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LOON-A-TICKS
SHACKLETON REPORT
Shackleton Report: February
14, 2010; Eldorado
The serving wench kept our
mugs brimming with steaming coffee as we devoured our hearty breakfast. It was
the traditional gathering of the Loon-A-Ticks at the Two Brothers Restaurant on
Sunday morning. Dale, George, Craig and I were there. As usual the intricacy of
world events were explained and solutions proposed. Craig told us he would soon
be with the National Guard in
On this day we sallied forth to the Eldorado Marsh. Eldorado is the name of the
fabled city of gold that the Spanish Conquistadors searched for. We were sure
that a marsh with this name would hold treasures.
On arrival we strapped on our snow shoes and struck off for the center of the
huge marsh with Dale in the lead. A marsh this vast could easily hide a city of
gold. Several hundred yards into the cattails we encountered a Great Horned owl
perched in a tree. It eyed us momentarily with disdain and then flew in search
of a more suitable prey (or is it Prey).
Dale led us forward, tramping a path through the cattails with his snow shoes.
The snow was a white canvas covered with a tapestry of animal tracks. There were
countless deer and numerous turkey tracks. George alerted us to two deer
bounding through the marsh ahead of us. Craig found a very well preserved coyote
trail. Then sharp-eyed George evoked his mountain man skills and discovered
raccoon tracks showing all the details of their foot pads and five toes. They
looked like tiny hand prints in the snow.
We plunged into an island of woods in the middle of the sea of cattails. It was
was thick with buckthorn brush. The snow covered forest floor was a mass of deer
tracks and many deer beds were observed. The day was overcast and the sun was
not visible so a debate developed as to which direction we should go to return.
Each of us cast our vote and then I settled it with my GPS.
We did not find Eldorado today, but our consensus is that it is defiantly there
somewhere, so we will return. On our return to
Your obedient servant,
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton