Mountain Lesson #2 My Aching Butt

You may have missed Mountain Lesson #1 because I've said nothing about it.

Mountain Lesson #1: Don't drive too close to the neighbors mailbox when getting your mail. Resulting scratches may appear on the hood of the SUV.
Mountain Lesson #1a: Always listen to She Who Must Be Obeyed.

Mountain Lesson #2: Don't step on sloping, wet rocks.
Mountain Lesson #2a: Always listen to SWMBO.

I have been seaching for our digital camera ever since our move. I found it. No more forty four mile drive and twelve dollars at Walmart to help mess up the trade balance. Sorry folks, but until we find jobs its gotta be Walmart. No more putting up with all that stuff the put on the CD's to try to get one to order the pics that can be printed just as well, if not better, from the computer.

Now our digital camera is not the best. I think it's about a .05 megapixel with a memory card of about 6 megabytes. Well, maybe it's more. It takes pictures: good, better and best. I like best but I only get eight shots in that setting.

Today's weather was dramatic. Clouds rolling up the mountain, lots of intermittent rain, wind, and generally overcast. What a day to get some good shots! As I was preparing to leave the house, SWMBO said, "Its really nasty out. If you go, please be very careful." (see #1a and #2a above) Camera in hand, off I went.

I had used up my eight shots when coming back down the road I spotted some clouds sending narrow, wispy fingers down into the valley. Oh my gosh, what a picture. I knew immediately what I had to do, delete one picture. Now remember it's been some time since I used the camera and by the time I had the job done the clouds had moved farther down the valley. O.K. run down the road to the first house which is and has been vacant for a while, use their deck overlooking the valley to get the picture. Everything is fine up to this point.

Going down the driveway, much the safer route as I was to find out, was longer so I decided to take a set of stone steps. Not a good idea!

So they were wet. In my career in food and beverage I had navigated many a soapy wet floor or one covered with restaurant grease with no problem. It's all in the way one steps, robot like, putting all ones weight on one foot and then doing the same with the other. I had done it successfully hundreds of times but never on wet rock. I put my left foot on the rock and my weight on the foot which immediately slid out from under me and I was faaaaalling! I discovered if you do this left foot you will land hard, on rock with your left butt cheek. As I got up finding myself with no serious injury I thought, "This is really going to hurt tomorrow."

Now it was back to the house where at best I was going to have a very sore butt and at worst a long lecture from SWMBO about how I should listen to her. (see #1a and #2a above). Yes, it's about the color, size and firmness of a bikers wallet on payday. It's really going to hurt tomorrow!

I sincerely hope you enjoy the above picture. By the time I recovered my dignity the one I wanted got away and this is the best I could do under the circumstances. It wasn't a complete waste as I learned Mountain Lesson #2. Lessons #1a and #2a?
I'm still working on those.