A Walk in the Park!

When on my mission my trainer, or my first companion, was very competitive and not a talker.  Needless to say, I talked and talked and talked telling story after story after story.  Being competitive myself, I could see that there would be a lot of friction if I held to my competitive nature....so I backed down a bit!  In fact, I almost hated competing because I would win and that would make things hard.  You see, she had been out for 15 months (not a long time in real life time, but for a mission...a long time - time enough to lose some of your touch) and I was fresh from the softball field!

One night on our way home she stopped and said, "I bet you can't hit that telephone pole across the street with a snowball!"  I tried to hold myself back from a challenge, but...I succumbed and then prayed I WOULDN'T hit the stupid pole!  Well, one month out was not near long enough to lose my aim or abilities!  I hit it on the first try.  "Bet you can't do it twice!"  Again I prayed to miss.  However, she would know if I REALLY went haywire after all my softball stories!  So, again I threw and hit the pole.  Three to four consecutive times....she made me throw.  Boy...why aren't prayers always answered!!! hehehehe

This morning on my walk I saw two older gentlemen (although they were mostly men, not gentlemen) throwing rocks up in a tree - obviously trying to hit something.  The one held his arm as if it hurt.  I totally relate....if I throw something too light too hard my shoulder hurts too.  Heck, just throwing hurts it at times.  It has definitely been more than 15 months...more like 15 YEARS!  They didn't know any English but sign language ... the universal charades game ... led me to believe they wanted me to try.  I spotted the bird and found a large enough rock (still too small).  Sadly, the story won't be near like the previous one....I still got close but not as good as I was 20 years ago!  It made me laugh...and them too.  They, I'm pretty sure, spent some time talking ABOUT me and laughing AT me....I don't know German and they don't know English and charades only gets you SO far!

But it was comical!

No real pics today...although it was beautiful.  The only pic I got was of a huge orange slug!  They are far too prolific out here!  So I have to be observant of where I walk in the woods!