Book Report: The Wild Trees

Wow, I haven’t plowed through a book this fast in quite some time. The book caught my eye at Borders while on a date with Kate on Friday, picked it up from the library on Saturday afternoon and finished it on Monday. Good compensation since due to the rain I didn’t get to go on a hike with Rufus and the girls like I had hoped.

Micturating on India

mic·tu·rate –verb, to pass chai; urinate.
u·ri·nal –noun, a wall fixture rarely found in India.

Our mission was to drive from Delhi to Manali and then down to Hanumangarh in less than three days.

Ski Himalaya!

Before heading to the desert state of Rajasthan for Jai’s wedding, George Luc and I got a ride north to Solang Valley for some skiing.

Moleskine Sandal at Enchanted Rock

I was climbing through the cave on Enchanted Rock when I blew a Teva. It fell into a crevice, well out of reach, and I was barefoot the rest of the climb. My foot worn raw, the gravel at the base felt like glass. Ken Farrell saved the day by fashioning this crude sandal out of my Moleskine journal.

111,111.1

I love odometer readings. For me they capture the essence of the American road trip. In this case, I was able to pull into my drive way at exactly 111,111.1 miles, as you can see in this picture.

Goat Races in Mystic, Iowa

The goat races were held to raise money to repair the roof of the bingo hall. In addition to shoes being optional, the rules of the race included 1) Entrant cannot pull, drag or carry their goat; 2) Entrants may not race a nanny whose kid is at the finish line; and 3) Entrants cannot abuse the goat in any way.