We did not start the fire | Long Time Gone

On and on it goes. We’ll see what happens when I get there, wherever that may be. In the meantime, you gotta fill them hours. This is how my Friday went down:

***The other joiners in the Friday hike were Steve and Swan.***

We climbed up to the ridge that runs through Barretto. It starts with some steps, and as I neared the top of the first section, I got attacked by a dog in a way I never saw coming. The dog was at the top, and I was maybe five steps below him when he leaped out and hit me square in the chest. He bounced off and then continued down to the street. No bites, thankfully. It’s also good that I maintained my balance; had I fallen backward, I would have been in a world of hurt.

***Once we were on the ridge, I was amazed at the scope of a recent burn.***

***I don’t know if it started on the Barretto side, but it burned to the top and back down again.***

***Not having to fight through the tall thatch grass was a nice side-effect of the burn.***

***I’m sure this tree will survive even if its leaves are all brown now.***

***After all these years, I still don’t know who starts these fires and what keeps them from spreading as the wildfires do back home in California.***

***Twelve years younger than me. Rest in Peace.***

I started my three-hour beer drinking window at It Doesn’t Matter. The place is nothing like it used to be when Cliff and Ashley were in charge. I know there were some customers inside for the pool tournament, but I was alone in the outdoor section.

It was a rather disappointing vibe, but I sipped down three beers between 4:30 and 6 pm, then headed over to Sloppy Joe’s. Sloppy’s was busy, but I got my street-view, countertop seat, settled in, and ordered a pulled pork sandwich for dinner. I mostly just ate the meat.

I did my nightcap at Wet Spot, and it was hoppin’ too. Of course, I took care of my regulars with lady drinks, whilst dispersing cookies and lollipops to the rest of the crew. It was the first time all evening that I had someone to talk to. And then my time allotment for drinking expired, so I paid my tab and headed home.

Was it all as depressing as it sounds? Yeah, maybe.

On to October 2018 in the LTG archives. In this post, I talk about my life after four months in the Philippines. The purpose of my diving into the archives is to identify posts that might be included when I write The Story of My Life. Who knows, maybe someone will be interested.

As much as I bitch and moan, I recognize that I’m living a blessed life. In today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea shares the story of what life is like for one poverty-stricken father.

Smile while you can:

***Bible stories are hard to believe. It’s a matter of faith. I lost mine at 14 years old.***

***The ship docked, and the woman gave birth while berthed.***

Sorry for the lack of excitement around here. Then again, it is best to avoid the painful kind.

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