At dusk the first day I’m alone in the park. I travel along the water, watching a family of loons floating. I walk to the trailhead and read the information. Tomorrow I’ll be well enough and recovered to go on some adventures. All the while I’m trying to scout the area, seeing any wildlife. I walk around the Camanche Trail, no one is here, and it feels great. As dusk arrives, I prepare my campsite, get the wood and kindling ready for the fire, charge a few things. Get the hanging twinkle lights ready to plug in and make some tea. There as I sit at the fire pit, I look over to my camp table, and peer over the turned up white dishpan I see a family of deer, they looking at me looking at them. A raccoon, paying no attention slowly walks across the road.
Looking up to the grey branches they now embrace the evening light. They are almost ghostly white against the water and waves. On the shore, and all the way out to the middle of the lake. They are this way. It is their time to shine. The spotlight is on them.
The long hike, alone, in the dark to the showers, last night, was not so bad. I don’t have a strong flashlight; I’m kind of glad I don’t. I mean I could search the woods for critters, but it feels invasive. I have enough to light up my path. If there were any moonlight to show me the way I would opt for walking in the dark. The shower felt great, and the walk back was very nice. A few times I shined my weak light into the sides of the woods. The green eyes, on a dark, night on Halloween doesn’t freak me out. It is just the eyes of the deer reflected in my torch. I’m in bed early, tucked up tight in the van with curtains drawn. I’d have loved to write, but not getting any sleep from the nights before makes me extremely sleepy.
I sleep the entire night through, wake to thinking my cat is locked in a room because I here scratching noise, and realize it is me, turning over in my air mattress. I did not need to switch from fan to heating or heating blanket. It is the first time in nights. So I have slept right through. I did not even need to get up and use my Folgers pee can.
In the morning I quickly take off all of the curtains, something I would not normally do as I know I would have to pee, and dress. But there is no one around. I sit high on my cot and watch the clouds push over the rippling water of Lake Brownwood. There are no deer this morning, but a brightly colored red cardinal comes and sits on the passenger window and says good morning. I’d be hesitant to leave this great place tomorrow, but I have stayed my duration, and I want to beat the expected rain. I’m already plotting my packing, wishing I had not lost the cotter pin for the bike rack so I would not have to sleep with it in the van. My goal, to have the entire van packed so that all I have to do is pull in the electric cord and leave. That means an early fire tonight as I’ll want to have my chair packed up. Maybe I can use my stool. Then an early shower and in the van just after nightfall. I can write while in bed for a few hours. My breakfast will be packed, oatmeal and raisins with a sprinkle of cinnamon. And an uncut apple or banana. I’ll put these on the dash board in a plastic bag, in case there are flies in the ban this evening.
This morning I grilled eggs over the electric grill and had my tea. It is cloudy, and I know I should go hike or bike, but it is hard to pull myself away from the very enticing and enrapturing process of doing nothing, watching the waves and the loons and the reeds and clouds, listening to the peep of the birds and acorns falling. Watching how each tree reacts differently to the wind because of its configuration and leaves.
I drove around the campground to say high to the people I met in the other campground. They are staying for two more weeks and come often. Their daughter is up for the day on the boat; they even invited me back for dinner. I decided to take them up on it. After all, I had planned to pack up everything before night fall so that in the morning I could leave. Before leaving this morning on my adventure, my battery was dead. This time I just called the ranger station, and they sent the camp host to give me a jump. It was my first time meeting him. He was kind and jumped my battery. I drove around on the previously mentioned escapade. Spent entirely too much time chatting with friendly people. I had a goal of biking the “easy” 3-mile trail and walking the coastline trail.
Headed over to the bike trail I unloaded my bike, got my run keeper app open to monitor my accomplishment. I also like this app because when hiking I can see the direction I have gone as it draws a trail on your phone. My camelback is filled, for which I am thankful. It is really too hot to be doing this so late in the day. I have phone and camera, and I’m off.
It has been a while since I have mountain biking. I have opted for street biking on my mountain bike because I have not had anyone to go with, but this is a different time. Through my trip, I have taken my bike and biked around the paved roads. This proved to be embarrassing in Palo Duro as I watched nine-year-olds biking uphill and I had to walk my bike huffing and puffing. Here at Brownwood, I take the trail at a good slow pace until I’m going downhill and think, Oh crap. I’m not ready for this. I was sure to ask the ranger before I left and they said it was an easy trail and kids do it. I repeat this as a mantra through my ride. Kids do this; kids do this, kids do this. FYI, about .75 miles into this trail and a few other times there are lots of rocks either going up or down the trail, depending on if you turn left or right when you start. I went right. I stopped and walked myself over some of these rocks. Hey, injuring myself this late in the game is not something I want to do. I have to go home and sculpt and make money to be able to live a life alone.
