Day Forty-nine: Ash Monday

The cabin that my son-in-law's mother rented for this extended family, really extended by inviting me, get together had three bedrooms with two twin beds in each. So when another couple joined us yesterday, it made sense to give them a bedroom. I was going to join my daughter and her husband outside. (They were sleeping in their two person Pacific Crest Trail ready tent, small and light. Since there were literally no bugs, I was just going to sleep under the stars.)

Once we had taken the walk last night, my daughter over ruled my sleeping under the stars for fear that the ash would get in my eyes, nose, and mouth. When that argument didn't seem to be working, she said she didn't want her sleeping bag, that I was using, to get ash all over it. So, I slept in the little porch.

We drove to White Fir Springs for Agate Rock hunting. About 0.3 miles from the public hunting grounds, we read the directions that it was 4.8 miles from the last paved road. I was convinced that we had gone much further than that and must have missed it. So, we turned around and made it all the way back to the paved road without seeing it. We measured it going back in with one of the trip-ometers.

We found some pretty rocks, once they were split or washed, and lots of ugly ones. This actually was the second time in this day I was rock finding. Earlier, when I joined a couple for a pre-breakfast walk, I found a rock that has to prove the existence of rock worms. (It is a volcanic rock with lots of little holes.)

On Coyle Creek Road, a dirt road short cut between 42 and 26, we noticed piles and piles of horse manure. Some of us were positing that they must be the deposits of wild horses reputed to be in the area. Others were claiming that they were the horse trailer cleaning residue from riding steeds brought into the area by owners eager to take advantage of the numerous horse trails in the area. On our way back from the agate beds, we saw a wild stallion and his harem, putting to rest exactly which horses made the horse trails and piles of ... (I can't pass up this analogy. My Life after Layoff is "wild." You probably thought I was going to say "full of crap.")

Played games and ate the rest of the day. I lost at 42 in spite of my partner, my daughter, and lost to my daughter a couple games of Mancala. Dinner was another winner, cajun beans and rice.