The Dynamic Duo

Motel. I’m talking about the White Wolf Motel. Did you think I was going to write about an actual wolf that was white? Well, that’s what I wanted you to think so you would read this post! I mean, who wants to read about a motel? Well, too late now. You’ve already started reading, so you had just as well keep going.
The White Wolf Motel did have some vacancies. At least we think they did, and we know that we ended up with a couple of rooms, but the proprieter was either a) disorganized, or b) crazy. All we know is that they kept renting the same rooms to different people. This was an old fashioned motel where all the room accesses were outside, and you were issued a large metal key tied to a piece of driftwood. The rooms had some charm, however, and the beds were very comfy. Armed with key, we climbed stairs, made our way around the walkway and tried to enter one of our rooms. We found it occupied by a man. He was very nice, but unwilling to share his room. We had a similiar experience when someone tried to enter one of our rooms and the very same reaction. I made really sure to lock all available locks that night before retiring.

The White Wolf

The boy-hikers showed up dirty, exhausted and famished. Debi generously treated everyone to a large pizza repast at a nearby bar in honor of Sara’s birthday. It was a great lot of fun. The waitress was terrific and everyone was in great spirits. The boys ordered several appetizers, and we decided on pizza flavors. One large pizza was ordered for every two persons along with 3 or 4 large pitchers of beer, pepsi for me. Sara tried to save some pizza crusts for Honey, but had some of them taken away by a hungry Jason.
After a bit, everyone congregated in our motel room (Debi and I had one to ourselves) for a little birthday celebration. I had visited the grocery store earlier in the afteroon and had bought a birthday cake, paper plates, forks and napkins. I also got a frosting tube so I could write the required “Happy Birthday Sara” with the gooey gel. The store was out of birthday candles, so I got a mango-scented votive candle for Sara to blow out.
Honey, Jay’s yellow lab, got comfortable on the bed with her rawhide chew bone. We reminded Jay that he had promised to show us Honey’s “booties.” Earlier in the trip, Jay had become concerned about Honey because her paws were getting cut up on the trail, and when he saw some dog booties on sale for $4.00, he got them for her. She was not impressed. “Here,” said Jay, “Lets put your booties on, Honey Dog.” It was hilarious. As he slid the sock-like boot over each paw, Honey looked resigned and martyred. When the bootie was fully on, she acted as if she could no longer use that paw. No longer could she use her front paws to help secure her bone. When she walked, she prissily lifted each paw high in the air, attemping to shake off the offending bootie, which she eventually did. Poor Honey. We had to soothe her pride with a little beef jerky and pizza crusts.

Honey-Dog, Jay, & the hated booties

How do people walk in these things?

Sara received the most unusual birthday card I have ever seen. Jason had carefully cut a large section of pristine birch bark, the preferred fire starting medium, and had fashioned in into a card which we all signed. The others joked that Jason had stripped most of the trees along the route trying to get the perfect piece of bark. It was quite beautiful. Ricky gave Sara a large ceramic birthday vase. But I think my gift was her favorite. Earlier in the day, I had presented her with a comb, and for the first time in a while, her hair was sleek, shiny, and tangle-free.
The group had acquired a new hiker and they brought him along to eat cake and chat. His real name was David, but he was known as “No Hurry.” A group he was hiking with early on had all been awarded trail names but him. When he said that was okay, he was in “no hurry” to get a trail name, it stuck. I could tell that No Hurry was trying to persuade the rest of the group to do something, but it took a bit of explaining before I understood what. There was a chance that, if enough of them wanted to, that they could “slack-pack” the next day. This is someone transports your pack for you to the next night’s stop and you get to hike without that heavy weight on your back for a day. And No Hurry really wanted to do that. It seems that Paddy-O was back in town…...................

UltraMom, Sara, Jason, No-Hurry & Pace
Check out the mango-colored (and scented) birthday candle!

to be continued