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Through the veil

Through the veil – looking across the lake, the mist was lifting. It’s taken me a few days to see the potential in this picture. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It’s taken me a while to see the potential in this picture. I like this alternate treatment of the image.
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Afternoon off
Gary: “I’ve worked nine of the last ten days. I’m taking the afternoon off.”
Garbage Disposal Unit: “Today is a good day to spring a leak.”
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Dodge Challenger a surprise weekend rental

Dodge Challenger. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Due to Enterprise renting out all their standard stock of vehicles, I was given the choice of a Challenger, a Mustang, and an Audi for my rental this weekend.
The Audi was immediately discounted because it’s designed for millennials — which is almost as bad, but not quite, as a vehicle designed for boomers; I’m looking at you Nissan Armada — I’ve never been able to get my phone’s Bluetooth to work in a VWA vehicle. I suspect that’s because they only sync to a millennial’s iPhone.

My brother Ian (right) trying to seal the deal. May 2010. Central Dodge, Springfield Missouri. Copyright © 2010 Gary Allman, all rights reserved I took the Challenger over the Mustang as my brother has a thing about the Dodge muscle cars, so it was a great opportunity to wind him up (if England losing to Italy on penalties wasn’t good enough already). It was also liveried in a color I like. An ex-pat friend I met at the church I was visiting called it ‘purple.’ It’s burgundy, Robert, if you don’t mind. Oh, and I couldn’t find a USB connection on this vehicle either. It was probably hidden inside the armrest.
Below is a selection of pictures intended to whet my brother’s appetite. The fuel cap is a great improvement over the earlier models. I remember having to look up on the Internet how to open a Charger or Challenger’s fuel cap. The release was a tiny button low-down and to the rear of the driver’s door.
I was surprised to spot a button labeled ‘Sport’ on the console of this vehicle. I resisted any temptation to press it. When I checked the car back in the guys at Enterprise asked if I tried it. I told them not, and their reply was, ‘Chicken!’
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Back on the road
My first Sunday church visit in eighteen months or more. Today I’m in Joplin discussing church marketing. That’s two church visits this week, and I have one scheduled for next week too. Things are getting busy as we play catch-up after the COVID lock-down.
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Journal: four days by the lake, Piney Creek Wilderness, July 2021

Enjoying the view – between interludes of journaling and swimming. I even completed some camp chores. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It’s been a while, and now it’s time for my summer trip for R&R by Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness. Fortunately, the lake is not flooding (excessively) this year, and the hike in was not quite as fraught — no wading required.
For details of my trip
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Day Four – End of hike selfie
Blimey! The ol’ hairline is receding a lot. Ginger said she noticed a major change to my hairline when I started taking my heart regulating meds.
It was a good relaxing long weekend by the lake. I would have liked it to be quieter. However, you can’t be surprised by major firework displays and loud music playing out on the lake on Independence Day weekend, and I was alright with that.
On the backpacking side, my only error was forgetting to bring a trash bag, ‘whoopee do!’ as they say. I don’t like hiking along the overgrown sections of the trail — we came across a timber rattler on this trail several years ago, so I know the darned things are around.
For the record, it took me three hours to hike out. That included my half-hour stop at Piney Creek for water and a bath, and my very slow tiptoeing through the unseen snakes while crossing ‘Cat Briar Meadows.’
All in all, it was a brilliant trip, with lots of journaling, swimming, some clothing optional time, and relaxing watching the lake. You can’t beat that.
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Bath time

Bath time. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. After crossing ‘Cat Briar Meadows,’ I was hot, sweaty, and dirty. I stopped here for half an hour, filled up with water, and then had a quick bath in this pool. Let’s just say it was invigorating (flipping chilly).
It’s not the first time we’ve stopped here to top up with water and cool off.
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The trail is starting to get overgrown

The trail is starting to get overgrown. Where’s a horse when you need one, eh? Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. All through these (and the following) overgrown sections of trail, I talk to the snakes, “Hello snaky, snaky, snakes, just passing through, don’t mind me.” at the same time, I’m probing the trail ahead with my hiking poles to make sure any somnolent snakes wake up before I tread on them. As for the ticks, I talk to them too. But I’m much less polite, “Ticky, ticky, tickies … eff orf.”
I won’t be hiking this trail again until the fall, when the vegetation has died back a bit and the bugs are a lot less active.
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This is going to get messy
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The trail here was covered with water when I hiked in
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Time to say goodbye to my lakeside haven
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Lifting mist at Piney Creek – Complete with a heron
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Misty Morning at Piney Creek
It was worth all the heat and bug bites just for the magical few minutes watching the mist evaporate.
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Mist on Table Rock Lake
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Through the veil
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Day Four – Misty campsite
I’m used to seeing fog and mist on the lake here, but today’s mist was extra thick. So thick that at first I couldn’t see across the lake.
The mist was fairly low-lying, though. About 50 feet or less higher up the hill, where I’d hung my food bag, there wasn’t any mist to speak of, and the sun was beginning to break through, which is a great excuse to show my food bag hang.
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Day Three – Feet up, enjoying the Campfire
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Late-night visitor

Who is this then? Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Hearing something wandering through the brush, I jumped up to scare it off (in case it was the raccoon I saw earlier). Instead, I made a discovery. Bright lights transfix armadillos. Who knew! It is also a much better explanation of why so many get run over. I’ve been told it’s because they jump in the air when startled. I’ve seen them do that too, but I think being transfixed is a more likely cause.
It was off as soon as I released it from the grip of my headlamp. There was another rustling through the undergrowth nearby, but it refused to be tempted by the light.
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View from the lake
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Air dry



























