DAY 10

Jesse decided we needed to travel down the nearby creek to see if we could find some sort of civilization. Unbeknownst to me, he has been working on a canoe the last couple of days. Very clever I thought. He could win a merit badge with this kind of work. Frame made out of wood, the outer shell made of cow hide. Nice work indeed.

We pick the canoe up over our heads and start for the creek. Jesse is humming that song again...Is he mumbling in some Native American language?!? Once at the river, He put the canoe in the water, I step into the boat as Jesse launches us from the bank. So far so good!

I look around the inside of the canoe. "Jesse, where's the paddles?" I turn around when I receive no answer and see Jesse looking at me with a blank stare now. "I make canoe."

By this time, we are in the middle of the creek and headed downstream with the flow. "If I had Beaver tail, I could make paddle" he said.

I turn now, "Enough of this! There are no Beavers in this creek, there are no paddles in this canoe, and you are not an Indian! Snap out of it!"

That was when we heard it. Like a dull rolling sound, growing louder as we floated. Oh no.

"Jesse, we are headed for rapids!" I turn around panicked, he shrugs, "I not Indian. What you want me to do?"

By this time, I am yelling, just giving him the what for as we pick up speed...Then we hit something in the water, turning our canoe sideways and bringing us to a stop. The creek brought us to a small inlet as it curved around and headed towards the rapids. What stopped us? I just stare in amazement.

A Beaver dam.

Jesse jumped from the canoe with a war yelp, which by coincidence, dislodged it from the beaver dam. I sat there, still in the canoe, with a "I don't believe you just did that" look at jesse as I now head for the rapids.

Jesse?...Well, he just waved. "I go downstream!" he yells. "Why? so you can claim the body?!?" I yell back.

Needless to say, the canoe was not built for comfort, especially over rocks in rapids. It was very much like being a rag doll in a washing machine...With a load of rocks...And a lot of water..And that was before the canoe started to break apart.

Jesse later said, while laughing hysterically, that he could hear me scream like a woman over the loud roar of the water. I don't remember that, but I do remember hitting every rock in the creek. Did Louis and Clark do it this way?!? I also remember being pulled from the water by Jesse with what was left of the canoe. I may have been sobbing at that point, I can't really remember that either.

Jesse built a fire rubbing two sticks together and getting me dried out. While I was drying, he went back to get his Beavers.

It was a quiet walk back to camp. Jesse had two Beavers tied over his shoulders and we carried the remains of the canoe over our heads. I walked with a limp, for apparent reasons, which made Jesse snicker behind me.

Me: "Okay. you may be an Indian"

Jesse: "I not hear you. Ears still ringing from screaming in river"

Me: "I said, YOU MAY BE AN INDIAN"

Jesse: "Hmm. I not may be Indian. I am be Indian!"

Me: "That isn't proper English, Jesse"

Jesse: " What not proper English?"

Me: "I not may be Indian, I am be Indian"

Jesse: "you just say it"

Me: "Yeah, but I was just saying what you just said"

Jesse: "So you can say, but not I can say. I see what you say now"

Me: "No, that isn't what I said"

Jesse: "You make no sense, Big Bear"

Me: "Big Bear. Who is Big Bear?"

Jesse: "You Big Bear. I Winter Hawk"

Me: "Why do you get the coolest name?"

He stops.

"I build spears. I build traps. I build canoe. I find Beaver. You growl and yell. I Winter Hawk. You Big Bear."

Big Bear it is. I put my furs on when I get back to camp and sit with Jess by the fire, I mean, Winter Hawk, as he tells the story of his people, I mean, our people.

We dine on Beaver and Beef tonight. Big Bear start to like this very good!...Winter Hawk would tell you that is correct, by the way.

DAY 9

The wind was blowing hard this morning when I awoke. I cleared my eyes and saw Jesse standing with his back to the fire, the furs he wore now blowing to the side as the gusts of wind would catch them. Spear in hand, he looked almost noble, regal even. It was as if he was standing guard over some valuable ancient treasure. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Warming butt" was his reply. Okay, so much for noble and regal.

