13. “Browser Lost”
Sure enough the train was moving. For about 20 miles it went to the east. Then a long broad turn to the south. I could tell the direction. When you were heading east and west the sun as in front or behind you and when you were going south and north the sun was off to the side of you. Pretty smart thinking eh?
Anyways, when you are on a train like this you notice some interesting things. First of all trains make a lot of noise. The wheels are a steel and the train cars are help together with a steel latch that has a little play in it. Just enough to clatter and jangle and make a lot of noise. The other interesting thing is that if you look out of the door you will occasionally see signs. As the train made the bend to the south I saw a sign OHIO 55 miles. You know I wondered about this. Who would name a place Ohio? I did not have all that much to do so in the dim light of the it car I got out my map to see how many states had just 4 letters. I found 3, Ohio, Utah and Iowa. I wondered some about if the people in these states might not be all that good a spelling or something. Anyway it just seemed like sort of a strange name for a state. O-hi-O. But that is were we were headed. The Railroad tracks had a sign when we crossed the state line. Browser even sensed the adventure of the whole thing. For both of us it was the first time we were in another state. I did not seem like the air smelled any different. The train tracks looked the same and the noises of the tracks were the same. But still I wish the people here would have come up with a better name for the place they lived. Maybe something like O-hi-O-why-O or something like that.
The train rumbled to the east now and it was becoming apparent that a problem I had not thought of before was happening. Both browser and I had been in this RR car now for 6 hours and he was starting to tremble. He had been trained so well by the police trainers hat he would never use the floor of the RR car for a bathroom. And very frankly I was not sure what to do on this level as well. For the first time on the trip I was not sure what to do about something like this but Browser was shaking and so was I. It was at about the time that things were getting more desperate than the train started to slow down and it came to a grinding stop. This car had a step outside of the door and I climbed down. Browser jumped in to my arms and it was not very long that we both feltt very much better having used the comfort station of the great outdoors.
It was just a very few seconds though that the very largest problem of the trip occurred. The train jumped back to motion. My tent, my map, my backpack, Browsers food and saddle bag, plus all my appleseeds were in motion and soon to be lost unless I would do something quick. I quickly ran and caught with my hand the lower step of the car we were in. The train though (accelerated) so quickly that I could only manage to hang on and somehow pull myself up even while my feet were dragging on the stone bed of the the railroad bed. I managed to pull myself in. Browser was going to make a run and jump for the car but I held out my had to stop him. If he missed the jump he would be underneath the steel wheels and chopped to pieces. But by now the train was moving so quickly that I did not dare jump. As the train turned I could look out of the door and see Browser trying to run behind. But his limp did not let him run fast enough to keep up and he soon became a speck on the tracks far behind. I had lost my dog. No way to get off of a train moving this fast. Tears came quickly. Somehow the emotion of the whole thing came to me so fast and hard that the tears formed a puddle on the worn planks of the RR car. The train rumbled to Cleveland. Browser was now at least ten miles behind. I knew now I could not do the trip without him plus he was my only buddy.
A very very sad day Mrs. M. Can you think of what I should do. The train stopped now but my dog is gone. I climbed out and set up the tent. But there will not be any sleep this night. I (mourn) for my loss and I think it might be time to turn around and come back.
You very sad student Blarry.
14. Making plans in a Big Forest
I set up the tent that night by myself. Very lonely thing. Railroad right of ways are very lonely places and the surrounding woods had huge trees and night time was setting in. With all of the feelings and the loss of Browser another thing started to hit me pretty hard. I was hungry. I seemed like I was so far away from everything and very frankly the only thing I had to eat was Browser’s dog food. It was not the best meal I ever had had but it did fill me up. And when I was filled up I could think a little better about some options. I was not sure I ever would find Browser but I knew I did not have a chance of finding him unless I went back to the approximate place I had last seen him. I planned to pack up the morning and do just that. I would have done it right now but it was just so dark and might I say, somewhat scary. Acorns would drop out of the trees and hit the tent and those trees were so big and tall that the acorns sounded like bowling balls when they hit. Plus in the woods was a pack of howling coyotes. I was pretty sure I was safe in the tent and I sort of felt like a prisoner. I figured if I could eat dog food, coyotes could eat Blarry’s so I just stayed put right there. It just was not one of my better nights though. I had nothing to do that night except once in a while have a dog food burp and they were not all that much fun. I turned the light on and got out my Johnny Appleseed book. It was here that I got a few interesting ideas,
Remember how I told you that the governor wanted me to write to him. I sure did not want to tell him I had the lost the dog he gave me but I thought I had better. So before I went to bed I did just that. Told him I was in Ohio and then the whole sad story. Now I have to tell you that this Johnny Appleseed guy was real (resourceful) and I did pick up a few ideas. At the crack of dawn I would pack up and start walking back. If I cannot find Browser I might come all the way and start in your class. I hope your class is not full.
