Multiconstruct

Hiking the georgia and some of the north carolina sections of the Appalachian Trail my overwhelming memories are of being tired and wet. Sometimes it was really hard and it was stressful hardly ever getting really dry and going through the exertion all day every day. Sometimes i was frayed and tempers flared a bit. More often though we rolled with it with good grace, humor, and determination. And we got to experience some amazing life changing adventures. I remember camping by ourselves in one shelter, open faced on one side over a near 36o view of the mountains. When clouds formed below us out peak jutted out of the mist liked a cloud island. When it rained and misted heavy the newts and salamanders and such would slide around, move about a bit. If you were sharp eyed you could see lots of different kinds sometimes right at your feet. We saw a lot in crystalline springs, up above the cattle. they like clean water. once we had been rained on off and on for days and was struggling to stay in good humor. this i wrote, as a whistling in the dark, trying to stave off some rain fueled misery, and quite successfully i might add.

If it starts to rain by chance

The salamanders do their dance

They do their dance

The salamander dance

And if it starts to rain some more

Then the frogs began to soar

There’s flying frogs all over the place

There’s flying frogs flying into your face

And if it starts to rain in pails

Then out will come the snails

With their slimy trails

Of snail entrails

And when the rain is finally done

Then out will come the sun

and the hikers will smile

For another mile

But if it starts to rain by chance

Then the salamanders do their dance

They do their dance

The salamander dance