We ate a quick breakfast and headed to the creek to check the traps. Still empty. Jesse crossed his arms and tapped his chin with a finger in thought.

"Know what's wrong" he said, still looking at the traps. "Too small. Beaver not fit".

With that said and a groan and roll of the eyes from me, he grabs the traps up, and we head back to camp for repairs and reconstruction.

I felt I needed to point out the facts to him again.

"Jesse, there are no Beavers in that stupid creek!" I state matter-of-factly. He turned quickly, his eyes locking on mine. There was a few tense moments of silence before he set the traps down and spoke.

"BEAVER...TOO...BIG" As he motions with his hands, "NOT...FIT..IN...TRAP". He picks up the traps, turns and starts walking again. Well, I am glad he said it like I not only misunderstood his reasoning, but was deaf as well.

After we had made the necessary adjustments and reconstruction to the traps, we took them back to the creek. Placing them back in the water, He baited each of them with berries we had picked a few days earlier. He smiled. "Beaver like berries. Beaver think berries are fruit."

Now, this kind of statement would normally start a conversation, it would have to, and this one did.

"Jesse. Berries are fruit"

"No...They vegetable"

"No, they are fruit."

"Vegetable grow on vine, like cucumber. Berry grow on vine. Berry vegetable"

"Just because it grows on a vine doesn't make it a vegetable. It is a fruit"

"Hmm. Then cucumber fruit."

"No, a cucumber is a vegetable, don't be a dummy"


He turns and looks at me now.


"Both grow on vine. Both have seed. Both tasty and juicy. Both are fruit or both are vegetable."

You can't argue with this kind of logic. As we draw closer to camp, Jesse screams and jumps from the trail, I do the same, trying to follow him, and trip over a log I didn't see, falling into a Brier patch. Still thinking something was after us, and having vivid memories of the Badger, I only make matters worse by tangling myself up in the massive patch of thorns. I yell at Jesse for help...Nay, scream at Jesse for help.

Jesse calmly walks over to me, looks at me hanging like a puppet from the thorny bushes.

"Who dummy now?"

If I could have reached my spear, I may have killed him. But if I did, who would catch the beavers with the fruit...I mean, the vegetables...

DAY 8

Woke up to the smell of fresh cooked meat. Jesse had killed something big, He was now wearing animal skins around him as he squatted by the fire, chewing on a chunk of meat. "What is that?" I ask.

He just stares at the fire as he chews. "Moooo" he says. A cow? He killed a cow?!? I'm not complaining. it ain't a Big Mac but hey, it would do.

We walked to the creek to check the traps. Still no beavers, but Jesse smiled as he pointed at the traps. I just shake my head.

We start making our way back to camp now. Jesse looks me over, up and down, and scowls. "Need bear...You big...You need big fur". I just look up at the sky and tell him I am fine, but he counts on his fingers, "Or...75 rabbits..." I let out a long breath and tell him to shut up and go sit by the fire.

Soon, he comes over and hands me something. A slingshot? He made a slingshot? "You try". I stand with the new weapon and he hands me a rock to load. He points to a nearby tree. I pull back, take aim..."SNAP!!!"

I'm blind! I just know I'm blind! I drop the slingshot, holding my eye I roll on the ground, screaming like a little girl. Jesse picks up the slingshot, looks at it and shrugs, then throws it over his shoulder into the fire.

I yelled, still in severe pain, "What is wrong with you?!?" He just stares at me a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Not work" he says. "I know it didn't work, it broke and hit me in the eye!" I scream. He shrugs again.

We didn't need meat today. best we have eaten in 7 days. Jesse started talking and rambled on about the honor of his people and the rites of passage. I'm not really not sure what he is referring to, but I just let him ramble. I look at the sky, hoping for rescue soon.

Jesse curls up in his furs beside the fire and goes to sleep. before he drifts off, he mumbles, "Badger in woods. Sleep close to fire" I just watch the fire and sigh. Those furs sure do look comfortable.

