Page 153 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

The Day had dawned without me getting up before it. I was awake. I wasn’t feeling any after
effects of “hot chocolate." I was just laying there thinking how I was going to call my wife

with a phone I could not charge because the one item I knew certainly was gone was my solar
panel charger.

Oh sure, I knew eventually down the river I would buy something, or so I hoped, but when

your on a shoe string budget and your missing one shoe string…….well you learn why it’s
called “make do”

I could “make do” and make “do do” equally well.

I was already antsy to get to paddling but I promised myself ALL DAY I would stay here, dry

out, repack, write, explore and eat.

This “hurry up and go” seemed like it was in the air, water, environment and it certainly was
hard to fight.

Coming out of my “instant tent.” I decided after seeing WW3 had hit my camp, that this would

be my first cut of items, gear, or anything I felt was unneeded for the trip.

Carry too much gear had always been the plan so I could see what did and didn’t work as well
as what was really needed and what was just some persons over reaction to outdoors.

I had brought “Everything” everyone had said to me to bring and more. I brought things the

books said, the blogs said, people said, and even things just in case and back ups of primary
goods.

So I took a big bag and went outside to get my camp in order and see what I could get rid of.

The first “cut” like from a football team was actually easier than it sounded. What I cut was
ruined or unsalvageable from the dump in the drink it took.

Since the sun decided to come and laugh at me, I decided to dry everything out I could find. I

even dried out the pages of my soaked journals and made a “old paper” effect out of them. But
I saved them.

I was surprised how fast I filled a bag but a lot of Cup of Noodles and much of my dry goods

took a bad hit from stores.

Getting that done early morning I decided to go hiking to see what was over the ridge and “get
away” mentally from lost gear, kayaking, and what was next “up around the bend.”

Just behind the flat over grown grassy landing with it’s rocking Chair, chords of wood stacked
and clearings, I found a vague hint of a road or trail going up so I followed it to the top of the

ridge.