Week Twenty-Two

(Header picture….on the Camino)

 

Hi folks….we’re a little tardy with this week’s posting.  We got back late Saturday night from a very pleasant visit in Grants Pass with all the Mr and Mrs Grays.  We had Thanksgiving Dinner at friend’s abode in Merlyn, not far from Hugo, and 20 minutes from Scott and Heidi’s place on Jump Off Joe Creek Road…it was a pot luck affair with no shortage of food.

Dinner was preceded by a rousing game of outdoor (but under cover) ping pong down by the green house next to the home-made underground tunnel.  Son Scott prevailed over his father 29-27…..the longest extra inning game I was ever involved in!

Then we retired to the house to eat, with 10 in attendance, and enough food for 30.  After dinner we exercised our brains with random games of Scrabble, Dominoes, and Cribbage.  And staggered home about 10 pm.

Each morning we went on nice walks around Scott and Heidi’s ‘estate’.  The first walk was down by the creek….very nice downhill stroll across a little wooden bridge to a three-sided ‘shelter’ above the creek, with chairs for the weary and a fire-pit for the chilled.  The walk back up the hill, however, was a different story.  My walks in Woodland are all flat, and this uphill business had me huffing and puffing.  I’ve got some exercising to do!

I was a tad bit concerned about my weight and my ability to eat regularly on this five day sojourn.  I was fearful I might bust through the 120 barrier.  But, I’m pleased to report, my weight was 121.4 on Tuesday, and 121.3 this morning (Sunday).  Only lost a tenth of a pound!  Hip Hip.

I start on my physical therapy on Monday and am really looking forward to that.  I need to get my strength back and my walking endurance….my goodness, I get winded just going up the stairs.

That’s about it regarding ‘the condition I’m in’.

 

Now, here’s a little snippet about a day on the Camino in Spain…2013

 

Duct Tape on the Camino

Under the midday sun

Somewhere along a stretch near Viana

We saw a herd of sheep and goats

Kicking up dust, heading our way,

Held in check by hard running dogs.

 

As the hot, dusty trail twisted down the hill

We lost sight of the sheep and goats and dogs

But saw an abandoned boot alongside the trail.

 

Behind us was the couple from Holland

We had seen earlier along the way.

He was tall and wiry with long blond hair and beard,

She was tall and blond.  They both spoke only a little English.

 

The path looped left and right

And we stopped in the shade of a tired tree

For a drink of water.

 

The Holland couple came upon us.

In the shade of the tree

All of us drinking water from our bottles

We saw another boot

Its sole a flapper, separated from the boot body.

 

I pointed to the boot

We all pointed back to the first boot, 30 yards behind us on the trail.

The Dutch man looked at the separated sole

And said ‘Duct tape.’

He showed his walking sticks

–They were duct-taped at the handles–

‘Duct tape’ he said.

Then he raised his arms, looked skyward, and said

‘And no ducks.’