I slept better than I thought I would and was up too early. My plan was to wait for the gratis breakfast to open at 6:00, but after lying awake and watching The Weather Station for a while I realized it was hopeless. After a quick shower, I packed up and put everything in the Ridgeline.
The woman working the hotel desk had to let me back in since the lobby door was locked, but as I walked in it was impossible not to notice the waffle iron was hot. I asked if it was OK to have breakfast and she told me to go ahead - score! I realize they probably cost the hotel only a few cents each, but I do love hotel waffles...
Checkout took too long as the people in front of me moved at the pace of dying snails and were doing something more complicated than checking out. But I forced myself to be patient. The previous night's drive allowed for lots of flexibility. I was on the road a few minutes after 5:00.
There was a bit of snow, but it was above freezing and everything was just wet. Traffic was minimal so I made good time on my Knoxville bypass. I've never done this stretch in the dark before; it is a pretty drive in the daylight.
Eventually I made my way back onto the freeway for the bulk of the day. I was listening to Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. It is a fascinating read/listen about big data and big data analytics intermingled with what can be learned from what gets searched online or from social media. The author has an engaging style which is funny and self-deprecating while also being extremely fascinating. I'm not sure every one of his conclusions were fully supported in the book, but even with that, some of what is revealed from Google Search Trends is more than a little disturbing. I must be a really, really boring person.
After finishing Everybody Lies, I moved to some NPR podcasts including several from Hidden Brain. It almost seemed like a natural segue...
I made it to Rick's in the early afternoon. He was busy but texted me asking if I wanted to hunt since I was early - that is why I was in South Carolina.
We headed out and I went to an area I hadn't seen before. I sat in a World Famous ground blind, but felt sort of out in the middle of everywhere. Temperatures were cool and cloudy (but much better than the heinous snow at home).
I took a catnap when I got out there, then perked up as the evening wore on. At one point a deer walked up right on the other side of some live oaks from me. It wheezed and took off - scaring me more than a little.
But no pigs showed. As I was unloading my gun some coyotes very nearby started to howl; it was quite loud. It was magical.
Rick picked me up and we headed back to the lodge. I ate some noodles for dinner and we talked a bit. The forecast is for rain overnight, but if it does remain dry I may sit on the same spot again in the morning.
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