| Sitting in a meadow at dawn. Huddling
| |
| | off on pitching the tent and setting up
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| around a fire roasting marsh mellows.
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| | camp. I needed some exercise and a hike
|
| Gazing into galaxies far far away,
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| | to the summit is just what the doctor
|
| pondering life's deepest questions. For
| |
| | ordered.
|
| me, camping is a tranquil escape from the
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| | The weather is perfect. The temperature
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| hustle-bustle of everyday life. Living
| |
| | is just right and the cool air fends off
|
| in a city has it advantages, but it also
| |
| | pesky bugs. I march up the trail at a
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| means dealing with traffic, inflated
| |
| | nice quick pace, which Jasper has no
|
| prices, long lines and paying for
| |
| | problem following. From the openness of
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| parking, which is why I retreat to the
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| | the trail, I can tell that it is a
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| mountains as much as possible. My gear's
| |
| | well-traveled path. Luckily, I was the
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| security is the last thing on my mind
| |
| | only car in the parking lot and hadn't
|
| when I'm scaling a gargantuan mountain,
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| | seen anyone else in miles. I soon reach
|
| but last weekend I came back from a long
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| | the summit and it is gorgeous. The green
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| hike only to find my tailgate hanging
| |
| | seems to go for miles in every direction.
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| wide open and my belongings missing.
| |
| | I plot down on a tree stump to take it
|
| I haven't had anything stolen in the
| |
| | all in-the sounds of a babbling brook,
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| city, which has a ridiculously high crime
| |
| | birds chirping, the setting sun. I'm on
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| rate, but when I go to an area where the
| |
| | top of the world. I look toward the base
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| deer population vastly outnumbers the
| |
| | of the mountain. Oh nice, there is the
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| people, my truck is broken into. How
| |
| | parking lot. Wait a minute. Is someone
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| ironic. Don't ya think? After this past
| |
| | taking breaking into my truck? I shoot
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| week of work, I was dieing to get away.
| |
| | up and race down the trail. Jasper
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| So I laced up my hiking boots, packed my
| |
| | breaks out in a gallop next to me. We
|
| gear, and took off. I was headed for a
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| | finally make it down to the lot, sweaty
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| weekend away from work, crowds, and most
| |
| | and exhausted, to find my tailgate
|
| importantly, my wife-two nights alone,
| |
| | hanging open. I have a pick up truck
|
| just me and my yellow lab, Jasper.
| |
| | with a truck bed cover over it, but the
|
| The second we get out of the city I'm hit
| |
| | actually tailgate door doesn't have a
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| with feelings of relief. I lower the
| |
| | lock. I rip off my cover and all of my
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| windows, turn of the ac, and let out a
| |
| | gear is gone. You have got to be kidding
|
| sigh as Jasper and I breathe in that cool
| |
| | me. I look around in all directions and
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| mountain air. As the road begins to
| |
| | the only thing I find is a sign. It
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| twist and turn, bringing us up the
| |
| | read, "Caution. Secure Valuables in
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| mountainside, I can tell we are close.
| |
| | Car." It wasn't the hundreds of dollars
|
| "This is more like it," I thought. Just
| |
| | of camping equipment that hurt the most.
|
| a guy and his dog, getting away for the
| |
| | It was that my place of solitude and
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| weekend; that's all we are-nice, slightly
| |
| | tranquility had been tainted-and that I
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| creepy, but nice.
| |
| | had to go home for a weekend with my
|
| I pull off the paved road and pull into a
| |
| | wife.
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| small secluded parking lot. Jasper can
| |
| | How will I be able to move on and
|
| tell from the gravel crunching under my
| |
| | continue with my life you ask? I now
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| tires that we have arrived. I pop open
| |
| | have a Tailgate Lock, which can secure
|
| the door and he barges out; trying to
| |
| | all my goods. It doesn't lock if I have
|
| take in all the scents like a kid scoping
| |
| | my Truck Bed extender attached, but at
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| out the presents under the tree on
| |
| | least now I know not to store anything in
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| Christmas morning. We have a few hours
| |
| | there.
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| of sun light left so I decided to hold
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| |
|