DAY 7

Rain this morning. I sat under the burnt out remnants of the Lean-To and sulked. This had been a really bad week and the rain just topped it off for us...Well, I mean me.

Jesse may be losing it. He is dancing around the fire right now, humming some strange tune to himself, waving his spear around.

Chancey bagged a couple of rabbits. Petey the Pomeranian just acted like he was carrying part of it. She actually shared with us this time. Good dog!

We found badger tracks around the camp. Is the badger stalking me now?!? Jesse sniffed the ground, looked at me and grunted with a shake of his head. The badger IS stalking me! Well, I won't be bullied by no badger! Jesse set traps around the camp, just in case it came back.

Where did he learn this? Spring loaded log traps, a trip wire with a noose that grabs the leg of the animal and one with a tree branch bent back to act as a heavy whip. pretty incredible. He just keeps humming that same tune.

It's dark now and Jesse must have found make-up left behind by our Sheila when we got stranded...War paint?!? He is wearing war paint?!?

He just stares into the fire...A tree limb snaps on the forest floor. Chancey and Petey raise their heads and Jesse's head snaps up quickly as sniffs the air. Chancey grabs Petey in her mouth and runs.

Jesse stands slowly, looks at me and points to the spear beside me. I shake my head "No", but it was actually more like "Noooo". He points again, this time with more force and a grunt. I roll my eyes with a sigh and pick up the spear. When I turn around, he is gone. Another limb snaps in the darkness. I'm not feeling really good about this. "Jesse?..."

I don't leave the fire, I know that badger is out there. His beady little eyes probably watching me right now. That's when I heard the growl behind me. A spear just passes by my head as Jesse tries to take out the badger. I panic and run into the darkness screaming, inadvertently tripping the log trap.

The first log knocked me to the ground, and as each log rolls across me, battering my body, I think to myself, "Why did he use so many logs?!?" As the last log rolls across me, I slowly stagger to my feet, searching for my spear in the dark and hear a "Whip" sound in the air as a tree branch comes around and hits me in the chest, knocking me backward. I think I just found the second trap.

Jesse jumps from the brush and rushes toward the badger, the war cry I heard from yesterday fills the air again. That is when I hear the load snapping sound...And as Jesse runs past me, the noose catches our legs and pulls us up into the air. Well, that would be the third one.

There we were, dangling from the rope upside down. We hear chewing and look over to see the badger is eating our rabbit!

Jesse turns his head and just stares at me.

The badger gone, we finally got out of the trap. Jesse had pulled himself up and chewed through the rope. he held on but let me fall. I guess he thought I had that one coming.

He now sits at the fire, his back to me. I try to explain, but he doesn't move. I just lean back dose off a moment, only to wake to see Jesse standing over me with the spear. Was he going to kill me? He leans down and pats my head, speaking in broken English

"You sleep Old Bald One...I hunt now..." With that, he whoops loudly and runs into the forest with Chancey in tow. I think I will take him up on his offer. Petey and I curl up and the crackling of the fire lulls us to our dreams.

Somewhere, out there in the night, Jesse the Hunter is on the prowl. Who knows, maybe tomorrow, we will be eating rabbit flavored badger for dinner.

DAY 6

AH HA!! We made spears today! Using sticks, a couple of knives and shoe strings, we are now WARRIORS of the WILDERNESS! Hooah!!!

I think I know where that badger lives, and he would be just as good to eat as any "Beaver" would be that Jesse is trying to catch. I told him as much, and I told him that I thought we should go after it. He slowly shook his head "No" with a strange look in his eyes.

I am dragging Jesse into the woods with me in a few minutes, we are going to get that badger! I will write and tell you how it goes when we return.

...

Dear Journal,

I should have paid more attention to Jesse saying "No". Things didn't go well at all. We found the badger, or should I say he found us? It's like he knew we were coming, I don't get it, how does he know?

As we rounded a tree, there he stood in our path. I raised my spear slowly, not wanting to startle him, my eyes locked onto the badgers beady little eyes, ready to strike...Did the badger just squint at me?...

