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Words Of Wisdom On Becoming Lost and Found

_{"There is no such thing as being truly lost,
only temporarily misplaced." -Wilson²}

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On Becoming Temporarily Misplaced

_{""I think I'm LOST!"
"Look behind you."
"It looks exactly like where I just came from!"
"Exactly! "
-D.D.Schteinn ~ From: In The Land Of Lostaphobia}

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The Eclipse Chronicles (Are STILL Going...)

To catch up with the story, here are the first 7 installments:
Eclipse Chronicles Part I: Prelude To A Trip
The Eclipse Chronicles Part II: Day 1.25
The Eclipse Chronicles Part III: Day 1.50
The Eclipse Chronicles Part IV: Day 1.75
The Eclipse Chronicles Part V: Day 1.99 Almost There
The Eclipse Chronicles Part VI: Day 2.0 - It's Here!
The Eclipse Chronicles Part VII: Day 2.36 - The Day Goes Dark!

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Meanwhile

We finally beached our canoe at a local hop-field and brewpub, further downriver. We wanted to stop for a beer, but the tasting room was having a private eclipse party, and was closed for public consumption. Large beer-less sigh [HERE]. After stretching our legs on the beach, it was time for one of us to start the LONG walk back to the car. Who would be volunteered, to wander the hot and sticky summertime roads to the waiting Subaru in the park? Robinia, HH, or yours truly.
~ From: The Eclipse Chronicles -Day 2.36

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Onwards, To The End

"Those of you who DON'T want to walk for miles and miles and miles on a hot, asphalt, coal-black road in late August, in the blazing sun with no water or shade, take two steps back." I always seem to miss that particular cue. And there I was, standing all by myself in the line of volunteers.

My dad had a saying years ago, whenever we kids were caught doing something particularly dumb, based on some hair-brained notion or activity. Something to the tune of: "When they handed out brains, you thought they said trains, and you already had one." I may have that wrong in exact word, but in idea, it is rather spot on.

I was 'volunteered' to do the walk back to the car, since I didn't have a paddle, and was only adding ballast to the canoe anyway. Plus, there were no more cookies left for lazing down the river, in the coveted 'do very little of anything useful ', middle-seat lawn chair. It was decided. Along with some sage advice from my canoe compatriots..."you have the longest legs, so you'll get there faster anyway, and with more EFFICIENCY."

The dislogic die was cast. I would walk the road back to the car, and pick up my other two paddling yayhoos at a park in a local town a few miles downriver. I can no longer remember the name of the town. After all this WAS over a year ago.

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The Chatoe Rogue Hops Field And Quaffing Room - Above The Beach

I wonder why it's spelled that way? Irregardless, I dropped Wilson² into his mesh bag, grabbed my day pack, and wandered up the steep hill toward the hops fields and the tasting room area, and the noisy eclipse party going on. I wasn't supposed to actually BE there, since it was a party, but I just acted like I belonged. No one asked what I and my soccer ball in a bag were up to, so it worked out just fine. We sure WANTED a beer before we set out, but that just was not to be. I soon hit the waiting back-roads of Oregon, and we launched into our walk back to the Subaru.

Without Prep, All You Have Is Possible, No-Prep Mayhem

Before we left on this trip, I queried Google and printed out maps of the local roads, to help me find my way back to our car. Parked about 3 miles away as the crow flies. I am not a crow. By actual WALKING, it was supposed to be somewhere between 5 and 6 miles. As the non-crow Human Bean walks. Along small country roads.

Roads with very few intersections, many curves and long straightaways, very little shoulder in places, and the potential for many farm dogs with bad, hacklefurd attitudes, on the look out for odd strangers with their soccer balls. I had some water, Wilson², the all-necessary snacks, and my walking shoes. Oh, and my dog pole. A really nice, long walking stick I found on the river. Figured I could use it to fend off those crazy-mad farm dogs, if need be.

Off Wilson² and I headed, in a westerly direction. On yon far horizon? No doubt-another grand adventure in the offing.

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I'm Walk'n

Said With Classic, Steve Martin-Esque Voice

Fresh hops on the vine.

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And Walk'n

Scary Hazelnut Grove

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Still Walk'n

The road sign on the left does not match my map.

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Then Walk'n Some More

Hops processing shed. The road sign on the RIGHT does not match my map either.

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Keep Walk'n

I wonder if I'm going the right way?

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And Walk'n

Pretty field. I'm sweating like the proverbial pig.

