Day 69: Facing a Tough Wind

Mother's Day. Today was a bad day for the Walking Fool.

He woke up after sleeping through a night of rain in Red Hills State Park. Again, his lousy tent-erecting skills netted him another sopping tent floor in the morning. He packed his tent and prepared to face a cold, dark, rainy, windy day. And to make matters worse, the Fool was almost out of food. All he had left was a few beef jerky bits and a packet of crackers.

He headed west on route 50 for the town of Olney — over 13 miles away — but with gusts of wind that reached 50 mph, every mile felt like three miles. The Fool pushed on and managed to do the entire walk from the park to the Taco Bell in Olney without stopping for a break — mainly because when it's raining, there's really nowhere to sit. Once inside, the Fool collapsed in his taco salad. After a stack of cheesy burritos and spicy tacos, the WF gained some energy. He strutted to the city park in hope of spotting one of Olney's famous white squirrels. He didn't have much luck. He thought he saw one by a distant tree, but as he got closer, he realized it was just a plastic bag.