seemed new, yet, obvious. Idea after idea started flowing and they were able to come up with a second 50 responses and then some additional ones, as well. The instructor asked the students to compare the first 50 observations to the second 50. The students started chuckling at themselves as they started noticing that their initial insights seemed extremely lacking- surface-level responses at best.
I started thinking about this, a lot, and decided to complete the challenge myself using the simple term “Thank You”. Simple enough, right? You can probably guess that there isn’t anything simple about this phrase- and at the same time, everything is simple about this phrase. 1. Thank you- you thank someone when they do something for you like opening the door or letting you merge into traffic ahead of their car. A simple acknowledgment for someone being polite. 2. Thank you to someone for offering to do something polite- “Thank you for offering, but I am fine.” 3. Thank someone for giving you something. “Thank you for the cute stuffed animal and candle for my birthday gift.”
There are a million and one things to thank someone for, but I guess the deeper question is HOW the thank you is offered and received. Does it matter how big or small the thing is that inspires you to express gratitude? Does it matter if the person is a stranger or a loved one? Does the form of the thank you make a difference in how it is received (emotionally). Don’t get me wrong- I think that any form of a thank you is important and no thank you is too small. However, I do wonder how each type of thank you is received. For example, electronic (email and text) versus a written note. Is an email personal enough? To answer this question you can think of it like this- Do you get excited about receiving something personal in the mail? How about something written by hand by someone you care about? When you think of writing cards and letters, think about the time period where us “Old School” folks came from before email was an option. It costs money to send a letter, it takes more time to sit down and compose a handwritten note- not to mention the stress of spelling everything correctly- where is the spell checker on my pen? You have the added stress of needing to pick up supplies – stationery, pens, and (gasp) stamps! You have to literally put yourself out there! No, autocorrect! But honestly, none of that matters because the person you write a letter to is so happy to receive the thoughtful note and see their name hand-written on a piece of paper that hopefully, they don’t consider anything else.
As I started preparing notes for this blog, I started noticing many more examples of my interpretations in multiple ways. I don’t watch much television, but I am guilty of having it on in the background for comfort noise. The other night there was an episode of Grey’s Anatomy on and the characters were reading letters- actually handwritten letters, multiple pages long, from one of their friends. I apologize that I am not familiar with all of the characters and the reason for the distance between the friends at this stage. What was striking to me was the emotion that was expressed from each of the characters while they sat curled up on their couch with the letter in their hand- reading- and savoring each word. I stopped what I was doing and tuned into the scenes. I have always been a big fan of Shonda Rhimes and applauded her ability to write, yet another, intensely heartfelt episode. The undeniable impact of the emotions was magnified by the personal nature of the handwritten letter as opposed to an electronic email.
On the news this morning there was another example of someone that took the time to write notes of gratitude to strangers and how those small gestures were so meaningful to the recipients. I had a coworker once that surprised me with a thank you note. It was a simple card stock card, 3×3 inches, and it has had an everlasting impact on me. I can’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, but I can vividly remember that thank you card. I was so surprised and honestly a little embarrassed when he handed me the card. I asked him what it was for and why he was giving it to me and he said that he was told once that you can always find someone to be thankful for and that day it was me. I hadn’t done anything extraordinary that day for him- I was “just doing my job”- the fact that he took the time to thank me and make that connection was a life-altering moment for me.
Today, take a moment to reflect on how your life is better because of someone else and what they mean to you. Then get out a piece of paper and write them a note of thanks. Leave a little note on the counter by their car keys, stick a note in their lunch bag or send a card in the mail. This is one of those things that it is as rewarding for you as the sender as it is heartfelt by the receiver. Thank you for reading this post and for being amazing! Ciao Bella!
Kimberly Andi & Tracey Maye
Hello, and welcome to the Book Club Juxtapositions podcast! A book club where each month we discuss two pieces of literature and juxtapose them based on theme, plot, author style, societal norms and basically just how the book grabs ya! Look for Book Club Juxtapositions on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Tune In, and Stitcher.
http://www.buzzsprout.com/606406
PAGE ONE (4 PANELS)
PAGE 1, Panel 1
Bird’s eye view of CHLOE O’BRIEN, 40, sits with her feet propped up, a soft, contented smile on her face, still in her button-down shirt, pencil skirt and stilettos; her hair in a bun.