I whispered to Jesse,"Okay Buddy, get ready...Jesse?...Jesse?!..." I turn around to look, and Jesse was already up in a tree looking down at me, the same look on his face as before, and he was shaking his head "No" again. That was when I heard the growling...It was then that I knew it was too late.

I don't remember much from that point. I think there may have been a body slam and possibly a Piledriver.

I tried to crawl away, really I did, and I have the dirt under my fingernails and the grooves dug into the forest floor to prove it, but the badger pulled me back into the match...I guess he just hadn't had enough.

It was then that it happened, like something out of a Hollywood movie. As the badger made sport of me, I looked up into the tree and there was Jesse...The light shown around him, I heard a chorus of heavenly angels singing, and everything seemed to go into slow motion. It was like Leonidas in the movie "300"...Jesse of Sparta...The war cry bellowed from his small frame, the scowl of battle was on his face. He jumped from the limb of the tree, spear pointed down, both hands gripping it like Ahab gripped the harpoon as he fought against Moby Dick...And at the last second...

The badger moved.

I'm not sure if it was the beating I had taken from the badger beforehand, or the pain from Jesse's spear being thrust into my leg that caused me to go unconscious, but as darkness closed around me, I am sure I could hear squirrels laughing again.

I awoke to the aroma of fish cooking on the fire. Jesse had caught them with his spear at the creek after, of course, he had pried it out of my leg. We ate well, on the right side of my mouth, anyway, the left side is still swollen.

DAY 5

We thought we spotted a search plane today. Jesse ran to grab some wood to throw on the fire, one piece landed half in, half out of the fire when he threw the pieces on. I was trying to adjust the stick on the fire when I got too close. My hand still bandaged from the badger bite, the flames shot up and engulfed the wrappings.

I panicked and threw the stick away from me while Jesse yelled, "Stop, drop and roll, Dad! Stop drop and roll!" I patted my hand in the dirt to get the last of the flames out when Jesse ran over in a panic and helped by stomping out the rest of the flames for me...Yeah.

So the stick I threw that was still on fire...It landed on the makeshift lean-to we had constructed...

It's cold tonight, but the stars are really pretty.

We did manage to catch some fish today, well. more like minnows. Lucky we had some "Bait" left over from the rabbit Chancey and Petey shared last night. Stupid dogs. We had to wait til they were sleeping to get it.

Well, okay, that's not exactly true. We tried to take the rest of the rabbit from Chancey and Petey but it was a no go, but we got lucky and found a can of sardines. The story of us catching the fish ourselves sounded much better...Who am I kidding?

Still no sign of any beavers, but Jesse is persistent.

DAY 4

Woke up to find Jesse gone. I was worried so I went looking for him and found him at the creek setting traps. When I asked what he was doing, he said he was catching beavers. I told him there are no Beavers in this area of the country, at least not that I knew of. He looked at me with surprise and stated, "That explains a whole lot then!" I'm not sure about him sometimes.

We did, however, catch something in one of our box traps. The stick had been knocked out from under it and the box has fallen, and we could hear scuffling around inside. I'm going to open it now to see what we caught so we can skin it and eat it. I will write about it later.

...

Dear Journal,

I'm not sure what happened. Everything is pretty much a blur. All I know is when we opened the box, a buzz saw with fur popped out. I thought possibly we had caught a rabbit, a raccoon or maybe even a possum. It turns out, however, we caught a badger instead. I also did not know there were badgers in this part of the country.

Never in my life have I seen the ferocity of such an animal. When it latched onto my hand, for the third or fourth time, it would not let go. I screamed like a woman, waving my arms around, the badger still attached to it.

Jesse decided to kill it while he had the chance and begin using a large tree branch to hit it in the head...

Once I regained consciousness, I saw Jesse was cooking acorns over the fire. We had some wild onions and a few berries we found on one of the small bushes beside the creek.

After Jesse had broke the tree branch over my head, the badger was satisfied apparently that enough and scurried off into the woods. Jesse said it gave him hope that maybe there were beavers in this area as well.

Chancey had caught a rabbit and shared with Petey, but would not share with us. Stupid dog needs more training.