east of Ashton Idaho near the lower slopes of the Teton Mtns. West of the park and Jackson Hole.
I figured there just had to be a small town someplace out here to add to our food supplies.
After looking at the Idaho Atlas I spotted a small dot that said Squirrel.
Now that had to be a small town or at least a place with a few folks who were probably doing pretty good.
But not being just exactly sure where we were in relation to the town I was kinda stumped. Sandy spoke up and said well lets head for the higher ground to the East and find a spot where we can see a light if they have anything to make a light or a fire.
She’s a sharp cookie for a woman and I so can‘t believe I wrote that.!!
So that’s what we did.
And towards late afternoon we found a nice high spot that over looked the entire country to the west. I swear if my scope was bigger we could have seen the ocean!
And she was right. Just at dark we saw some flickering bits of light to the south and closer to us then I would have thought. It looked like cooking fires or some such.
With the I compass I found north and then just looked at the degrees to the West and hoped it worked.
I know I took map reading in the Marines but that was in the last century. And maybe it was with a needle on a thread instead of a compass. I said I was old.
But I promise I plan to learn now what I didn’t listen to then. Hard to believe most of us were willing to trust our asses to some 2LT who wasn’t shaving yet to get us where we needed to be.
I’m so surprised I’m still alive! But some days God smiles on the lame and halt. Well somebody must because stupid kills.
Since we had eaten earlier and it was damn cold up here in the high timber we sacked out early. Sometime in the night I felt a chilly body slide into my bedroll and snuggle around my back. I knew it wasn’t Molly.
Morning came and I woke up spooned around a very warm and small body and my left had was cupping a small but nice round object. So I just laid there and didn’t move.
After a bit she did move and slipped out of the bed and went behind the bushes. Then she came back, looked at me and slid off her sleeping shorts and top and wiggled back into the bedroll.
Some time later and it’s none of your business how much later we got up and using some water heated on the fire we washed up and made coffee. I guess the transition from kid to full blown woman was done in a very nice way.
After coffee and some canned bacon and crackers with canned cheese we packed and headed out. Neither of us said a word until about mid morning when Sandy said “ Old Man my Ass” ! and we both laughed.
Suffice to say we found Squirrel Idaho. And it was a nice little place. People were working outside in gardens and wash was hanging on lines. To call it small would be wrong, tiny..? yea tiny works..
Nobody seemed at all surprised at all to see us riding in as we were. Most folks just waved and kept working.
We stopped at what looked to be a general store or what passed for one these days. And noticed right away the new hitching rack in front.
Tying the mules and telling Molly to stay we went in. We left our rifles but both had our handguns out in the open. Sandy hung back to watch the stock.
Behind the counter was an old gent and dusting the shelves was an old woman who looked up and smiled at me and then seeing Sandy headed over to her and started fussing like only an old granny can.
The old man said we was welcome but he was only taking silver coins or ammo. I said I’d look around if it was ok and he said help yer self sonny.
Mean time Sandy was chattering up a storm with the old woman and referring to me as “ Daddy” and talking about how horrible it was “Out There” and how lucky we were to have made it this far….I swear that gal should be on a stage! Daddy my ass.
The Old woman was tisking and tasking and
I figured there just had to be a small town someplace out here to add to our food supplies.
After looking at the Idaho Atlas I spotted a small dot that said Squirrel.
Now that had to be a small town or at least a place with a few folks who were probably doing pretty good.
But not being just exactly sure where we were in relation to the town I was kinda stumped. Sandy spoke up and said well lets head for the higher ground to the East and find a spot where we can see a light if they have anything to make a light or a fire.
She’s a sharp cookie for a woman and I so can‘t believe I wrote that.!!
So that’s what we did.
And towards late afternoon we found a nice high spot that over looked the entire country to the west. I swear if my scope was bigger we could have seen the ocean!
And she was right. Just at dark we saw some flickering bits of light to the south and closer to us then I would have thought. It looked like cooking fires or some such.
With the I compass I found north and then just looked at the degrees to the West and hoped it worked.
I know I took map reading in the Marines but that was in the last century. And maybe it was with a needle on a thread instead of a compass. I said I was old.
But I promise I plan to learn now what I didn’t listen to then. Hard to believe most of us were willing to trust our asses to some 2LT who wasn’t shaving yet to get us where we needed to be.
I’m so surprised I’m still alive! But some days God smiles on the lame and halt. Well somebody must because stupid kills.
Since we had eaten earlier and it was damn cold up here in the high timber we sacked out early. Sometime in the night I felt a chilly body slide into my bedroll and snuggle around my back. I knew it wasn’t Molly.
Morning came and I woke up spooned around a very warm and small body and my left had was cupping a small but nice round object. So I just laid there and didn’t move.
After a bit she did move and slipped out of the bed and went behind the bushes. Then she came back, looked at me and slid off her sleeping shorts and top and wiggled back into the bedroll.
Some time later and it’s none of your business how much later we got up and using some water heated on the fire we washed up and made coffee. I guess the transition from kid to full blown woman was done in a very nice way.
After coffee and some canned bacon and crackers with canned cheese we packed and headed out. Neither of us said a word until about mid morning when Sandy said “ Old Man my Ass” ! and we both laughed.
Suffice to say we found Squirrel Idaho. And it was a nice little place. People were working outside in gardens and wash was hanging on lines. To call it small would be wrong, tiny..? yea tiny works..
Nobody seemed at all surprised at all to see us riding in as we were. Most folks just waved and kept working.
We stopped at what looked to be a general store or what passed for one these days. And noticed right away the new hitching rack in front.
Tying the mules and telling Molly to stay we went in. We left our rifles but both had our handguns out in the open. Sandy hung back to watch the stock.
Behind the counter was an old gent and dusting the shelves was an old woman who looked up and smiled at me and then seeing Sandy headed over to her and started fussing like only an old granny can.
The old man said we was welcome but he was only taking silver coins or ammo. I said I’d look around if it was ok and he said help yer self sonny.
Mean time Sandy was chattering up a storm with the old woman and referring to me as “ Daddy” and talking about how horrible it was “Out There” and how lucky we were to have made it this far….I swear that gal should be on a stage! Daddy my ass.
The Old woman was tisking and tasking and
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