Anchored in Charlotte

January 9, 2002- Wednesday- Day 75

11:00am- We are still in the same place, and thinking about moving on tomorrow. It's suppose to be in the 60's and that is more to my liking. Spring like weather for 2 days. I'm cooking a batch of chicken for Skil's for the road. He had a 20oz. Sirloin for breakfast, after that he looked up at me as if to say " Okay. you're a keeper" Its always nice to find out that your best buddy tolerates you, made my day!

this morning we took a walk around to get the lay-of-the-land. We still can't see the town, so we must be a good ways out yet. I'm trying to make plans, but they always seem to get snagged up, somehow! What I want to do is head on down to Pensacola and then westward on into Texas, then I'll make some more plans from there.

4:00pm- We have been here since Sunday and its time to go. There is a lot of food here though, but living and dying in Charlotte ain't whats in my plans, so we'll go soon. Its probably 6-8 miles to the other side of this place, so it won't be easy bopping through here.

Sick and Tired and Cold

January 8, 2002- Tuesday- Day 74
9:00am- We haven't broke camp yet and we probably won't today, I'll probably wait til it warms up some. Started this morning at 24F and now its all the way up to 31F. Got to break out the tank-top and find some shade. I have no course and no set time to be anywhere, so why worry. I really do like seeing what's around the next bend though.

4:00pm- Well, I wondered when or if I would ever get sick, I don't have to worry about that no more. I guess we'll wait here until about Thursday when its suppose to be normal temps. again. Like in the 50's. We have been eating good, but I have spent to much money. From my vantage point up on this hill I can tell when a delivery to the dumpster is taking place. This morning they brought out shrimp rings and a big ole' Sirloin steak. I am enjoying dumpster diving for food. As long as I can get to it before something is thrown on top of it. Soon as that happens it turns into garbage to me. But out=dated and placed on top is worth a check-out.The shrimp were still frozen and it took along time for them to thaw. Wonder why? When we do decide to leave we are going to have to walk right through the middle of downtown Charlotte. Not looking forward to that!

The Dog Catcher Comes Through

January 7, 2002- Monday- Day 73
9:00am- We camped on a water treatment plant property last night and kinda in the open. I had a nice view of the neighborhood and people are starting to dig their way out. I have walked most of the day in the Freezing rain, okay now I know what it is. It is just your normal rain that has a different characteristic than Florida rain. Seems when the raindrops hit you they immediately turn to ice, all the way to the bare skin. Whoopeeee! We walked and we are in the middle of nowhere, I have to walk in the road, but there is no traffic anyway. The snow plows that cleared this road piled the snow all along the shoulder. We have passed a few cars still in the ditch and a few places where they have been pulled out. I'm guessing that the locals weren't expecting this monster storm either.
Me and Skil's are damn sure freezing to death, I have to get us out of here to shelter. We found another bridge and got under it and I got the bright idea to build a fire. For an hour I tried to get that soaked wood to light, not having much luck. We are getting big clouds of billowing smoke though. All of a sudden someone up on the bridge says come out from under there! Oh Shit! I stepped out in the open and looked up and I'm staring right at a big ole' cop. I felt like Jerry Reed.
What are you doing under there?
Trying to get warm officer.
Come up here!
Yes Sir
Bring all your stuff with you!
Yes Sir
Is that your dog?
Yes Sir
Got ID?
Yes Sir
You can't build a fire under the bridge!
Yes Sir, I know, been trying for an hour.
I heard about you.
Oh Oh.
He went to his car I suppose to run my ID and me and Skil's was standing in the snow, me not feeling the cold right now, wondering whats the verdict here? The animal control truck pulled up and I am thinking if I run into the woods, would they chase me through the snow covered hill-and-dale. Or just shoot me, I can't lose my dog! Here comes the cop and he said he really didn't want me to die in his county, so he called a guy to take us to Charlotte. We loaded Skil's in the cage and I climbed in and off we went. The dog-catcher took us all the way to Charlotte and dropped us off at a Winn-Dixie. I asked if he had a extra leash fo Skil's and he said yeah, and gave me a very expensive leather leash. I lost Skil's in Siler City, another thing I learned about snow. Don't lay nothing on the ground before it snows or you'll never ever find it again.
We looked int he woods by the Winn-Dixie and there seemed to be a lot of abandoned camps, so I'm thinking all these empty camps , the law must make a pass through here on a regular basis. We walked a mile down the road and found a Food lion next to a hill with a lot of trees on it, looked like home for a day or two. I'm feeling like the flu is coming on and Skil's has been shaking all day.
It is going to be a long cold wet night and I am hoping that I don't get sick. It is 24F in Charlotte as of this moment and its going to warm up tomorrow to 31F. I have to get Skil's to a more gentler climate. Its still raining and its very cold and I have nothing dry at all. I'm just glad that we are not back out in those woods we just left trying to stay warm. Sitting int he door of my tent, I have a nice view of the parking lot down below us. I'll have to get down there and see if The tent can be seen from there. I have to find a place to wash clothes tomorrow. This place seems safe enough to hang out for a couple days.
GOOD NEWS- Weatherman says no rain tomorrow. I found a liquor store across the street and got a pint of vodka to warm me up or at least kill the pain.

Born Again? Did I Die?

