November 13, 2005

November 13, 2005

Yosemite National Park, California

YEAR 2 DAY 149

 

Today was sunny and mild. Up in the High Sierras it was cool.

This morning I woke up feeling healthy enough for a day trip to Yosemite National Park. After morning routines and chores, I did preventive maintenance, Joanne made a picnic lunch, and we set off for Yosemite National Park. We drove north on Hwy. 41 through Coarsegold, through Oakhurst, about 35 miles to the south gate of Yosemite. The elevation climbed to over 6000 feet by the time we got to Yosemite, in the High Sierras. First stop after the south gate was the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees. Dogs were not allowed on the hiking trails into the grove, so Bo had to wait ion the truck. Good dog, Bo. We hiked 0.8 mile uphill to the Giant Sequoias. My stamina was a bit low, due to my cold. We hiked 0.8 mile downhill back to the parking lot. Downhill didn't seem to be that much easier than uphill. We left the Mariposa Grove area, and drove 35 miles up a narrow, winding, curving road to Yosemite Village.

While driving this road, a Grey Squirrel ran out on the road in front of me. I drove over it. Damn ! I looked in the mirror, to see it rolling rapidly down the road behind me, then it started to crawl to the side of the road. DAMN ! I slammed on the brakes, and pulled off the road. I jumped out and began to run back down the road. I wanted to make sure it was dead. If not, it's not my style to leave an injured animal suffering on the side of the road. I was going to have to kill it. I ran back to the squirrel on the side of the road. A big, bushy, Grey Squirrel. It was lying on the side of the road, breathing heavily and seizuring. DAMN DAMN DAMN ! ! ! I bent over and examined it closely. Its eyes were open, it was breathing, no blood coming out of its eyes, ears, mouth, or anus. It stopped seizuring, but continued to breath heavily. I touched it gently, and it made no movement. I looked around for a big stick or rock with which to do the nasty deed. I couldn't find one. I decided to take it back to the truck, and whack it with my fish & tire bonker bat. I keep a fish bonker bat in my door pocket. I use it daily to thump the tires, to ensure that no tires are flat, or losing air. It's an old trucker's trick. You can't see if a dually rear tire is flat, nor can you see if a dual axle trailer tire is flat. You can tell that the tires are okay by the sound of the thump. I picked the squirrel up gently, and carried it back to the truck, examining it as I walked. No blood anywhere, and no bloated abdomen to indicate massive internal bleeding. It just lay passively in my hands. When I got back to the truck, I lay it on the ground, so that I could open the door and get my tire fish / tire / squirrel bonker. The squirrel stood up, and wobbled. Wow ! I was stunned. I reached for it, and it wobbled away towards the forest. WOW ! I stepped towards it and reached for it again. It stood up on the base of a tree, and wobbled. WOO-HOO ! I wasn't going to have to bonk it after all. I watched it for a minute, and it finally scampered off into the forest, a bit wobbly, but moving quicker. Hopefully, it just got a whack on the head from being rolled down the road by the draft under the truck. Good luck, little squirrel.

The drive from the south gate to Yosemite Village was quite scenic, although difficult driving. Just before Yosemite Village we stopped at a picnic area and had lunch. It was a bit cool to be sitting at a picnic table, at that elevation. After lunch, we drove to Yosemite Village and parked. Vehicles are not allowed in Yosemite Village. We walked to the Yosemite Visitor Centre to get some information, then the Indian Village restoration. We walked around the Indian Village, and I suddenly began to feel very weak and tired. I had run out of steam for the day, at about 3:00 P.M.. We walked slowly back to the truck, and headed for home. It was about a 2 hour drive back to the trailer. We stopped in Coarsegold, so I could buy more cough drops.

We arrived at the trailer at 5:00 P.M., just as it turned dark. I removed an empty propane tank, and took it to the propane filling station in SKP Park Of The Sierra. Twice a week, they offer a propane tank refill service. Just drop off an empty tank, and pick it up the next day, refilled. While Joanne prepared supper, I did today's accounting and began working on today's journal. We had supper, then while Joanne defrosted the fridge, I watched the Penn & Teller underwater magic special on TV. I laughed and laughed, and felt healthier. I love their stooge style of magic. It's the style of magic I prefer to perform myself.

I printed the updated investment data I retrieved yesterday, then spent the late part of the evening updating my investment files. The stock market has improved considerably in the last couple of weeks, after about 6 weeks of declines.

DSK