Last Thursday's Misadventure

So, I never shared how last Thursday's hiking and waypoint setting adventure went with Sam.

After work I picked up Sam and we headed for Seidman Park. It was raining. Nothing that would prevent us from going. But, as we got closer, it started raining hard. I told Sam we should just go for pizza, and try it again Saturday. He cried and cried, saying, "I want to go hiking with you." How can you say no to that. I told him that we would keep going, and see if it blew over.

When we go there it had pretty much stopped raining. The sky was pretty dark to the west, though. We got our packs loaded. Sam's back was already set with a very diluted solution of Gu2O. I sat Sam in the back of the truck while I threw my wallet, phone, camera, and keys in my hydration pack, and got the maps, map case, and GPS together. I had already locked the truck, though the tailgate was still up. Then, it thundered. Then it thundered and lightninged real close together. The storm was upon us. I told Sam that we couldn't stay. That it was too dangerous. He started crying. Somewhere he went from, "I want to go hiking" to "I don't want to die." I grabbed my wallet, phone, GPS, and Sam and shut the tailgate. I realized, too late, that my keys were still inside my hydration pack, which was still inside of the locked truck.

I double checked and sure enough, all of the doors were locked. Double drats!

We ran as fast as we could into the deep woods. Why be a lightning rod? I called Jean from my cell phone. This did increase my chances of becoming a lightning rod. Sam was crying and screaming, "I don't want to die!!!!!!!" I assured him we weren't going to die. We were in the woods in the "lightning-safe position" (crouced down with our weight on the balls of our feet). Jean answered on the other end and I said, "I hope this wasn't one of those times you left your keys in the truck." Sometimes she does that so she knows were they are. Fortunately, this wasn't one of those times. But, being a one vehicle family, we needed to find someone available to come to our house and get Jean's keys, then drive them out to me and Sam.

Some of our friends were at rehearsal and weren't by a phone. One K & K weren't home. The other friends who are also initialed K & K live in Middleville. That would be a long wait. M & A were on their way back from airport in Detroit. Jean reached them on their cell and they were only 20 minutes from our place on their way home and would be glad to help. SWEET!

By this time, the storm was over. We did the red loop of Seidman Park and plotted some waypoints. M & A arrived to save the day and we had a great talk. When they left, Sam and I decided to map the blue loop, too.

We found this HUGE turtle. We got to make him go into his shelf and have a great look at how he works. His head was a brilliant yellow and orange, as was some of his shell. Sam loved checking him out. We also saw about a dozen or so deer out there.

By the end I was carrying Sam on my shoulders. He was a tired little man.

We then went for some pizza, and brought some home for Jean as well. It was a good night. What started out as a misadventure ended as an awesome evening spent with my son.