A Stick in Time (saves 30%)
Well, we had a lot to pack. Yes, we were only away for one single week. And yes, there are only two of us (humans) and two of them (dogs), so what's the big deal? Consider this: clothing for a week away and, hedging our bets, lots of warm-weather clothing (wishful thinking) and cool-weather clothing (little did we know!). Also kitchen stuff that we knew the cottage we were going to wouldn't have, like a coffee grinder, coffee plunger pot, big teapot, electric kettle, pizza pan - you get the picture. Dog food, doggie treats, dog towels, brush, water bowl, food bowls. And oh yes, an indoor tee-shirt and an outdoor coat for the toy Poodle. Just in case.
"Just in case" proved to be prophetic, and wishful thinking went out the window with the daily downpours, windy gusts and frigid temperatures. Our warm-weather clothing was a bust, and our cold-weather clothing turned out to be too few in numbers and insufficient in coverage. Some summer vacation, right? Wrong. It was a grrreat! summer vacation. But I've explained that elsewhere.
We brought along all that stuff and much, much more I haven't even mentioned, but forgot to bring a most vital assist. All right, forgot isn't right; it was left behind reluctantly, deliberately, because he said, there was no room. No room for a hiking stick? You're kidding me. Nope. Not kidding. No stick. For grief's sake, he always carries a stick when we're out hiking, and it's well-known that using such an assist saves 30% physical energy output on an ascent.
No problem. It's happened before. He's never forgotten his early indoctrination in Boy Scouts and the dictum to "be prepared". Ever hear of a Swiss Army knife? The kind that slips into your back pocket? the kind that has these cunning little extensions? Like a saw? We weren't long on our first hike of the week, both keeping a sharp eye out for potential walking stick material, when one materialized. A young fir that hadn't made it past its early years, just lying on the forest floor, waiting to be picked up, sawed off to the correct height and peeled back for comfort. Voila!
Off we went, happily outfitted for the rest of the week's hiking jaunts. Downpour be damned! We managed nicely, thank you very much. Me with my backpack stuffed with:
- Rain jacket for him;
- Rain jacket for me;
- First-aid kit;
- Tiny fleece jacket for Riley;
- Water bottle (for Button and Riley;
- Towel in plastic bag (in case one of the dogs got too wet and needed to be towelled off);
- Retractable leashes for same;
- Doggie treats (enticements for prolonged hikes, but as it happened, not needed);
- Tetra-pak of orange juice;
- Combined insect repellant and sun block.
It's a week later, and we're unpacking, after our glorious, fun-filled (I kid you not!) holiday. Where's the backpack? Nowhere to be found.
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, June 13, 2006
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