Or maybe I should say bitches, since I had a feeding, too.
Anyway, I decided to change my usual Sunday stroll into a hike by traversing the My Bitch trail from one end to the other. I’ve gotten to where I play it safe by not hiking offroad by myself. So much can go wrong, and one slip, trip, or fall can leave you in a world hurt. But street walks can get boring, and the Bitch is like an old friend, so I decided to cautiously risk it.
Here’s the story of my hike in pictures:
Out my front door and onto ShenandoahTo the end of EvergladesWhere the My Bitch trail starts when going in this direction (otherwise, it is where it ends)Nature’s stairstepsThe old man’s house, or at least what is left of it. I guess it’s been three years or so since he died, but in my early days on the Bitch I’d always see him just sitting there alone, staring straight ahead.I brought him cookies once about a week before he passed away. Damn, I hope he didn’t have diabetes! Anyway, RIP; you are a landmark on the My Bitch trail now.Someone has built a shack down in the creekbed. Hope that works out for them during rainy season.Laundry and bath day down in the creek (I really need to remember to use my zoom. Sorry!)My first cookie delivery on the dayI don’t know this tree’s history, but it has impressive roots.Another climbA major intersection on the trail we call “Four Corners.”My Bitch goes thatawayLooking back to Alta VistaThe remains of this house have been like this for the five years I’ve been hiking past.Hello there, youngsters. Part of the family that has been living the mountain life since long before I started walking by.Roosters and goats and harvesting bamboo are how they eke out a living here.That’s Jennifer and her kids. Scott has photos of her (circa 2006) when she was a kid herself.And there’s the hardworking mountain mama I’ve always called Olivia. We recently became Facebook friends, and it turns out her name is Onelia. For all these years, she never corrected me.Another look at Onelia’s compoundWe call this spot “3rd family,” and there used to be a large compound here too. Just a memory now.Those houses down there are on Rizal Extension, where My Bitch will take me.One of my cookie stops, but no one was around yesterdayBut I found a new recipient a bit further up the trail.That really gets my goatAn Easter Mountain viewThe way aheadMy friend MJ lives here. She’s one of my support projects and also my part-time masseuse.And here’s where my trek on My Bitch comes to an end. Right at 3K from start to finish.But I still have to get home. Starting with a long walk down Rizal Extension.Through this narrow passagewayPast Columban CollegeThen Jasmine Street. Or is Jasmin?Welcome to the Philippines!La Cambra Then JoloThen up Del PilarAnd on to the National Highway and a lunch stop at Sit-n-BullI kind of made a dick of myself on this hike, didn’t I?That’s better. A tad over 6K for my Sunday adventure.My club sandwich lunch. And if you are counting the carbs, I gave half of it to my helper.
I did my usual afternoon routines (nap, blog, and Netflix), then it was off to Hideaway for the Sunday feeding.
I’d never seen the bar this crowded before. I had to sit at a table in the back.The food I ordered arrived from Jewel CafeFour orders of garlic prawnsFour orders of pork sisigAnd Tocino with rice and egg for Joy.Choco Pie for dessertJoy’s seal of approvalThat big crowd I mentioned earlier all left before I did. And I didn’t even have gas.
When it was time to leave my Hideaway, I wanted to try something on the newer end of the bar spectrum. Mugshots was open, and so I popped in.
And I was the only customer for the duration of my visit.And that meant I had exclusive access to bartender Tina (they don’t have GROs or waitresses, but I bought Tina a lady drink anyway). Those chicken wings were part of a special offer: buy wings and get a free beer. I wasn’t that hungry, but Tina was happy to help me finish them.
I enjoyed my visit to Mugshots and do intend to stop in on a more regular basis in the future. I was going to do the Green Room for my nightcap, but they were jammed packed with customers, so I went next door to Wet Spot and had one more for the road, then triked home safe and sound.
I was feeling the gay pride on my morning dog walk today:
Not sure what God is trying to tell me. I already know I’m his gift to women.And these USDA ribeye steaks were delivered to my door this morning.The steaks were high, though; that’s a hundred dollars worth of meat. I’ll have to be super careful when I grill them. I don’t want to be burning through my cash.
And finally, it’s Memorial Day, and it is my tradition to honor my great Uncle Frank Foltz, who was killed by a German sniper a little more than a month before the end of the war. He’s the only member of my clan that I know of who was killed in the service of our nation.
And he’s one more arrow flying through the air One more arrow landing in a shady spot somewhere Where the days and nights blend into one And he can always feel the sun Through the soft brown earth that holds him Forever always young.
1 thought on “Sunday with My Bitch”
Nice, serene walk along a familiar trail.
Thanks, as always, for the pics—of the trail, of the food, of the local life.
A mindful Memorial Day to you. We’re all arrows, in a sense. May we fly far.
Nice, serene walk along a familiar trail.
Thanks, as always, for the pics—of the trail, of the food, of the local life.
A mindful Memorial Day to you. We’re all arrows, in a sense. May we fly far.