Monday, August 8, 2011

My weekend "under the wing".

Saturday morning I slept until the sun was almost up. I knew I was worn a little thin and Nice (the dog) didn't mind the extra sleep. We were on the upper level of a parking area behind Red Wing Corp. offices. The manager at the museum had given me a pass to stay overnight. I was glad of that because the walk into town and the work it then took to get the World to fit through the doors of the museum for a picture next to Red Wing's World's Largest Boot had spent any reserves I had. But how often can you get a once in a lifetime picture?... Once? I put on the new style of boot with new support pad, and stood up. My body creaked, both knees popped, one ankle protested the change and my balance was off. The good thing was that when I walked I stepped more squarely on my heal with less impact on them as the sales clerk had said the inserts would. I intended to walk a few miles to the Wal-mart and call it a day. New shoes or not, after a month of walking with only one full day of rest and the almost eighteen miles we had just walked, I (we) needed an easy day. I readied my gear for a full days walk just in case and, half hearted, we started off. A woman stopped me after a few blocks and gave me a gift for Nice(the dog), I asked her where a good place to sit and have breakfast would be and she directed me back and over one block. I decided to go over one block and back through an alley. I stopped for a moment to take a picture when a man stopped to ask what the World was up to, or what I was doing with the World, or why was the World there, or words to that effect. This chance turn of a corner changed the coarse of the weekend, for the better. After I explained the World's coarse, the events of the previous days and my desire to have an easy day the man invites me to take the day off. He suggested I walk to his home where I could have breakfast, relax and possibly stay until Sunday for the Red Wing River City Days Parade; an annual celebration. It took very little convincing, plus he said his house was along the same route as the short cut to Wally-world. With an hand written map and his phone number I continued up the road I had meant only to walk half of one block. I walked past the town green and amphitheater surrounded by beautiful churches, then a half mile later after walking uphill I came to the steepest grade I had walked since I began this journey from Sheboygan Wisconsin over a month ago...I told myself I was taking the day off. As we were in a city Nice (the dog) was stopping at every tree, bush and clump of grass to read the news of the dogs in Red Wing so I was pushing the World and pulling my eighty pound companion as I became wet with sweat and my new boots were covered with wet morning dew and grass clippings. When I finally got to the top of the hill I still could not see the first of the two stop signs my directions had me pass thru before I needed to start looking for the street I had to turn onto. I was taking the day off and told myself that even off days require some sweat. The demon on my shoulder was whining like a baby... The few people I talked with while I walked had me forget my childishness and the short workout was over. I arrived at the man's home and had some coffee while I told him my life story over a donut. He later took me to get the van and led me to a paint store where the good man working on the beautiful Saturday had time to try and add some color to my purple hued paint I had purchased in Lake City and had repainted a two foot wide stripe around the World (the area that gets all the wear from the road). I had seen the picture in the newspaper which was taken on Friday on my way from Lake City to Red Wing and the World looked purple. Something had to be done. I had a piece of fabric that was painted the correct hue from an old repair so we had a palate to test with. The first try went gray, the second black, the third looked like it was headed toward green so we found a color from a sample and made up a can that I used later in the day to repaint the repaint. It was still my day off...the new color was a good hue and I really didn't mind maintaining the World while it's watchdog slept in the grass. Then a man and hiis wife pulled up an invited me to stay until Sunday and they would see to it that I walked in the parade if I liked. Funny how things worked out. I enjoyed rest of the day with the man and his family as well as some friends who came for dinner off the grill. They set up the table buffet style in the house and we all talked as we ate on the outside patio as their old dog remained inside and scarfed down all but one of the extra steaks. The next morning the old girl wasno worse for wear after being banished to the basement for her deed. She probably didn't move from the spot she was laying all night as visions of t-bones and rib eye staeks danced in her head. Our day off was much needed and well appreciated.
The parade was fun, as we'll as the Pie and ice cream social at the amphitheater. I had my first Sunday afternoon nap in quite a while when m hosts went and napped. At the movie theater. We had a relaxed evening of conversation and went to sleep early after dinner. To complete this restful time under the "wing" of Red Wing we walked this morning to the Anderson center, a beautiful artist's retreat, at the outer edge of Red Wing so quickly I arrived as the man and his family delivered the van to it's parking lot and the Center manager was pulling in for work. As I explained what was going on and asked for use of a parking spot for the day as he was nodding yes and holding the Eagle newspaper with my picture on the front page. I spent hours on more World maintenance and had another nap in the moderate temperature of the day. The weather has become beautiful so I may eben sleep a little longer and head out at sunrise instead of four in the morning to beat the heat.
My thumbs are tired...
Go wall with the ones you Love. Love yourself and walk.

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