Oh, My Aching...

Yeah, I hauled out my ALICE pack like an idiot and headed back for the plateau. Figured I'd cheat and take the Jeep over the ridge and far enough in that I could get around the worst of the little canyon between me and that impressive pile of rocks. The boys were delighted, neither knowing nor caring that Uncle Joel was setting himself up for physical trauma. To my delight I actually located the pile of rocks (a worry since everything looks just like everything else and it wouldn't be the first time I couldn't find a particular spot on unfamiliar ground, especially coming at it from a different direction) and then like a complete idiot I took off the pack and filled ... it ... with ... rocks.

And then like a totally self-destructive fool I lifted the pack ("Oh, my god!), slung it on my ("What the hell are you doing to me?") back, adjusted the straps and began to ("Uh! Ow! I'll talk, I'll talk!) walk.

I wish I owned some sort of scale. Probably that sucker didn't weigh a lot more than seventy or eighty pounds. I don't have any trouble schlepping 50-pound dog food sacks, so it was more than that. And I must say that for a mid-fifties, one-legged smoker I could be in worse shape. But it was down to the wash, over the rocks, down into the gorge, up out of the gorge, who the hell put that second gorge there, I don't remember that one, please god let the Jeep be where I think it is for maybe half a mile, with every other step trying to drive my whole body into the socket of my plastic leg. There's a reason I don't carry heavy objects for a living, there really is.

Still, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my back and my wind held out nicely. It's just my legs that found the matter insulting. I went to bed last night wondering what new price I'd be paying in the morning, but seem to have escaped without consequence. No new aches and pains. Even so the pack didn't hold even a major fraction of the rocks that need to be moved. I'm waiting for the rest till I get some younger, stronger assistance.

I'm having some battery-related problems with my camera, so no pics. I'm hoping it's a problem with the battery charger and not with the camera. It's a very nice little camera, a wonderfully generous gift from an old friend, and I've only had it a few months and have treated it gently. Really hoping it's the charger, but I won't know till I get to town for some new batteries. Really, really hoping it's the charger.