Day 8, May 19th

I was cold last night. I got up and put on my plastic rain jacket. The arm was ripped so repaired it with tape. I spent some of the night thinking about how to make a drag so that going down the other side of the mountain will be safer. Guess I better get up the mountain first.
I was getting ready to travel and 5 geese landed in the field next to me. They went right to eating.
Ennis and Geri Gibbs brought me an egg salad sandwich for breakfast. Earlier Mr. Gibbs drove by and turned around. He thought I was an ice cream wagon. We had a great visit. Wonderful people.

It is amazing the different view points one gets from people concerning how far a place is away or how steep a hill can be. One fellow told me a town was not on that highway. The next fellow told me the highway runs right through that town. I guess I'll find out when I get there. Everyone is doing their best to help me.

Came into a section of the canyon and watched 4 ducks fly from one end to the other and back again. They had to be playing. When I arrived at my parking place I was greeted by a ground squirrel. Ground squirrels and me go way back. I used to lasso them out of their holes when I was a boy. I would put a loop in the hole along with a few blades of grass. When the grass moved I gave a yank and out came the squirrel. 

This country is quiet when the traffic is gone. the wind and the water talk and an occasional bird. Maybe I'm just deaf. 

When I was parked for the night a young fellow, Kevin Harrison (43 years with six children), came and visited a while. He's coming back tomorrow to check on my progress. Said he'd help me over the summit if I needed it. He says it is steep up there. He filled up my water jugs. Nice fellow. Works with Basin Electric in Lehi. He's doing a job in Hanna, Utah, a town I'll get to in a day or two or three.

My daughter, Jennifer, called today. Brody, her son, asked her for some money. When she asked later what he had bought he told her nothing, "there was a man who looked like he needed it." What a wonderful thing the boy has learned. His mom and dad are like that . I have a great family.

I think I'm sitting on an ant pile. I better move. 

I wonder if the quaking aspens and the evergreens (pines, firs??) had a set to long, long ago? There are great stands of them here but they don't seem to intermingle much.

It is supposed to freeze tonight. I'm ready. No phone signal here.