A freshly poured glass of wine in one hand and a remote control in the other hand pointed at a television screen that reads, “Netflix”.
CHLOE:
(thought bubble) Netflix and chill.
PAGE 1, Panel 2
The scene expands to her gazing at the empty love seat next to her. Her smile has faded.
The lines in her forehead are deeply creased as she puts the glass of wine to her lips.
PAGE 1, Panel 3
Chloe, shoes off, hair down, shirt loosened up, glass now empty, sits with her laptop open on her lap.
CHLOE:
What am I looking for… ? Well, that’s easy….
Page 1, Panel 4
A daydream scene with Chloe, hair flowing in the wind, on a white horse holding onto a shirtless, muscular man with a rose between his teeth, gallop across a beach.
PAGE TWO, (2 PANELS)
Page 2, Panel 1
CAPTION 1: Match Date #1
Chloe at a patio table bar, set for two. In front of her a half empty basket of chips and her almost empty beer mug.
The other half of the table and the setting is untouched.
Page 2, Panel 2
MARK, 50, a scrawny, balding, wimp struts up to the table.
MARK:
(pointing and speaking to a Waitress)
Hey Doll. How about some buffalo wings? (to Chloe)
Sorry, I’m a little late. I was looking for a coupon.
Page 2, Panel 3
CLOSE UP: MARK
Eyes bugged out, sweat literally dripping up off his chin and neck.
MARK:
Who knew that buffalo wings meant that they would be so hot?!
PAGE THREE (4 PANELS)
Page 3, Panel 1
CAPTION 1:
Match Date #2
CLOSE UP: CELL PHONE SCREEN
DENNIS: When can I kiss you again? Kissing face emoji
CHLOE: Again?
DENNIS: Sorry, I was sleep texting!
Page 3, Panel 2
CAPTION 2:
Flashback: The day before
CHLOE smiles across the table at Dennis, 50, plates empty and waitress sets check down on the table.
Page 3, Panel 3
Dennis smiles while pushing the check towards Chloe.
DENNIS:
Thank you so much for a lovely lunch.
Page 3, Panel 4
A few minutes later by Chloe’s car. The couple stands a few feet apart. Dennis steps towards Chloe, going in for a kiss. Chloe quickly turns her cheek and gives him a hasty hug.
PAGE FOUR (3 PANELS)
Page 4, Panel 1
Bird’s eye view of CHLOE O’BRIEN, sits with her feet propped up, a soft, contented smile on her face, in flannel pajamas.
A freshly poured glass of wine in one hand and a remote control in the other hand pointed at a television screen that reads, “Netflix”.
Page 4, Panel 2
CLOSE UP: CELL PHONE SCREEN MATCH: You have 55 new connections
Page 4, Panel 3
CHLOE, hysterically laughing. Clicks DELETE
I, on the other hand, use the atmosphere to entice some writing ions and practice writing about an event as it unfolds in front of me; taking in the body language and interactions of the people that are bellied up to the bar. Each intently reading a book or typing on their laptop- men with a beer and women with a chilled glass of white wine carefully placed in front of them in a way that nonchalantly says, “I am smart and cool!”. Each sits alone not wanting to disturb somebody that is entranced in the work before them. This was the case until a very tipsy lady walked up to the bar with one hand cupping the elbow of her gentleman escort and the other hand clutched around a glass of red wine- clearly not her first. She never sat down and didn’t loosen the grip on the man as she began a conversation with some other people at the bar. Her voice and laughter screeched higher with each sentence that she somehow got out without stopping to take a single breath.
Tonight’s attraction was an author presenting his 1st novel; hot off the presses and in bookstores for the very first time today. The presentation room is next to the bar and was painfully empty 30 minutes before the presentation was to begin. The only people present were the author and his woman companion. They were chatting with two guests that were brave enough to enter the empty room and were found face-to-face with the author that they came to hear speak. The room slowly filled as the original couple of guests excused themselves from the awkward small talk with the unknown author. They made their way to the bar and commandeered a glass of beer and two glasses of water each served in flimsy plastic cups. Five minutes before the scheduled start of the presentation there were only a dozen guests sitting silently in the chairs positioned oddly close to the podium- causing a tense ora in the room as guests tried to situate themselves in a seat that wasn’t rudely far away from the podium, yet not inches from the speaker’s nose– the author is unknown after all and the jury is still out as to his likability.