Frankly, it was hot, and Texas and 1:00 p.m. This is not the best time to be biking. There was a time where I was biking saying; I’m so unfit, what was I thinking. Periodically the app, in my pocket would say 1.7 miles. And I would think, come on 3 miles. I kept sipping water from my camelback, staying hydrated as I road on, puffing past cobwebs in the pathway and hoping to see my van. There was one point where the path rose above all the surroundings. I walked to get to that point. I was high and could see the lake through the trees, and I thought, this is why I do this.
Falling is not an option when mountain biking on this terrain. The cactus that lines the path and the mesquite branches that hang over are deadly. The mesquite thorns seem like they would be comparable to the thorns in the crown of Jesus. I wondered several times if I would impale my arm and rip the flesh off as I careened by. Then I thought snakes. What does a snake do in a pathway while you are biking? Will it bite your tire? Do they look up and say” black is tire, flesh is flesh,” and reach up and bite you. I tried to put all of this out of my mind and focus on the silver van, ac, and shade. Fear could make me stop, could have kept me from starting. If I gave into all of these thoughts, I would be less fit and less adventurous. I press on.
Getting to my car, I lifted the bike into the van. My energy was spent. I’m still not able to hook it up to the bike rack, because of the lost bike rack pin in Palo Duro Canyon. I go into my van take down the shade that has kept the Texas sun and hopefully the heat out of the van, and I put my key in anticipation of the AC and … nothing. My van is dead again. So, maybe the guy at Oriely who said my battery had more life was wrong.
A man on a mower was just in the area, cutting grass, but is long gone, I can tell by the distant sound of the mower. There is a truck next to me. I open my hood, and look at my phone it too is dead- thanks, Run keeper. I take my solar charger out, along with the chord for my phone from the van, which are never together, I remind myself that this is not a good idea, I need to buy a small cord and keep that in the backpack all of the time.
Someone will come by, or I’ll walk to the ranger station. I open the door of the van, sit in the shade and drink more water. I think, for someone who is trying to go solo, you do need a lot of help. But then I tell myself, that this is not what solo means. There are many people to help along the way that want to bless you, that like to help, they might be interested in the connection. It is alright to ask for help. I’m beginning to get more comfortable with that.
I wondered who would be in this big truck. I picture a skinny biker guy in his late 20’s.
A rider exits the trail, arriving on the far side of the truck. I see the helmet, but not so much the face underneath. When I ask how the ride was they say “Great” and I realize it is a woman, and a woman with grey hair. Isn’t it funny that God puts people in your path to say- “You go girl” that is the way it was with the meeting of Stormie
Got car problems?”
“Yep, the battery is dead. “
“Want a jump?”
“Sure,” I say, it is all kind of laid back. But the frustration with this battery must be coming out as she laughs.
I’m afraid of jumper cables I need to get over that fear I decide, but I ask “ I have cables, are you able to do it?”
“Oh yea, she says no problem. “
As we talk she tells me she is taking a break from caring for elderly folks, and, she just needed to get some exercise. We both admit we walked part of the trail.
As the van charges we chat. She asks me if I do this all of the time- camp alone. She is envious.
I tell her I’m a sculptor coming from a vendor and headed back to Houston- eventually
“Really? I work in ceramic.”
I can see her inner beauty, and love how she wears her grey hair proudly.
We hit it off, I show her some pictures of my work, and we laugh about how we are both styling. I’m down to the last pair of pants and a shirt that does not go with the pants. I have worn these for three days. I just tell her, well… I don’t have any more clean clothes. I lie, I have one clean thing to wear on the long ride home to stop at my daughter’s. I don’t want to offend them upon my arrival.
The van finally starts, and we share contact information. Once again this battery thing is proving more things to me than just that I need a replacement. I’m feeling kind of thankful for it. I’m learning some great things through what would be an inconvenience to many others. She confirmed to me what I had already known. It does not matter our sex or our age; We can do these things. She is another one of my warrior women that God is bringing into my life.
I’m charged!