Blarry, A happy boy in a big world (a little scared and cold as well)
Story 15
A bell in the distance:
I did wake up in the morning and somehow feel more confident that I could do my very best to get this whole thing turned around. The Johnny Appleseed book had given me some confidence that I could survive out here but to do so I would need to somehow find Browser. I did consider that if he could not be found perhaps I could find another dog. But I knew already that there would be no other dog like him. I put everything back in the backpack and started down the tracks again to try and backtrack and find him. But of course before I did so I planted an apple seed in the forrest. I was not sure this was going to grow in the dark cover but I did it anyway.
I had learned in the book that there just are times you need to think different and right now I needed to think like a dog. I was pretty sure Browser would not stay along the RR tracks. No food, no water, no nothing except for a loud train every now and then.
So I knew I had to get off to one side or another and I was quite sure he would try to find someplace with some food just as I had to do last night with the dog food. It was in about 2 miles more that I saw and heard my first sign of (civilization). I heard a bell ringing and the south side of the woods. I decided to follow the sound and after navigating through some pretty rough terrain I saw in the distance a white building. It was a church and it had a bell ringing in the steeple. It had about 20 cars around it. I thought perhaps that some how Browser might have also heard the bell and I decided to approach the place and I walked up the steps and sat in the back row. There was an old guy up front and he made us sing a few songs. Then he told us that if we're smart we would learn how to pray. He made quite a case for this. I was not really sure who I was praying to but anyway I prayed. I prayed that I would find Browser. I needed him so bad to complete my journey. My mom and dad when they were alive never had said much about how this works. It seemed to me that the people who were there were nice, I was quite sure it must be Sunday as I recalled that people who went to churches kind of did so on this day. It was on that day that I did a prayer. I asked that somehow I would reunited with Browser. I knew it was only a try but I needed some help here.
You know something Mrs M. I am not sure this works out every time. But when I emerged from this place Browser was sitting at the bottom of the steps. He had also heard the bells and he knew that he needed to find people as well as I did. He had thorns and burrs, I had a tear as I ran down the steps to embrace him. The people in that service who came out and saw me hug my thorn filled dog observed this thing with interesting passion. The pastor walked down the steps. Both Browser and I looked pretty bad. He was filled with thorns and I was dirty and road worn. He was tired and thin. I was only filled with dog food. The pastor could kind of see the situation and he called a sort of a old looking lady down the steps. He asked her to take us to her home that afternoon. She did so. She explained to us that her husband had died a year ago. She would sort of like the company. She took us to her home. She suggested that we both might want to take a bath. We did so. I picked all of the burrs and thorns out of Browser. I gave him a shampoo bath outside with the garden hose. Then I went in to use the bathtube. Dirt was on my feet and the grime of this many days of travel was all over the place. It was so good to wash it off.
So that night I stayed at her house. Browser stayed on the front porch. He liked his pork chop. He curled up on this rug she had on the porch. I curled up in the warm bed she had upstairs. I had found my dog, We were both clean and full. Does life get much better. I am just not sure.!!!
Your student Blarry (President of the YMTA, so far a one person club)
Story 16:
Getting close to Halloween
It turned out the the lady was named Mrs Applegarth, I told her all about the apple seeds and the governor and about my trip. Told her just everything. She invited us to stay the next night but I told her I was getting more worried about cold weather setting in and that we should be going. It was afternoon before we left though and before we did I asked her if I could plant an apple tree in the front yard in recognition of her kindness. She granted her permission. I thought if any trees were going to grow this one would be the one. The grass was neat and everything was so well cared for. The yard was surrounded by a nice white fence. It was not very long after I got the tree planted that we were walking along down the road. Browser was by my side. My backpack was firmly in place and Browser saddle bags neatly on his back. Mrs, Applegarth had packed for us a couple of bag lunches and I used Browser Saddlebags to carry these. Kind of seemed like old times again. We were still in the country. We were both a little tired from all of the events from the last days and we had a late start. So it was in about 20 miles that we approached the little town of Strangeville. On a hill outside of the town I saw kind of a perfect camping spot. It had at the entry to it an arch type of a sign with some really cool script letters. It said “Strangeville Cemetery, Sleep is Important Here”, Anyway, the whole place kind of looked pretty nice, the lawn was cut and in the back was an area with not all that many tombstones. Perfect I thought. And since the sign said sleep was important here I thought this is where we would stay that evening. Browser though did not seem to like it as much. He sat on the outside and I had to beg him to come in. He kind of let out a whimper as he crossed under the arch. As though to say ‘I do not think this will be a good idea”. But I was the boy and he was the dog and I told him this would be it for the night.
