Roughing It

Recently headed to Arlington Vermont to kayak down the Battenkill Creek. The leaves where just beginning to get some glow and the weather perfect. The day was great and I headed back to Manchester to bivouac for the night. Strangely enough as I headed up 7A I noticed no lights on in any houses as the Vermont night crept over the Green Mountains. No glow from one of my favorite towns lit up the valley. Even the venerable Equinox Inn was dark.

Southern Vermont was blacked out and sheer panic hit the town and I heard, “no restaurants open” several times as I headed into the Toll House Motel. “What are we going to do”, was also repeated. I almost got caught up in the panic, I mean no dinner! Then it occurred to me that my buddies in SW Louisiana would kill to have an MRE meal. I hoped back into the jeep and drove 24 miles to the Paradise Motel in Bennington. I wish it was that easy for those on the Gulf Coast.