Spring is in the Air…
Mongo and Dad have already begun to notice the heralds of Spring, and it’s not even March yet.
Black and White Bonanza
Mongo is a talented dog, and his problem solving abilities are quite impressive, at least when it comes to solving problems related to getting more food. This morning, as Dad and Mr. M walked past a neighbor’s driveway, Mongo locked up in a point.
Normally, this posture is reserved for birds, squirrels, cats, etc. However, when Dad looked to see what had caught Mongo’s attention, nothing jumped out at Dad, literally or figuratively. Dad scanned the area for a moment. Then he realized what had caught Mongo’s eye.
Sailor Boy – Pilot Bread
This modern day version of hardtack, albeit with some leavening and shortening, is produced today by Interbake Foods of Richmond, Virginia. Alaskan law requires all light aircraft to carry “survival gear”, including food. So, the blue-and-white Sailor Boy Pilot Bread boxes are ubiquitous at Alaskan airstrips, in cabins, and virtually every village.¹
98% of the Pilot Bread is sold in Alaska. However, Drewbie found some in a local market in Northwest Washington State. He decided to surprise Dad by bringing some home.
Back in the day, Uncle Marc and Dad had feasted on hardtack from K-rations whenever Grandpa came back from maneuvers. Canned eggs and ham, hardtack, and waxy chocolate were among their favorite eats.
Dad and Drewbie each enjoyed one palm-sized Pilot Bread cracker as soon as Drewbie brought them home. Dad reminisced about the good old days, and about opening dinner with a genuine p51 can opener, and drinking hot chocolate from a canteen cup. However, after one cracker each, they both decided they had had enough. They each grabbed a glass of water to wash down the rather dry delicacy. The box of Pilot Bread box sat on the counter for several days, undisturbed until…
Third Time is a Charm
Another one buddy”, Dad asked ask he scooped up another pile for this morning’s walk. Dad knew something was amiss with Mongo. Mongo is typically a digestive machine. Two cups of kibble every morning and night yield one bag of dog poop every morning and night. But here was Dad in the cold light of a winter’s dawn making multiple scoops.
For some reason Mongo was off schedule. The evidence was that Dad was on his third baggie of the morning. His first thought when Mongo hunched up the second time was that Mongo had one more piece to poop out, a Clingon if you will. That has not been the case. Instead of one more little turd, Mongo had made an entire second load. And when he finished the second load, he had started a third.
Dad pondered the situation and asked aloud, “I wonder what he ate?”
Hike to Dewey Lake in Mount Rainier National Park / Wenatchee National Forest
Mongo and Dad decided to take Spork on a hike to Dewey Lake. Actually, Dad does most of the deciding, but he still prefers to bounce these ideas off of Mongo, who is almost universally positive in his response. Over the years, Mongo has developed into an excellent “yes-man”.
Dewey Lake and nearby Tipsoo Lake are two excellent spots to take scenic photographs of Mount Rainier. Tipsoo Lake is right off HWY 410, and is on the agenda for many of the charter bus tours of the park. Dewey Lake is on the opposite side of the highway from Tipsoo Lake and down in the valley. It is a six (6) mile round-trip hike to the lake. It is about nine (9) miles round trip to hike from the highway and go all the way around the lake. Far less tourists ever make it to Dewey Lake.
It can be difficult to avoid the crowds at Tipsoo during summer. Early dawn is one of the few times when there is still a little solitude to be had on the lake shores. However Tipsoo is a very small lake which can be walked in just a few minutes.
Tipsoo Lake at Sunrise
Dewey Lake, however, stands as one of the monarchs of alpine lakes. This long, broad lake boasts scores of shoreline pockets that offer up the elusive solitude often hard to find in a mountain lake basin. Stunning scenery also awaits, with tall Naches Peak towering overhead and a rich forest cradling the opposite lakeshore. If that isn’t enough, Dewey hosts an impressive population of trout for the anglers among us. Indeed, the lake is stocked periodically by plane–fish are emptied from tanks in free-fall dives during low overflights of the lake.1
So early one morning, Dad bundled Mongo and Spork into the back of the truck, and set out for Dewey Lake. Once again, they left later than Dad would have liked to, but one makes do with what one has.
They arrived at the trail, and started on towards the valley. Dad had carefully researched the authorities in charge of managing this trail, and determined as long as he started on the trail in National Forest, he could avoid traveling within Mount Rainier National Park.
Not that Dad dislikes the park, but in the National Forest, Dad does not need a leash on Mongo. Spork gets a leash wherever she goes. Spork is a bolter. Bolters can make hikes extra exciting.
Who’s Been Sitting in the Dishwasher?
“Drewbie!” Dad’s voice echoed through the house. “Drewbie!”
The response floated up the stairs to the kitchen in an exasperated tone. “What?”
Dad called back down the stairs, “The dishwasher door is broken. It looks like someone sat on it.”
Mongo’s gallery
Mongolope 
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