We set up the tent like old times, Then we opened the bag lunches. Mrs Applegarth had made for me a chicken salad sandwich and chips and for Browser a couple of pork chops and gravy. We made short business of this. There was only one thing I did notice about this place though. When the wind would blow it made almost a talking sound, And you know something it sure was starting to blow that night. I tried to pick up the sound and perhaps what I heard the wind saying was something like this “ no need to fear You will just have to stay here” . I was not all that sure I was interested in that but anyway that is all I could figure out. Very frankly it was just some whistles in the trees so I was sure it was imagination. I took Browser down to the pond in back to get a drink. After a few minutes I said to Browser “come on boy, time to go back”!!! He did not come all that quick. I really think this whole place gave him the creeps. But just before dark he came with me. We needed to clean up our lunch mess and get it thrown away before total dark. When we got back to the camp we had a little surprise though. Everything was clean and the mess was gone. There was a toothpick with a little note in the ground. It said this “it is true that we are all dead but if you want to stay here don’t leave trash on top of our bed Stash the Trash Blarry”!
It was to be an interesting night but my hands are shaking so much I cannot find the right thing to push on my I-pad. We did survive but it was one of the more interesting nights I have ever encountered. Tell you about that next time.
Sleeping without peeping Blarry and Browser.
Story 17
The Cemetery (Warning Pretty scarey)
Have you ever heard of moonbeams? Well that is what happened that night. Some how the wind and the night came to full fruition and ultimately cost both I and Browser a lost night of sleep. I took my flashlight out and we both took a walk . I and pointed it on some of the granite stones that surrounded our tent. It was really interesting to see some of the (“epitaphs”.) Here are some of the first ones!!! These were nearest to our tent.
Here lies Less Moore
4 shots from a 44
No Less no Moore
Here lies my cousin Minnie
She was always so skinny
but before she could get wide
she died.
Here lies my cousin Frank
He always had a prank.
He is no longer around
He is 6 feet underground
But then I started to see some of these that got my attention a little more. Even Browser kind of got the shivers when I read them to him.
Here Lies Curly and His Dog Jake
Can you tell the are no longer Awake.
Camped here one night behind the garden shed.
But some how they are both now dead.
And this one really got to me.
Here lies Art
He always did his part
Art was a man of wild imagination
He rises to every situation
He is supposed to always stay in the ground
But every night he gets out and walks around
Now I just have to tell you that seeing this on these stones did not make for all that fine of night of sleep. Plus as we walked back to the tent the moon was so bright and the wind was just enough to let the moonbeams dance around a little as they shone through the trees. At first I thought I was seeing things and perhaps I let my imagination get the best of me but if you would have seen this it somehow took on the look of ghost dancing on top of the grass and all the tombstones. Creepy I know, but I am just telling you how it all looked. When we got back to the tent Browser did something interesting. He put his paws in front of his eyes and he got underneath the covers with me. The moonbeams danced on top of our tent. The wind whistled in the trees. But I have not yet told you the real moment of being scared. Is it Ok if I tell you that now or might it be best for another time? OK now, because I just cannot hold this in.
I next heard sort of a clinking noise. I slowly opened the the tent flap and I could see the figure of a man in the moonlight coming up the hill towards us. The cemetery seemed to be alive with sound and it seemed to have figures running all over the place. I was just sure it must be Art. As the figure approached I could sort of tell we were in for some real trouble. He had sort of Zombie look and he had 2 tin cans on his belt that made the noise. He had a shovel that he carried on his shoulder like a rifle. I looked over at Browser and expected him to jump out and handle this situation but it was so scary that Browser just went a little deeper in to the sleeping bag.
