End of 2021 THE BILL

 

So it's the year end of 2021!   Got that over with!! Now what? Don't know, I'll just take it as it comes.

What I do know is that I was able to take a hike today and had a nice quiet time just walking on a leaf covered trail. Then my heart stopped and all forward motion ceased. There in front of me, laying on dry crinkle leaves was a one dollar Bill! Have you ever seen those movies where someone finds a whole lot of cash and they keep it thinking no one will know they have it. But it's drug cartel money and for the next two hours the finder thinks he can keep it and the drug people are after him to get it back. Yeah I've seen those movies and now I was in a dilemma. It does not usually work out well for the finder! Should I pick the dollar up and run or ignore the dollar and enjoy my day? You see the way the Bill is folded? like the shape of an arrow pointing to the right. Is it leading me to a bigger stash or is someone watching me and this is a test to question my honesty and moral fiber? Glancing to the right I cough into my elbow so it's not obvious I'm searching for the mother lode of cash money. I see nothing that looks out of the ordinary, George nor Ben nor Abraham nor no one else is peeking back at me. There is no duffel bag nor backpack carelessly tossed beside the trail or across the crick. I pull a big yellow bandana out of my back right pocket and wipe the scared sweat off my forehead. I remove my glasses and wipe my eyes and down the front of my neck than I slip my glasses back on and casually rub the back of my neck. This is all for show while straining to find a trail camera strapped around the trunk of a tree focused on the dollar bill. I see no camera to the right. I see no camera to the left. My senses are on high alert and I've become paranoid that I'm being watched by an unseen and unworldly creature of the night. It is daylight, no one is near me, I'm not in danger. Have I convinced myself all is good? No I have not! The BILL is not moving but it may have a wire attached to it waiting to move and trigger a response for this unseen creature. 

I really want to put this one dollar bill in my pocket and go my way.

If I get down on my knees and push down on the leaves surrounding this BILL I may find the wire. Would really have a difficult time standing up, not a good idea. This plan will work, I'm not wearing socks and my shoe is loose enough that I just slip my foot in or out so I will slip off my hiking shoe and feel around with my right foot. All is good, am able to remove the foot with out falling over. Timidly I touch the leaves. Circle around the dollar about two feet away and slowly move toward it tapping the leaves listening for a banjo twang sound. I hear a breeze moving the leaves still clinging to the dormant trees. I hear the rustle of the leaves brushing against the dead twigs as they meander with the crick flow. I hear my heart pounding in my chest and blood pumping in my ears. My foot crunches leaves but no wire is felt and no twang is heard. Using my big toe I burrow a clear path around the BILL and am certain no trip wire exists. 

Time to make a decision. Time to make a move.

No other vehicle was parked at the trailhead when I arrived and I've seen no one since I've been been debating the pros and cons of removing the BILL from the trail. I'm thinking I might could get away with taking this cash money.  A person is not watching me, so I might could get by with it. I wipe my bare foot on my shod foot making sure all leaves, twigs and dirt are wiped off. Carefully slip the hiking shoe back on so that I can move fast if I need to when I snatch up the BILL. Yes, I've made the choice to take the cash with me and just hope that it is clean. It's a bend squat move and quickly picked up with my left hand leaving a dry dollar bill feel as I jam the BILL into my front left pants pocket. Guilty, I feel guilty looking around to see if someone did see me take this money which clearly is not mine to take! Now I have to walk nonchalantly back to my truck. I sure hope I don't meet another hiker, guilt is spread all around me.

Secretly I'm able to get to the truck and hurriedly open the door and get inside. Click, I lock the doors with a single push of a button. I am safe. I'm in my truck, everything in my truck belongs to me, no cartel has claim to this money, it's all mine to spend as I wish. Starting to feel good about myself and thinking I may get away with what I've done. It's been a good day and a good hike!

What if the Government is tracking the serial number? What if it's their BILL?

I'm not spending it!

