Slip Slide & Away

The Milky Way above the Fairmont Range. The Dark Horse Nebula can be seen to the right of the central bulge of the Milky Way.

Willow and I were up early. The moon was due to go down at about 4:30am. Our goal was to catch a bit of the Milky Way before the coming sun started to wash it.

We were off for the end of the lake. The pick-up slid in the mud. It has been clear and warm during the day, but chilly at night. We broke through the ice skimmed over the mud holes, churning this way and that trying to stay out of the ruts.

Just about at our parking spot, damn near level with the lake, I underestimated a strip of mud, letting the truck slide deeper and we were stuck.

There was no going forward or back. We were already in four wheel drive. I shifted the beast into 4 low and it still wouldn’t budge.

I got out and surveyed the situation. It is usually a foot and a half step to the ground out of the truck. This morning the step was just about level with the mud. We were stuck. It was dark. There was only one thing to do. Go looking for the Milky Way.

Willow looked at me sideways as if to say, this is where we are going to park?

We walked up the hills overlooking the lake. Willow stayed close with the coyotes yipping.

The moon was down in the west. The Milky Way stretched east to south. Antares, the heart of Scorpius was well up above the horizon. The Prancing Horse whinnied as if chuckling at our predicament.

We walked to the waters edge. The geese were at it, establishing territory, gearing up for flight. Once it started to get light we headed back to the truck.

I laid some broken branches in a corduroy fashion, shovelled mud and water and did some rocking, lots of rocking. Finally, like a stubborn tooth, the muck let loose and the ship sailed onto solid ground.

The only way out was forward, so I had to turn around and go back through the cranky puddle. Fortunately, I had realized the err of my ways and picked a more favourable route without incident.

Once home it was like Lisa knew I had got stuck. It could have been we were later than usual or the mud soaked up to my knees. She reminded me I wasn’t thirty anymore. I assured her we weren’t stuck, just parked for a while.

Interesting morning.

Picking a trail back through the bog.

12 thoughts on “Slip Slide & Away”

  1. Carol A. Hand's avatar

    Carol A. Hand

    I’m glad your determination and creative solutions worked, Bob. Your photo was worth the effort, though. Your story brought to mind the time I sunk my car up to the undercarriage during mud season one spring on the unimproved forest road to my cabin. It took a lot of digging! I often miss those days…

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    1. underswansea's avatar

      underswansea

      Thanks Carol. There is nothing like the feeling than getting stuck in mud. You know the feeling. It really gets the mind working on strategies to get out. Take care.

      Liked by 1 person

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  3. Unknown's avatar

    Anonymous

    So there’s where we differ, Bob….
    ‘There was only one thing to do. Go looking for the Milky Way.’ I’m pretty sure I would have chosen to PANIC instead. Hahaha! Beautiful picture though!

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  4. Jim R's avatar

    Jim R

    Lisa is smart. She knows you.

    If you conked out face down in the mud, would that faithful dog run home and get help like Lassie did in the TV series? How do you bark “Woof woof…Bob…face down…woof…mud!”

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    1. underswansea's avatar

      underswansea

      Lisa is smart, she also wasn’t very pleased with me for the reasons you alluded to. Maybe I will have to teach Willow to shock me back to life with the jumper cables.
      Thanks for the comment, it made me laugh.

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