Quote:

I go up to check what's going on and to my surprise (not really) MARK's SON (note the shift in blame)



As my yuteful mentor Tom Waits would say lighting up a Viceroy "Weell, it's story time again".

I was on a day long jeep patrol up Salt Creek Wash back in my NPS-Needles District days, circa 1980. Mid summer, red rock desert, 100dF, bouncing up a sandy bottomed canyon, taking in the sights and getting paid for it. Our district ranger had sponged a friend's 4-WD and taken his family and in-laws the same route. At the road's end was a picnic table under a scragley pinyon' pine and the obligatory, government issue, portable biffy slow-cooking in the sun.

While I stood visiting with someone about something, the ranger's wife's southern voice was heard in the still air "Ski-ip, YOUR SON just filled his pa-ants". I kept a straight face and continued down canyon. To maintain confidentiality I didn't repeat that story more than 30 times to my desert rat mates. I imagine my 3 hour ride back was more pleasant than the supervisor's.

jh

"It's not what I say that's important, it's what you hear" Red Auerbach