The figure came closer and closer and ended up right in front of the tent. I opened the flap again and timidly said “hi Art”. He put the shovel down and said “ this is not Art, this is Norm. I am the caretaker of this land of the dead and I could sure use some help from you guys. I had one of these guys die that weighs about 400lbs and I have to dig this huge grave before morning and I am so old I do not think I could do it myself. I saw you guys camping here and I wondered if you could help. “ Heart be still!!! I was so relieved. We did that together. We pitched the dirt out. We dug it neat and square. I was just so glad to be alive. When we were done he thought we might need 6 more inches on one side so we did that as well. We were tired when we were done. We sat on the dirt piles and then Norm asked me an interesting question. He asked me what should go on the tombstone. Turns out he was the guy who did all of these. I told him I was not sure but maybe something like this.
The moonbeams of the night result in a scare
Underneath this grass lies a specimen that is rare.
Had to dig his grave a little wide
Had two kids and a nice looking bride
But the end of life is something we all need to meet
And this guy here considered all food a treat.
I was not sure Norm was going to use this but for now I was just so glad that I was still alive. Dug a grave, got a little scared, and looks like I will live to see another Halloween.
Happy Halloween
Your Friend Blarry.
Story 18 On down the road.
It was sort of hard to sleep that night. It was true the cemeteries were sort of peaceful places but it was also true that Browser and I might be fully aware of the the trauma that might be involved in staying in such a place. We of course did survive the the night. Dug a big grave, saw a few ghost (I think) and somehow knew that if we could both survive something like this we could make it through just about anything. So I did this. In the fresh dirt of the large grave I planted a appleseed. I thought this way. I thought that the relatives of this large man might enjoy the apples that would fall on the grave and when they would come out to see and recall the fond memories of their relative that they could enjoy a apple, When they crunched in to it they could remember the man. In any event I was sort of glad to be be moving on down the road.
Browser helped me pack up the tent. He, more than I, seemed to be glad to be moving on down the road. He wandered on down to the creek for another drink of water but he seemed pretty anxious to help me pack things up and it was not very long before we left this place and we were both on down the road. Norm met us at the gate and expressed his thanks for the help of digging the grave. But we were soon on our way.
Browser was walking at my side. I was so glad to have him back. But it was also hard to not notice in the next mile that the (incline) was leading us to some hills. We were just outside of Cleveland now and the hills were getting kind of sharp. A gradual ascent in to what I later found to be the foothills of the Appalachians. Anyway every step seemed to be uphill. Mrs M? do you find it interesting how in some parts of the country the land is flat and in other part these hills seem the rise out of the flats. Well Browser and I sure did. I mean these hills were just huge. We walked past Cleveland and on to Pennsylvania. First we walked up and then we walked down and then up again. It seemed like a never ending deal. Whenever we would would go up the temperature would get cold and whenever we went down a little warmer again. Do you know why this is?
Anyway when we both could walk no more we decided to make camp in this colorful forest. It had everything. Fall leaves in full color. Crystal streams of clear water. Large oak trees (laden) with squirrels, a few deer and just about everything else you might think of in the category of wildlife. On the way in to the valley in which we were to camp I saw a sign.”Beware of Timber Rattlers”. I did not think all that much of this. I thought these things would not be out this late in the year. Browser helped me set up the tent. We were just getting settled in and setting up the campfire and I heard this rather large noise. It was for sure a rattle. I looked around in the dim light and about 10 feet away was a curled up snake just sitting on the outside of the camp but also seeming plenty mad that a boy and his dog were now in his area. Browser reared up but I knew the danger. I had bought a hatchet before the trip and I also wondered why I had carried it so far. I knew of nothing else to do. I got the thing out and took aim. I threw it at the large snake and it is hit about halfway up the body. The thing quivered and after all kinds of action on both sides of the body it slowly stopped moving.
I saw in a movie that these things could be good on the eating side. I lit a campfire. I set up up a spigot. I slowly cut the snake in to pieces and I put sticks in the snake and rolled him by hand over the fire. Browser and I had a good meal that night. Rattlesnake dinner. I was really pretty good. It was a little hard to get to sleep that night. But we were full. Yes, a few thoughts of some the snakes relatives might still be around but on the most part a good night of sleep. Browser and I curled up in the tent. I knew he would sense if there were any more of these creatures around. But he and I had a good night of rest. Pretty good dinner as well. It was the all in all a good night and a good day.
Blarry (Also known as Hatchet Man)
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