a fellow creature enjoys the mud
Posted by Zonie on October 17, 2022 at 02:37:11
Well a couple hours after the Saturday morning demonstration there really was an impressive thunderstorm. I was given to understand that the standard of construction was for water to drain away from the house. Apparently that wasn't the case when this house was built, so I went out and bailed out the patio, carrying the water to the trees. Then I had a task too much delayed, to saw apart the palm fronds the landscapers neglected to remove, so I got to wade through some big puddles in the alley for that end. Then I pulled some weeds from the mud, and at about sunset there was another impressive thunderstorm. Overnight there were more thunderstorms. Something about thunderstorms makes it difficult for me to sleep. I don't think it's the noise itself, more the anticipation.
Well in the morning there was more bailing, my weekly hiking appointment and more yard work. I did have a bit of luck with the clothing situation. My overalls had developed a tear this week. The old Carhartt work shirt I tried to destroy once before had a few more holes. I also had holes in my work socks. I did laundry before going mudding for once, as everything but my hat and boots were disposable. For boots I slipped on Wellies for simplicity.
The official recording station had 0.94" of rain, and today was partly cloudy with a temperature range of 62°F to 78°F. The trails at Reach 11 were more crowded than usual. I encountered a couple hikers, dodged an equestrian, and several bicyclists. The sun was still strong, despite the relatively low temperatures, so I was soon searching for a good wallow.
As I entered one mesquite thicket, I saw something move. Sometimes our four-legged friends also enjoy the mud, but this creature had no legs and the privilege of moving through mud with a relatively large portion of its body in direct contact with it. It was a western diamondback. No legs, and as for being a friend, well they have their place in the ecosystem, keeping rodents under control, but they're the sort of friend best admired from a distance. The feeling was mutual, and it slithered deeper into the thicket, giving off a lethargic rattle. I stepped back rather more quickly. Well I figured there was plenty of mud for both of us if we went our separate ways. After that I was a bit more inclined to probe ahead with the walking stick, and when I needed to relieve myself a bad joke I had heard in childhood about soliciting a hiking companion to suck venom from an unusual place came to mind.
Well I soon found a wallow and cooled off in it. There weren't any clean and deep puddles, so I would have to clean up with the dry method. I stomped through some mud in an arroyo and made my was to the underpass. By this point the sun was getting low in the sky, so I backtracked along the south trail. There were plenty of mud puddles for stomping there. Several hikers and bicyclists went by, but they avoided the mud. Nearing the parking lot I found an unexpectedly good mire off trail. I went in well past the ankles and went back and forth with great effort. It was quite a workout. Finally just before sunset I got to my car. It was just 3½ hours. Well that's short autumn daylight for you. I was mostly dry by then but very dirty. I drove home, removed my disposable layers, hosed down, and had a swim.