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Just A Little More Walk'n

I'm pretty sure this asphalt is one thousand, eight hundred and forty seven degrees Fahrenheit.

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Then Some More Walk'n

Aah, some nice shade. For someone way over THERE!

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I'm Tired, But I'm Walk'n

Ooh, a farm house. With a giant SPRINKLER! I think I'll run through it. Maybe not. The man with the box-end wrench working on his car in the driveway looks very cranky. I'll wait and stop up ahead for a snack under the OTHER big tree.

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Back To Walk'n

A HAUNTED HOUSE! Cool. Maybe I'll go in and poke around.

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Stopped Walk'n

Looks a bit wiggidy scary...but I ain't afraid of no ghost.

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Now I'm Stand'n...Hyperventilate'n

Something MOVED Up There!

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I'M Run'n

Hope the road sign shimmering up ahead provides some good map-news.

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Back To Walk'n

But There's Cool Stuff Here...

Ooh, SHOES. On a FENCE. Can someone say "Shoe Shot Paradise?"

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I'm Stop'n, Again...

I should take more pictures. But the women are going to bonk me on the nozzer if I'm late getting to the pickup spot. But just LOOK at all those beautiful SHOES!!!

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Back To Walk'n - Then Walk A Bit More Walk'n

The Buena Vista Ferry. I love that it's open 363 days of the year.

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DONE Walk'n

Wilson² on our original put-in, at the parking lot. Some local fishermen and swimmers looked at me in an odd manner, for some reason. I ignored them.

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_{(We're Still In The Steve Martin Voice Here)}

Just Sit'n

Someone forgot their cool shoe at the boat ramp. This whole COUNTY is a Shoe Shot PARADISE!! " I'll be ba-aack..."

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I'm Drive'n

Wilson²wanted to ride the ferry. But we're in a hurry to go find our canoe. And the two ladies that are in it. He was OK with passing on the ferry ride. Today.

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No More Drive'n OR Walk'n

"We're He-ERE!"

The local put-in/take-out parking lot. My canoe partners were waiting for me, and wondered where I'd been. They did not realize how far the walk was. I did.

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But What About The White Cat?

The un-named town had a GIANT eclipse party in this park the night before. This is some of the leftover detritus from this huge happening. The white cat in front center-left looks really pooped. Probably from all that wild partying. Or possibly kitty's had a whole LOT of junk food from the dumpster today, and can't move. I hope the local branch of the highly literal, puss-puss gendarme don't give our feline friend any trouble, as she is NOT made of cardboard. And as I mentioned, running away fast is not an option for kitty today.

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I'm Drink'n

Time For A Post-Eclipse, Beer And A Brät

The private eclipse party at the hops/tasting room was over by the time we loaded the car and headed out. So we returned to the start of my epic walk, to have a beer and a good brätwurst. And to discuss our wonderful, last two day journey over good food and frothy brew. We were all dog tired, but still wildly excited from our eclipse adventure. It had been the trip of a lifetime, and we all agreed, it was one of the best times of our short lives on this planet earth to date.

The drive home was difficult, since we were so bone-tired and beer-brät sated, but we finally made it to our houses in one piece. I patted Stinky the Cat on the head, and crashed hard into my little downy bed. Dreaming loftily of our NEXT grand eclipse adventure. In TEXAS, in the year 2024. We can hardly wait. I wonder if they have any rivers in Texas, along the line of totality? I wonder if they'll let me put a canoe on the plane? I wonder how many bags of Oreos I need to bring? I wonder...are there Pike Minnow's in Texas? I wonder, do I have to buy a separate seat for Wilson² on Southwest? There are SO many natural wonders of the world. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. And so will you, my fellow Steem-Landian's. I'm quite sure you can't wait either. Cheerio(s)

~ Finto? ~

~ ("Not Bloody Likely") ~

_{Stay Tuned-There may be one more post. We can sure hope so... ( :}

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Bookend Sunset

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Thanks for stopping in and viewing Day 2.75 thru 2.99 of The Eclipse Chronicles. If you have any thoughts about walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking, and snacking and walking and walking and walking and then walking some more, beer and bräts AFTER walking, or anything else this post reminds you of, please feel free to comment away in the spaces below. I'd love to hear from you.

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Please UPVOTE, COMMENT and FOLLOW if you enjoy my works.

And go to @ddschteinn -- There's a whole lot more...

_{Posted: 11/07/2018 @ 13:34}

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Excerpts From Late-Night Conversations With A Mechanical Cat

Fact Number 100

(Ooh La Laaaah!)