2024 Hog Hunt Day 1 - Leave the Freezer Behind

In between deer hunting and pig hunting, I usually like the cooler weather.  But as pig hunting approached, a winter storm blasted across the country.  Thankfully the worst of it stayed North, but brutal winds whipped through home.  I'm still grateful that the new (2019) roof means I don't have to worry (too much).  Temperatures plummeted as well meaning propane will be the heat of choice at home.  I rarely use the LP furnace and worry about it atrophying.  Being a chronic worrier is at times debilitating.

After packing up on Saturday, early Sunday morning came.  I took care of the dogs, packed up a few last things and hit the road

A brief snow squall had come through at some point making the roads a little snowy in a few places.  I didn't worry about it too much until I hit the interstate into Kentucky where the roads didn't seem to be treated at all yet.  With temperatures in the low teens, black ice was not impossible.  Thankfully the roads were almost empty at that early hour.  I only saw one car that had gone off the road as well as a tractor-trailer which had some kind of horrific and onion-spilling wreck.  It didn't look like anyone was hurt, but there was a big fuel spill flavoring the onions which had also spilled out all over.

The wind was also still considerable - only a minor consideration except that it had dire consequences on my fuel mileage.

I was surprised how quickly the temperatures rose.  From low teens near Cincinnati, it was already well into the 20s near Lexington and, at least in the lower elevations, temperature was already near freezing when I got off the interstate south of London.

I was listening to the book Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner.  It was a very good book, even if some of the events were hard to listen to.  I also thought the Freudian dream interpretations was just ... weird.  It was definitely not what I remembered it was when I downloaded it many months ago.  It was engaging to listen to so it made the drive go very easily.  I listened to all but the last "patient" because I knew I wasn't going to be able to listen to all of it before getting to pig camp.

I got gas and some coffee at the same Weigel's as a few months ago and the coffee was still terrible.  You'd think I would learn?  But no.

I was shocked at how the low the water levels were around Tennessee though.  I hadn't realized the extent of the drought in that area.

Eventually I got to Rick's - tired and ready to be done driving, but enjoying the 60F temps even if it was a bit windy.  I felt bad leaving SO at home to deal with the cold and the wind.  And I missed the dogs - of course.

I vegged in the lodge for a while before Rick got back from hunting doves.  Denis and Claude showed up a while later giving us a chance to talk a bit before calling it an early night (for me).