Every path has a few puddles.
American proverb
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Up in New Hampshire where I lived for a while there are two conjoined ledges on top of a very high and sheer cliff. One is called Cathedral Ledge and the other White Horse Ledge. When you are standing on one you can easly see over to the other one. There is a road which goes up to Cathedral Ledge where one can park, get out, walk to the edge and enjoy the magnificent view.
During the Summer and Autumn months I used to do a lat of hiking on the trails and peaks of the area mountains, and one cloudy day I decided to take the trail up to White Horse Ledge. As it looked like it might rain I folded up a large rain parka and put it in my back pack along with a few other items. took my trusty walking staff which always went with me, parked my car by a lake near the foot of the trail and started up.
The begiinig of the trail was a hefty climb through forest. Then the trail became very treacherous, straight up for about 30 feet. Old roots sticking out of the cliff and an occasional chuck of rock were the only places to get a foot hold. Half way up that part of the trail it started to rain which made it een more treacherous. When I finally came out of that stretch I donned my rain parka and vowed to descend on the road and not try to return by way of the trail. The rain parka was hooded and large enough to fit over my back pack and still cover most of my body.
The last part of the trail went though a young forest, was a fairly easy climb and by then the rain had stopped. But almost to the end of it I heard a car door slam. That is a sound one doesn't expect hear when out hiking in the middle of a forest. But I knew it meant that I was near the end of my hike and White Horse Ledge was just ahead.
When I stepped out on the ledge I looked across and saw a young couple enjoying the view from Cathedral Ledge. I didn't want to startle them so I stood perfectly still and waited.
But the woman looked over and saw me. She gasped and grabbed the man's arm. Now picture me. A large black robe covering a back pack which made me look deformed, a gray beard jutting out from beneath a black hood which covered my face, standing perfectly still holding a five foot staff.
I was a ghost, an apparition, Jeremiah raised from the dead, the Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come, the Mythical Rider of the White Horse, the Old Man Of The Mountain, a mystical being from the deep, dark forest, the Grim Reaper, Satan himself.
Whatever they thought I was they quickly got in their car and left. They were probably a nice couple form Massachusetts, tourists no doubt. I could have walked over and introduced myself but they were standing at the edge of a cliff and I didn't want to scare them. I scared them anyway, just being there. They probably still talk now and then about the strange spectre they saw one cloudy day in the mountains of New Hampshire.
DB - The Vagabond
WINTER QUESTION
(This is not a contest)
What was the most significant event that happened in 2010?
dbdacoba@aol.com
Only 2 responses so far
I await your answer.
DB
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5 comments:
LOL... you prolly did really scare the tourists! Might have thought Daryl and your other brother Daryl were only minutes behind with the the rope and guns!!
This made me grin! I would take a kind of perverse pleasure in knowing that I spooked someone so thoroughly!
I always come away enlighten by your writing. I placed something on my blog for you.
We never know when our actions will scare others.
Something similar to this happened a week ago when I was at Hope Lodge in Hershey. A young lady there (a friend) went into her apartment and put on an outfit that was completely different than one she usually wore. It contained a lovely Mexican "covering" of sorts, and a sombrero, yet that was high and black, making the outfit make her look like a witch. Furthermore, she put on glasses, and a false nose which were attached to the glasses -- and this totally changed her face and face shape.
Imagine what I did when she walked into the group living room and walk me up. I was so startled and sat there, for perhaps 20 seconds, trying to figure out who or what she was. Now, mind you, I knew her VERY well. But nothing computed, I think on great part bc she had changed the features of her face and had the black glasses on. I was so frightened.
I forget how I came to know it was her, but soon she, John, and me were laughing. She told me I didn't know it was her bc she had snuck upon me and I was asleep.
Oh, no, I replied, I couldn't figure out who you were at all. And with that outfit, all I could figure out was that you were an apparition or something!
She smiled brightly. We had talked about apparitions that very evening.
"Oh!" she said. "Like perhaps I was an angel!"
"No," I said. "I thought you were a demon, or maybe a witch!"
"How could that be true?" she asked forlornly. "Even with this beautiful Mexican outfit on?"
"Because, Carolyn," I stated, "your sombrero is very tall and pointed like a witch hat, and you look scary with that new face!!"
She looked kind of down, so I said, "Actually, this experience is kind of funny! Let's take photos!" So we got out our cameras and got some pics. I'll try to post them in my blog.
I'm just saying, db, I know what it is like to be on the other side of being frightened, as well as frightening someone, LOL!
krissy knox :)
http://sometimesithink-krissy.blogspot.com
my twitter:
http://twitter.com/iamkrissy
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