Three minutes before the presentation begin time the store staff quietly asked the author, who was standing in the room directly behind the 3 rows of chairs set up for guests, if he would like a formal introduction. Now, I have to say that the look on the author’s face when asked this question was not blatantly obvious, yet something in his eyes screamed what he was thinking. Although he politely smiled and casually said, “Oh, no…whatever you want.” What he was really thinking was, “WTF, bitch! You stupid lame ass monkey. Are you that stupid? My fucking book- that I researched for years and authored- something you would know NOTHING about- was just released TODAY! My 1st fucking book and you are asking me if I want to be formally introduced?!!!!!”
Minutes later, in an awkward, yet in a formally rehearsed tone, the store staff began her introductions and obligatory run down of coming attractions to the bookstore. “And now, without further ado, I give you Mark Beauregard author of The Whale A Love Story” This was followed by the equally obligatory round of applause from the small audience. Mark began speaking in a very small, quiet voice that was broken by his female companion loudly saying from the back of the room, “Speak up a little and could you repeat what you just said?!” Gotta love the woman heckling you from the back of the room. Mark began by explaining that the novel was inspired by letters in the back of a special edition of Moby Dick that were written between Herman Melville and Nathan Hawthorne and exposed a romantic relationship between the two. Mark was intrigued by this mystery and the fact that it happened in 1851; he quickly became obsessed with the topic. After discussing the findings with several people he decided that the story needed to be written in a novel and he had to bring these people’s story to life. He wrote the novel as historical fiction rather than a biography since he was limited to the information that he could research on his own. I found it amusing that one of the first points he made about his research of Nathan Hawthorne was that he had to move from his hometown because he became so popular after his first novel- he looked straight at the store staff person when he revealed this important fact.
25 guests were in the room by about 10 minutes into the presentation. Slow comers entered the room after the scare of an empty room was drowned out by the author’s words as he spoke quietly about his research. All eyes were on the speaker and their delayed entrance would go unnoticed by most. After his planned spill about his research and several readings from his book, Mark began taking questions from the audience. The questions were based on things that could only be answered with complete speculation and educated guesses based on his research and how he lived in the fictional heads of the characters he tried to bring to life in his openly historical fiction novel. Mark was sandwiched between being the dominate knowledgeable source of information regarding the characters and an audience, suckling their wine and beer- empowering them to feel fearless and insanely smart, as they challenged and questioned the author about mundane ideas and speculative rational for a man’s (his characters’) emotions. A question from a gentleman went into detail asking if Nathan Hawthorne had an incestuous relationship with his sister. Mark’s answer was impeccable! He explained that there wasn’t any legally binding proof that there was ever a relationship between Herman and Nathan- so, therefore, he was sure that there wasn’t any legally binding proof that there was ever an incestuous relationship between Nathan and his sister. One has to wonder what the gentleman hoped for as a response to his inquiry. This question was immediately followed up by another gentleman in the audience that was equally as strange. “Why did Hawthorne live in Salem? Was it because of the witches?” Mark’s response was preceded by a laugh. “He lived there because his family had property there.” There is never a dull moment when you combine beer and wine with intellectual people at a book signing!
First Draft bookstore is an amazing place full of eclectic items as well as an equally comprehensive customer base. It is your favorite coffee shop, bar, bookstore and library all rolled up into one neat little package of happy people.
I was very impressed with Mark Beauregard and his knowledge of the historical references to two literary greats and their quest for love. I can’t wait to finish reading his book and see how he took his research and recreated these men into characters that are so relatable. In Mark’s words- this is a love story about two people that could never be together. Have you ever been in love with someone that was off limits and you knew you could never be with?
Check out Mark’s web page and learn more about this inspiring novel.
http://www.bookmarkbeauregard.com
Due to the holiday weekend and the broken pay phone at Kennedy Meadows I was not able to get ahold of my kids until Wednesday! I knew that they would be worried because I thought that I would be able to contact them on Sunday or Monday at the latest. I knew they would be worried and it upset me deeply knowing I was putting them through stress or anxiety not knowing how I was doing. It felt very selfish of me and that bothered me immensely.
