Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I Really Wanna Know - Who Are You?

Ever since the last hissy fit of 2010 I have been all too aware that the Christmas cookie binge has led to a certain expansion of my caboosage.  So, trying to move my feet more. Tupperware hunting has been good motivation for that. Maybe 15 miles in the last 3 days. Of course all of it uphill :-)   Today I was at East Fork Lake to snag what I hope are the last of the EBTS boxes.  Of the five boxes I had clues for, I only found one.  Kinda disappointing in that regard.  But still nice hikes down to the lake on old country roads.  

EFL, aka Wm H. Harsha Lake but no one calls it that, is a manmade lake created by the Army Corp of Engineers in the 1970's.  The road I was walking on went straight into the lake.  I found myself thinking about the people displaced from their homes by that lake as I walked.  There were rumors that the entire town of Bantam lay at the bottom.  (FYI - Not true according to the retired deputy sheriff I met while walking).  Still there was ample evidence that some nice homes had once been on this road -old stone posts, a stone gate, a driveway, a rock wall.  Old farms had probably once dotted the valley.  Rumors of a couple gold mines (which did prove to be true according to the Army Corps.  I pondered how much that would suck to have to just leave because the county said so.  What kinds of deteriorating buildings were below the surface of the lake?  I couldn't seem to boost my mind off that subject.  Not that I tried very hard.  

Walking is good for that.  It gives me time to ponder stuff.   

Anyway.  I couldn't find my compass today ::hangs head in shame::  The lanyard is probably still covered in poison ivy cooties, so perhaps it's for the best.  Instead I am using the trusted Squishy (GPS) in pedestrian mode.  She can get me within 45 degrees and that's really all I need.  So Squishy is riding in my pocket and powered up.  I hear her beep a few times but don't think much about it.  I reach my landmarks for the letterbox and pull her out so I can get a rough directional heading.  

I left her on View Map mode..... and oddly now she is on keyboard.  Hmmmm....  Not too unexpected I guess.  I walked a ways and she was bouncing in my jacket pocket a bit.  Before I poke her back into View Map, I notice that there are letters in the window.  All the hair on my arms stands up.   

W.E.R.O.K  

Master puzzler that I am, my brain immediately begins to toy with it.  We rok.  Wer OK.  We R OK.  That last one amplifies the goosebumps.  

We are OK.

Standing there in the woods by myself and yet not quite alone.   Whoever it was, it's good to know you're OK.  Next time could you please use pre-approved channels to relay this info cuz you scared the peepee outta me with that little trick in broad daylight no less.

Oh some of you may poo-poo the notion.  But, upon investigation, to get to the keyboard screen from View Map would take 4 deliberate and correct choices.  Inputting the letters 5 more.  And anyone with big fumble fingers like yours truly can tell you that hitting the right letter keys to spell your intended destination is difficult on a good day.  Thank Gawd for that eraser key.  The odds seem stacked against this as a random event.  Not that I can convince you.  

I just want to know who it was.  Did my pondering about the displaced families call in an energy to give voice to them?  Dunno.  


The photo is of North Campbell Road or what used to be N. Campbell Road.  Now it is an overgrown hiking path to the lake.

3 comments:

  1. I love this. I just found you through A River of Stones, and I love this post--it's beautiful--and your aquarium cracked me up, and also your comment about Kentucky and shoeless-ness. (My husband's family is mostly in Louisville, and when I first went to meet them, they *all* said to me--individually, at different times--"See? We do wear shoes!" And I was completely befuddled. I had no idea what they were talking about. So now I find your shoeless comment kind of hilarious.)

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  2. Got some serious goosebumps on this one. So cool, thanks for sharing!

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  3. wow i totally feel you, we have been invesatgating eastfork for a while. we found one of the mines. army covering up eastfork i feel contact me melissa 513-591-9024

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