January 6, 2002- Sunday- Day 72

12:00noon-The ice melted enough for me and Skil's to attempt an escape yesterday. We are about 10 miles out of Richland siiting under a bridge soaking wet. Something like 30 miles to Charlotte NC. We got picked up just at the limits of Siler City by a fellow named Patrick. He took us to his house and cooked us lunch. First time I went into someones house to eat. I went in once to work, but that is different. He fed us and gave us a ride to Ashboro, NC. After a short little 6 mile walk I noticed this truck about 3 times in different places. Uh oh, I ain't liking this much, having a weirdo shadowing me. Finally he pulled up and asked if I would ride with him, not if I wanted a ride, but will I please get in. Then he flipped out the badge, oh shit! He asked a lot of questions and told me he was FBI and a person walking down the road pulling a suitcase deserves some scrutiny after what happened in New York. He told me that his agency stays on full alert all over the country. After running my ID and finding out that I am not a terrorist, the conversation wasn't so tense. He gave us a ride to Richfield and stopped at a Food Lion. He said there is a motel over there and a grocery store here. He handed me some money and asked me to pray with him.( Oh Boy! another one) Standing in the parking lot in broad daylight praying to be a born again Christian. What the hell next? He told me now you are born again, what?(Hey thats cool as Shit!) I am ready to scream! But then I thought of the cash he handed me, I didn't count it but I seen a $10.00 bill. So, okay G-Man I'm born again, Praise the Lord and all that shit! I was undecided about that ride until I went into Food Lion to get Skil's some food. I pulled out the money he gave me and had to count it twice. $80.00!!!! Unreal , God's alive and well in N.C. I got dog food and walked to the edge of town to pitch my tent.

*note- Stanley County - "Reed Goldmine" - first goldmine in USA. I am learning a lot on this adventure.

12 Degree Highs

January 5, 2002- Saturday- Day 71-

10:00am- I sure need to pack up my little dog and leave these woods far behind. Loop Rd. is sounding real good to me. I don't exactly know how long this temperature will stay at the high side of 12F. But its something that I have experienced and the new has wore off already. Time to move on and try something else. But just wishing my way to better times and places doesn't get me there. As of right now I can't go until I can pull my trailer along. Damn sure, can't carry it. About to go out and plead for help. (not hardly) I'll die right here before I stoop to that. I only need help if something I can't fix happens to Skil's. The weatherman is calling for freezing rain tomorrow and I don't have any idea what the hell that is. I am positive about one thing though, he ain't talking about cold rain. Whatever it is , its really bad by the information they're giving out in their alerts. They even mention possible black ice! WTF!

The Big Chill!

January 4, 2002- Friday- Day 70

4:00pm- I can't ever remember being cold like I was last night. I was really surprised that I was alive this morning. I thought it strange when I got up and my blanket didn't fold, but stuck straight out like a stick. I didn't want to get up but nature was calling. For twenty minutes I tried to get the zipper on the tent to move, but it was frozen solid. I came real close to taking my pocket knife and cutting a hole to get out. I came to my senses and didn't, but I was right there on the verge. I have never seen anything like what I was experiencing now. All I could think about was getting out of there. Find someplace warm. Me and Skil's just took off and headed for the laundry place. I am hoping that their driers are running and the hot air is blowing outside. Anything for some relief of this. It's not just cold, it is very painful, I thought ice killed the pain. What world is this? We are crossing the parking lot and Skil's is having problems with his feet, I thought they were freezing and I am really getting worried now. I had to get mad at him to make him move and I don't get mad at my dog, never! We did finally make it across the parking lot and the door to laundramat was open. We went inside and were all alone. So, that is where we stayed. Wonder why nobody is washing clothes this morning? I am siiting here and its warm and I can see the bank across the street. I am thinking now that I must be snow blind or something, because I can only read one number on the temp. sign. Then I realized it is only 3F. Holy Shit! We were warm and we'll stay here until someone throws us out. Another glance at the bank and now its 7F, well Skil's its getting hot out there now. After another hour I'm seeing double didgits on the temp. board, okay we can go now and put on our summer clothes. Walking back to the camp, I noticed all that soft snow was now hard blocks of ice, really big blocks of ice. We took a route back by the dumpster and lo-and-behold a pound of coffe was on top of all the gallons of milk that was discarded. So, we went to the camp and I made breakfast and coffee and had a good ole' time. Now that it was a warm 14 degrees. About noon, here comes Byron again, and he has his quart of beer. He just had to hang out by my fire and talk the usual nonsense that I have noticed he does quite easily. Skil's found a spot in the sun where there is no snow and enjoying the day. Maybe I am having a nightmare and this morning never happened! But I have to think about moving on, just have to wait until I can build ski's for my pull-along. It sure won't roll in the snow. Seems to me that this place will get pretty nasty when this snow does melt.

Sweet Seventeen!

January 3, 2002- Thursday- Day 68

5:00pm- Man!, am I in a pickle now. I may finally have to seek out some help, now. The snow is knee deep and still coming down. This tent camping in the snow sure isn't for the faint-of-heart. I tried to go up to Food Lion, but I can't get up the hill. I just slide back down. It doesn't feel that cold, but my tent is set up in a pile of snow. Last night as it kept snowing I noticed my tent getting smaller and smaller, just closing in on us. I was getting buried by snow. The weatherman said this morning that looks like we are going to top out at 17 inches. I finally made it out through the cow pasture and the long way around through the Mall parking lot to check this white stuff out. I.m thinking man this ain't good. I am leaving a very visuable trail everywhere I go. I had to walk almost a mile because I couldn't climb up a 12 foot hill. This is a first for me. I noticed that there are a lot of cars in ditches and in the middle of the parking lot, up on one of the islands, a van is sitting. Wonder how they did that. Just by looking around I see that I wasn't the only one taken by surprise. From where I was standing in the parking lot, looking both ways, I counted 9 cars in the ditch along side the road and one up on an island . SOB! Now if I believe the weatherman, I am in real trouble tomorrow.He said this morning when the sky clears up and the clouds go away (which are holding the heat) it is going to get dangerously cold. Great! Going down that hill is easy, one good thing. I don't have to worry about falling, because I am going to fall, no way to avoid it.