I was able to get to Grumpy Bears Retreat on Wednesday morning and was happy to hang out there all day so I could text with my kids. The time also allowed me to chat with other hikers while giving my ankles time to rest. They were swelling and I was concerned about hitting the trail again too soon. I was also considering my options because I couldn’t imagine taking another step with the backpack that I was carrying- a new one was priority number one. The snow reports revealed that the Sierras were still under 4-10inches of snow and that would require some new hiking boots as well. Lots of $ to consider and lots of time to mull over the options.
While talking to other hikers and considering my options, someone ran into the restaurant and told us all that there was a fire brewing right over the hill. We were kept up to date about how fast the fire was spreading over the extremely dry country side and our options were looking grim. I was faced with the fire coming from one side or the 4-10 inches of snow on the other side. It became evident that we would have to get back to camp- 3 miles down the road- and start hiking towards the town of Lone Pine.
I have to say that with the state of my ankles and the thought of carrying my backpack another step had me asking the universe for another option. I was hanging out with a delightful couple from England that were hiking the entire trail. They were resting at the restaurant allowing her foot to rest due to a stress injury and hoping for a ride into town so she could get some much needed rest days before getting back on the trial. I had all of my gear with me and just when I thought that we would have to make a run for it back down the hill to camp, a car pulled up and dropped off 3 hikers. We decided to ask the driver if he would mind giving us a ride back to town with him and he was very happy to oblige. Trail angels are really amazing people. My luck changed on a dime and the next thing I knew I was on my way to Ridgecrest. They closed the road to Kennedy Meadows right after they let us down the road and we made it out with no time to waste.
The longest day yet! I was up promptly at 4am because I wanted to get an early start and avoid some of the extreme heat that the day had in store for us. I made quick work out of breaking down camp and getting everything stuffed into my pack. I am so surprised that sleeping in a tent doesn’t bother me- I heard little critters outside the tent a few times and was able to keep them at bay by simply shining my flashlight and making the tent glow. I guess the glowing tent made me look really big and it scared them away.
The hike from Fox Hill Spring to Kennedy Meadows was a roller coaster ride for me emotionally. I was very excited thinking about making it to the camp ground so I could finally have cell service and contact my kids; that kept me pushing hard. The heat was scorching and the trail was mostly either deep sand or rocks. It is tough to walk on both of those surfaces and required total concentration coordinating the hiking sticks with my steps to maintain balance and avoid an ankle injury. The heat made it difficult for me to have an appetite and the thought of eating almost made me nauseous- so I powered through the day on a half of a granola bar and 3 strips of dehydrated mangos with about a gallon of water.
The trail started off with 5 miles of steady incline which unfolded from desert to tall pine trees and black soil. The views in the passes are amazing and make every painful step worth while. It is something that every hiker experiences when encountering some type of injury or pain- it is all you think about with every step. I was struggling with that issue while my back and shoulder blades screamed with every step. I finally fashioned a way to help hold my backpack up to the level that it should be on my back and ease the pressure on my shoulders by tying my bandana around the straps and pulling them in as tight as possible. It eased the pressure on my shoulders some but caused me a whole new set of stomach issues- I’ll save you the gory details! Lol
The hike down the other side of the pass was fun. The trail gradually switched back many times while staying snug against the mountain side. I kept imagining the same situation ahead in the Sierras with snow and used each turn as mental practice for conquering the ridges coming up.
As the trail wound down deeper into the canyon the heat rose considerably. It was very tough to hike in the heat and keep a clear head- but I kept imagining Kennedy Meadows store as an oasis and pushed on further.
The trail started another slow incline over the rolling desert with knee high bushes bordering the trail. This slowed down my progress because I would make sure to clap my hiking poles loudly before each bush in hopes of not startling a snake. It worked because the next snake I saw slithered quickly across the path and darted into his hole. I figured it was better him than me! Lol
It is amazing how quickly the terrain can change when you are hiking because with the steady incline I found myself in the middle of a forest and luckily shaded from the relentless sun. The forest leveled out and as fast as the nice pine trees appeared, they were gone and I was back on a desert sandy trail.
I could hear the splashing if the Kern River before I could see it and that was exhilarating. I will never forget turning the corner and all of a sudden seeing a rapidly flowing river. Actual water that came from more than a little drip was a relief in more than one way. It meant the end of desert hiking with a back pack weighed down with 3 liters of water and worrying about having enough water to make it to the next water supply. I was so happy to be able to stop and put my bare feet in the water and watch the steam come off! As much as I was enjoying the respite, I had one thing on my mind and that was to reach an Internet connection and contact my kids.
