Deb and I got an uncharacteristically early start this morning. Some long-anticipated work was set to begin today on The Mountain, and we wanted to be there for the occasion. We already were headed east when my cell phone rang.
The job wouldn’t start today after all. It had to be pushed back ’til this weekend, possibly next week.
At that point we could’ve turned back toward the campground. Instead we drove on, grabbed our gear and wandered The Mountain for several hours.
We started in an area we’d explored before, south of the highest point, and then bushwhacked east from there. We noticed the small things, lichen on decaying wood and moss on rocks, and we marveled at larger features. Circling back around toward the top from a new direction, we were surprised to come upon a grove of big, healthy oaks — in the lee of the summit, they don’t take the battering suffered by similar trees on higher ground.
We discovered another pit, too, larger than the others we’d seen. I walked down-slope to get a close look at a massive, solitary red cedar, probably around 200 years old. Deb was drawn to smaller cedars and their clusters of berries (which we’ve learned are edible).
Today’s change-of-plans caused us no heartburn. We did more than make the best of the situation — we walked the late-winter woods, digging deeper into this magical slice of The Ozarks.
The work will happen another day.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB