Page 62 - Louisiana Loop (manuscript Edition)

The overall effect was I was just flat out wiped out.
Which is one of the reasons why the tent was as disheveled at it was that first night out on the river.

The other reason was a little more embarrassing but typical to men in general and not something people put in their
journals or admit to anyone unless someone see’s it.
They did, I was humiliated.
When does it take three hours to pitch a tent?

Three hours. In fairness (or an excuse) I had only put the tent up a few times and it was new to me. But the reality was
…….as typical thinking to hurry…………. I made things worse on myself by not using common sense.

The wind was blowing pretty steady out of the South South East. Gusts were coming every time I stretched the tent out
on the ground. (Go ahead, ask me how long it took before I staked the tent down flat.) Tired I had sand flying in my face
and I had a guy on a barge not to far away watching and I think feeling sorry for me.

Funny how things fall apart when your tired and in a hurry.

This “New tent” was a pole design that seemed as though every time I tried to put a side pole up the wind would whip it
and pull the stakes out and send the tent flying. It was arduous. It was long. It was stupid and had I not had such a night
and day as I did I might have thought more clearly but as dark settled I didn’t even have the tent up much less the rain fly
and I expected any minute to be rained on.
Insanity only last so long and just stopping and restarting over again with a slow methodical step by step approach
eventually got the tent up and reminded me how I should have done it in the first place but that’s the nature of
hastiness………..you make mistake after mistake till you slow down and get it right.