The final 5 miles into Kennedy Meadows were very tough for me. The turn off for the campsite/store was up a steep paved road and it almost seemed cruel to have to hike to the top of the hill- it felt like someone was stretching the road out and it would never end.
Finally we made it to the top- I’ll admit I was almost crawling! Then there was a roar of clapping and cheers from all of the hikers that were hanging out on the patio. It was pretty cool to be cheered into the finish line. The store was about to close but we were able to get some cold water bottles and some snacks. My heart sank when the clerk told me that they didn’t have WiFi at the store and that the pay phone was broken because some hikers had jammed it with pennies. Yes, I cried! I was so exhausted and then was disappointed that I couldn’t contact my kids until the next morning. We hiked to the top of the campers’ hill set up camp shortly before the sun went down. I only remember one thing after getting my tent up because I jumped into my sleeping bag and was fast asleep before I could even unpack- but I checked my Health app and it said I hiked 23.81 miles! Goodness no wonder every inch of my body ached.
The post As the trail wound down deeper into the canyon the heat rose considerably. first appeared on Lily Pads of Curiosity.]]>
We decided to get an early start today so we got up at 4:30am! We took our time with breakfast and packing up so we didn’t get on the trail until about 6am. It was nice to start when it was cooler out because we knew the first 4 miles were going to be all up hill. I was not looking forward to that but knew the views at the top would be worth every step. Boy was I right! All I could think of around every turn was “Well, you don’t get to see this everyday!” Since I doubt I will ever see these views again, I took my time to take them in and enjoy them. Treetop likes to hike a lot faster than me- with 653 more miles than me under his belt he is much stronger- so I hiked most of the day alone. I was very much OK with that as I knew he was waiting at a designated spot ahead and it gave me lots of mental meditation time.
I made a new little friend in the trail today. He was kinda of rude tho- he was taking a nap in the middle of the trail and was playing dead. So I tossed a rock at him and asked him to kindly be on his way- he just stuck his tongue out at me and refused to move. Rude! So I took a picture of him and told him how handsome he was ect. I tried my best to channel my inner snake whisperer, however he was not about to budge. So I stretched out my hiking pole as far as I could and gave him a tiny nudge. He stuck his tongue out at me again and then turned around and slithered off the path. When he was a save distance away I thanked him and bid him a happy day and then continued- rather quickly- down the trail. Apparently, he was Rodney the rattlesnake and I was the only one in our group that he decided to introduce himself to- how hospitable!
We are camping at Fox Mill Spring tonight. My health app says we hiked 18.77 miles today. I’m completely spent! My finger tips are so cold from the exertion and heat/salt build up. Tomorrow will be another tough hiking day; we will hike about 20 miles into Kennedy Meadows where most importantly there is internet service available so I can call my kids! There are also showers, a restaurant and a store there with ice cold water! Sounds like paradise! I am going to see if I can get a ride into town tomorrow with the store owner so I can get a new backpack and new boots. My back and shoulders are extremely sore from the one I am carrying now.
We will take a rest day at Kennedy Meadows and then assess the snow conditions before making a decision about entering the Sierras.
The post “Well, you don’t get to see this everyday!” first appeared on Lily Pads of Curiosity.]]>Mike is an amazing hiking buddy! He has helped me is so many ways- lots of hiking tips, filters water like a champ and even has helped me adjust my backpack because apparently it is the wrong size and my torso is too long for the pack. It is kind of humorous to think I am actually too tall for something! Because the pack doesn’t fit right I have been having a very hard time carrying the load without having to readjust about every 50 steps. As if I’m not moving slowly enough trying to acclimate to the heat, energy exertion and elevation. Oh yes- let’s not forget the fact that I have a new layer of skin made out of salt. I’m sure a shower will feel like a salt scrub massage!
We hiked to Spanish Needle Creek and decided to set up camp close to the water that way we wouldn’t have to start off in the morning without a full load of fresh water. The last 3 miles to camp were kinda scary for me as I ran out of water and was on the verge of crawling by the time I made it to the creek. Luckily Mike (Treetop) was sitting there waiting for me with 2 liters of cold fresh filtered water. I drank half of it in one swig! Lessons learned are in abundance each day out here!
In spite of all of that I am still happy with each step and in awe around every corner.