In the woods

Turtle

Easy Hike, hunky-dory

           "Do what you love and love what you do" I'm sitting here listening to some good Bluegrass music remembering the hike I took this morning, don't get much better than that! I prefer hiking in the mountains  and rolling hills but today I drove over an hour to hike in the Peters Creek Heritage Preserve near Spartanburg SC. It is not as well known as other HP's and the signage needs to be updated but the trails were great. The up climbs were not tiring and the woods were clean of brush with good view all around. The creek was wide but rocks had been placed so even an older gentleman [ me ] could cross safely. 

          An old dam located near the parking area had experienced better years and is no longer in use.

          A good walk in the woods on a gentle February day. Nothing exciting or original about this hike, just time spent outside.

In the woods, on the water,

Turtle

After Dark

                  After dark on a cold January night. The moon was one night after full, so pretty much a full moon. It was almost high noon but night time. I couldn't get any reflections off the still water, everything was just stationary and quiet and cold and dead. Steady, stealthy, and sure I kept to the spotted footpath lit by filtered moonlight. The shadows of trees and branches and limbs and twigs crisscrossed the pathway with images of black snakes laying in wait for the wayward misstep. I focused on memory and keen sense of awareness as I traveled along side the glowing lake into peace and total isolation surrounded by cold leafless trees and dying vegetation. 

                  Alone.  heard nothing, felt nothing. Alone

The cold numbing air is invigorating and cleansing for the soul but I meandered to the trailhead and loaded myself into the truck and followed the fading blacktop home. 

In the woods or on the water

Turtle

 

A Couple Hours of Trail Time

Sit with me a few minutes and just feel the sun warm your back as we lap up the splendor of a quite lake and peaceful afternoon. Seven tenths of a mile is a relative easy hike wandering among the tall pine trees along side of a small lake. I haven't been able to find a name for this lake or the other three lakes on the property, it's just a lake. We're sitting on a down pine tree about two feet around and maybe forty feet long. Blue sky, forest reflected in the clear idle water, breeze moving slowing against our faces, we sit.

In the woods, on the water

Turtle

 

Wonderfully Wet Wandering

 

The first day of this new year, 2021. Rain here in SC. Helped the wife do a couple simple chores around the house and than it was time to go take a hike! I changed into my hiking clothes and put on my LL Bean hunting boots with the worn soles and experienced foot steps. My North Face rain jacket that I bought over twenty years ago to use when I canoe camped in the Okefenokee Swamp. Topped my rain gear off with a Tilley hat given to me by my sweet wife. All ready to go - so I went!

Ashmore Heritage Preserve is a superb place, simple and easy. It has become my go to place when time is tight, but time with nature and myself is important. God has blessed the Upstate with many nice quiet spots. Today, I go there to hike in the rain. It Rained! Parked the truck and retrieved my trekking poles from behind the backseat, instantly soaked by this steady shower. 

Walked down the road a ways and turned left on the unused road to the trail. Love the walk as it makes it's way down into the woods. The left side is almost a wall in parts with boulders and trees anchored in the small hillside while the right side looks down at the windings of a small stream. The footpath is a running creek in places and standing water in the low spots. I splash onward stepping carefully while enjoying the smell and sound of rain on this isolated afternoon. A bridge is located at the left of the trail crossing over a fast moving creek, I always use the bridge even on the dry days. You climb a easy rise and there is Wattacoo Lake, I've also seen it called Lake Wattacoo, but anyhow there it is. 

Not sure how big it is or even why it is here. Manmade with an earthen dam, the far side has an old fence still standing and you can see a drain pipe out in the middle of the water. The mountain backdrop frames the lake showing God's handy work and beauty. Looking for the waterfall on the right side of the mountain, I see it clearly today because of all the rain. Some days it's just a trickle and hard to find. A narrow steep trail is hard to follow, but goes to the base of the falls. I hiked and climbed up it one day this pass summer just to say I did. Yes, it was a challenge. A slow careful clamber using hands feet and the seat of my pants! No, coming back down was not easier, maybe faster. A couple of times almost much too fast! I clung to saplings and branches slowing down the gravity, a fall would have hurt. 

I stood and stayed still for a few minutes soaking up the moment and even literally  the rain, my gear was not shedding the water as it did in the past. Making the slow thoughtful walk/hike back to my truck I can only be thankful for God's blessings and goodness in my life.

In the woods or on the water

Turtle