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Didn’t drown.

We had two gorgeous days. The rain came late Monday afternoon, then broke up a bit in the evening — long enough for us to take a walk down by the Gordon River and see an elk and two bears sharing a meadow on the far bank. However, they didn’t share it long. For some reason the elk took exception to one of the brown bears and chased it away! That gave us all something to laugh about.

Early Tuesday morning the rain returned. We woke to the sound of it splashing on our tent. We broke camp and packed up in a relentless downpour.

So, I had a nice rubber rain coat and ankle-high waterproof boots to keep me warm. I was quite enjoying my beach romps and tide pool explorations. The boots helped me better keep my footing on the rocks. Better, but not perfectly. I am still me, after all — just a tad bit clumsy sometimes.

Somehow I ended up in the middle of a huge rock covered in snot-slick seaweed. I was standing perfectly still contemplating my next step. Amoeba’s TA was nearby and she asked if I needed help. I told her I was going to take Amoeba’s 5 point advice and use all 5 points of contact to get off that rock (hands, feet & butt). She said, “That looks like a good ….” and before she could say “idea” I was about 6 inches to the right of where I had been. Unfortunately that meant my right foot was knee deep in water.

I stepped out on to the sand and looked down at my boot. Just as the manufacturer claimed, the boot is highly water resistant. My foot didn’t look in the least bit wet — on the outside. Did I mention that these were fleece-lined ankle boots? The fleece soaked up water like a sponge. The inside of my boot was drenched and I hadn’t taken another pair of shoes. I took my boot off, wrung out my sock, and hung my boot upside down on a piece of driftwood to drain as much as it could.

Soon it was time to leave the beach and I had to don my wet sock and boot and hike out. The crew was going to another beach farther down the road. I went to the car, took off my socks and boots, spread everything on the roof, and had a nice nap in the shade. I rode back to camp barefooted.

When we got to camp I really had to use the outhouse — but I was barefooted. My wonderful, loving Amoeba walked me to the outhouse, then stepped out of his shoes so I could wear them inside. He is such a wonderful (long suffering) man!

Back in camp I again set my boot out to dry, but as the sun went down my toes got cold. Being a bright, enterprising person, I went and got dry socks (I had plenty of pairs of those) and a quart-sized Ziplock bag. I put on my dry sock, then I stepped into the Ziplock Bag, then I stepped into my boot. That worked wonderfully. My foot stayed warm and dry, even in my wet boot!

I told Amoeba I thought I looked quite dashing with the purple Ziplock ruffle sticking out of the top of my boot. I even opined that I might start a new fad. For some reason the idea horrified Amoeba.

In addition to the boot thing, there was the incredibly uncomfortable ground thing. We didn’t have an air mattress on this trip (that will never happen again if I have any say!) and the ground was remarkably hard and cold. For that reason I am exhausted and my back is killing me. I will post the Punny Monday answers tomorrow — yes, there was a winner — and maybe share some photos. For now, good-nightzzzzzzz.

20 Comments

  1. youve probably already thought
    to jam up on tylenol and ibuprofen
    before you hit the sack

    so in the morning
    when the stiffness is stiffer than stiff
    have some more
    and add honey to your tea!

  3. Pingback: Later, Dude « O'Ceallaigh & The Quill

  4. 🙂 Very inventive with the ziplocks. I have a friend who will tie garbage bags around the top to help keep water out of her shoes. Although that works well with rain, I’m not sure how great it’d work with a submerged foot… Glad to see you back safe and sound.

  8. I know the Ziplock bag trick to have dry feet from my son and his rock festivals under the umbrella…glad you are back!!
    8)

  9. Ha! I can just see this happening. Glad it was only a submerged foot though. Wish I was there camping with you all-maybe next year 😉

  10. …My wonderful, loving Amoeba walked me to the outhouse, then stepped out of his shoes so I could wear them inside.

    Oh your very own Sir Walter Raleigh! 🙂

  11. Welcome back! Hope you are enjoying your nice dry comfy bed!

    I hate camping in the rain. Especially the set-up and break-down.

    You ought to send this post to Zip-Lock – maybe you’ll be in an ad for a whole new use of the bags! LOL

  13. Oh Quilllllllllly… never a dull moment with you m’dear! My back would have never allowed me to sleep on the cold hard ground… I would have had to sleep in the car – which is a whole ‘nuther feat! 🙂 Rest up! I can’t wait to find out what that punny money was!!!

  15. You are really very creative! 🙂 I´m glad you had good weather at least part of the time.
    Hope you will not be too stiff.

  18. Oh wow!
    My guys always tell me Mom What the heck you carrying the store for in the car.
    I say you never know lol
    Now that my son is driving my car a lot he takes stuff out so in emergencies I will have nothing in there.
    Always have two pairs of shoes for every one Always carry alight tent with an extra plastic tarp , rope,small saw, good knife, candles, gas lighters,depends, cause you can use them for many things and definitely a blow up mattress.I use the sleeping bags to cover my car seats so they don;t take much room lol and water.
    Amazingly if done right everything fits under the car seats.

  20. Sounds like quite the adventure! You’re very brave for venturing out on such a trip — I don’t think I could have. And your Amoeba is kind and thoughtful…much like my Jim. 🙂 Sounds like something he would have done.

    Your wet boot solution is very enterprising!

    Hope you’ve been able to rest up and that your back is feeling better.

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