Snags

I took June 27 and 28 off. The store was closed Sunday so that day didn't go to waste either. On Friday I stuck around home until my sister came to relieve me. I picked up a few items from Wal-Mart and went home. The bad thing about vacations is that I like to stay up and revel in my temporary freedom- regardless of what has to happen the next morning.

I went to the USFS Lake Sinclair National Forest park near Eatonton. I had been there before. I picked up a few more things before I reached the vacation site. I ate at the Old Clinton BBQ restaurant off US129. If you've watched Discovery's "Dirty Jobs" you've seen the restaurant. It was great as I would expect.

It was 3:30 or so when I reached the campsite area. I had the pay envelope with me but saw few unoccupied spots which were entirely ideal for fishing. I left the park and checked out the hunt camp near Twin Bridges. It has an area where people camp and fish. It was occupied. It seems more and more I want to keep to myself. I don't understand why and I don't like being antisocial. Regardless, the area was cramped so I returned to the park.

I picked B-29 as the campsite number instead of D-28. Gosh I seem to be getting more and more tired and frazzled as time goes by. I set up my tent and inflated my mattress. Even under the tent it was some hot! Even under the pine and oak canopy I sweated. I was glad to see the rain come. I woke up after three hours of using a sweatshirt for a pillow. I made a canopy over the picnic table with a poncho. Here I chose to meet a challenge.

The Boy Scouts, according to a book I read, will teach you how to build a fire using one match in a cold rainstorm. That seemed a little far-fetched but I couldn't see why not. I cheated a little. Not only did I find dry kindling I used two books of matches. The "damp proof" book had a damp strike pad so no matches lit. I got another one out of my pack and lit a nice fire. I found the woven poly tarp I thought I left at home and replaced the miniscule poncho with its larger blue canopy.





Then came the retarded child. As I got my food ready I had this teenager with either autism or Down syndrome come in from another campsite, seeking to socialize. I didn't feel like babysitting him. I consider mentally handicapped people like children; they must be tended to at all times. I took exception to his invading my space. So I told him I had to "finish eating". As if I was past the preparation phase of eating!

He apparently came in from some people I think I remember seeing before. They had a mini-SUV with a Bleckley county tag and spoke even poorer English than some in the bowels of the Delta. It dawned on me that I forgot a lesson I learned; NEVER go to the Lake Sinclair National Forest campsite on a weekend. Too much riffraff tends to go there on weekends.

I had my hot dogs and chips but was still thirsty. I didn't feel like drinking much because the dentist put a temporary crown after grinding the living daylights out of the upper left molar. I had to take Ibuprofen during the trip.

It seems that fishing demands too much time to set up the fishing spot. I made three trips for insect spray, the Coleman hiker's lantern, ice chest, rod and reel, cup of Joe, fishing tackle box, bait, towel, poncho, and stool. Once I got done I managed to catch a 24 foot-long log which stole my 4.00 lighted bobber and two overhanging branches. I forgot another lesson; when fishing in snags use cheap bobbers with reflective or phosphorescent tape or paint.

I was glad to end the affair even with the new MP3 player entertaining me.

Morning came and I slept a little extra. Extra meant that breakfast became a very light brunch. I had a toaster pastry out of an MRE and some instant coffee. Of course building the fire took 45 minutes and only took off with a dousing of Purel and insect spray. The retarded kid also came by but I ignored him and he went away.

I removed all traces of my being and left for Eatonton. The drive is neither long nor short. I went to the Dairy Queen and had a big burger, fries, and Coke. I had to get the manager to pour some new Coke (usually very sweet at DQ's) because the self-serve fountain had a terrible taste to it.

At that point I learned why rich people are rich. They speak up and don't accept the status quo. One old man in walking shoes and a Reynolds Plantation shirt said the Coke tasted "terrible". I concured with him and told him so. I told him DQ Cokes were "sweet as honey" and the fountain tasted like "cleaner".

I finished lunch and went home. I took item after item out of my SUV, hung what needed to be rinsed and dried, stored in my Honda what was to be stored, and brought the rest of the gear into the house. I made a trip report of items most used, items needed (Coke, tent poles for the tarp, dessert, and tin foil)in the future, and ideas for improvements.

Somehow I felt as tired or more tired from the trip. I blame oversleep, a lack of exercise, and stress. I did too much sleeping this trip.