We Need More Whiskey

I woke up at the crack of dawn, showered, and setup the JetBoil for the morning Chai tea latte.  I blew the fire alive and Jon was greeted outside his facade tent (from one angle it looked like a normal tent, from the other it was about 12 inches wide–you know that one man tent that doesn’t allow for one to roll over or store riding gear) with a hot cup of tea. Jon recounted the night wondering what the hell kind of wild beast was munching on the  Wheat Thins, even yelling out to scare the beast away.  And if that wasn’t disconcerting enough, two cats decided a little rough, loud nightly love-making would be fun next to the facade tent.

We decided on a hearty breakfast in Pendleton, after the concentration rations of the night before, but found that most of the restaurants were closed for a funeral.  We finally found a 50’s era Betty Boop joint and wolfed down our country meal.  Our day ride took us out through Pilot Rock, Nye, and Little Butter Creek Road where the wind blows, and the houses are separated by a thousand acres of wheat.  It was an enjoyable curvy road with beautiful scenery.  Somewhere en route we stopped at a convenient store and Jon suggested he buy another bottle of booze.  “We’ve got half a bottle of whiskey, plenty.  We’re not lushes,” I replied.  We made it back into camp in the afternoon and once again sat back and wondered about the evening meal.  “You fly and I’ll by.”  Reluctantly, I geared up for a run into Umatilla grocery store where I loaded up for a steak dinner.

I rode so Jon cooked.  We finished off the whiskey by 5:30.  “No more whiskey he says.  What are we back on the ship with rations?”  I guess we are lushes.  No campsite culinary man there, but we did have food.  Char-baked  potatoes, tough steaks, potato salad, and left over Wheat thins the beast didn’t eat.  It was a great meal nonetheless.  We sat fireside and laughed like school girls, so much so, I had to wipe the tears away–something about my Scottish frugalness, to put it mildly.

That night we had a light and short spell rain.  So endth second day.