Life is a Highway

The art of travel is an incredible thing. For some it’s a thing of joy and for others a thing of loathing. Whether it be for business or pleasure there are a ton of considerations to calculate when you prepare to hit the road. The minute you sit in your car and leave your comfort zone you enter that realm where anything can go wrong, or right if you play your cards right. A trip away from home can be some of the very best of times or the ugliest of nightmares. So often you see people embark with no clue where they’re going, what they’re getting into, or what to do when things go wrong. Here are some general thoughts for your next getaway.

I wouldn’t normally bother with something so mundane, but I’m forever shocked by how many people I see go on a trip in a car that may need some help. It’s sufficient to say that not everyone can afford a new car at all, let alone afford one and still be able to afford a vacation. However, the first thing you need to do is check every inch of your car. This will help mitigate the possibility of a breakdown while you’re on your trip. If Murphy’s Law has anything to say about it your breakdown will happen in the least favorable of places. You can decide what you think is the most unfavorable place and that’s where you’ll be stranded.

You also want to make room for tools. I don’t care how new your car is, you need something basic to get you going if at all possible. On a trip to Canada with Scott I suggested a toolbox. Scott assured me his truck, which was still very new, was under warranty and we would be fine. He was right as it turned out and the trip went very smooth. Now for people who don’t have newer vehicles, you need something for in the event of an emergency. Especially if you are aware of some little quark with your vehicle that could turn into a major problem on the road. You can’t always rely on luck in finding a mechanic who won’t destroy your wallet when you are a thousand miles from home.

Case-in-point, on a trip to El Paso, Texas I had the pleasure of losing a water pump while heading back to Dallas. I had taken my truck to Jack Williams Tire and Auto, in a town in central Pennsylvania. After they beat me up for $1300 in made up repairs I was ready to spend the rest of my life savings to go on a long anticipated trip. Things went pretty well until my wife and I were heading back towards Dallas to make our next stop.

That’s when the temperature gauge spiked and I could feel my world come crashing down. I believe “F%#K ME!” were my exact words as I sat along the interstate. I lived up to the promise of breaking down exactly in the wrong place. I managed to nurse my beloved Dodge Dakota to the nearest exit, 8 miles away. There I found an O’Reilly Auto Parts store where I was able to really get under the truck and see what was happening. I knew I didn’t have the tools to do the job and the associate at the O’Reilly didn’t know of any mechanics. There I was, uck-fayed.

As I stood outside the door of the auto parts store, gripped by exasperation and general discord, I happened to focus on an abandoned gas station about 2 blocks away. It looked very much like any other abandoned gas station except for the big, white letters spray painted on the window that simply read “Mechanic” and a phone number. As the hour was growing late, my temper growing short, and my list of options looking sick I quickly called the number and was relieved when a man answered the phone. He promptly showed up and agreed to do the job for $250. The day was saved and my budget was shot.

So the moral of the story is to always be ready for things to go as far wrong as they can. While this fellow’s price was a bit on the high side, he was still about $150 dollars cheaper than anyone else who learned they would be doing a job for someone twelve-hundred miles from home. All this being said, it also wouldn’t hurt to have an APP downloaded to your phone for a major auto parts retailer chain. They will usually be your best resource for finding help with mechanical issues while on your trip. Download one APP or all of them, knowledge is power and you’ll need all the help you can get when you’re stranded.

When your car is ready to go and you’ve done all you can to mitigate the chance of a break-down you can focus on packing. Again, this seems like a simple point, but after all the trips I’ve been on in my day I always find it amazing how many people don’t know how to pack for a trip. Rule number one, don’t forget your damn underwear. While you’re packing your underwear, make sure to pack extras. If you forget anything else you will be able to survive, but clean underwear are something you simply can’t be without.

Now that we have that covered we can move on to the other, less important stuff. Which is basically everything else. This is a topic that doesn’t need to be beat to death. If you’re old enough to be able to go on a trip then you’re old enough to remember to pack a toothbrush. That being said, be sure to study the weather and landscape where you are going to. On my afore mentioned trip to El Paso we found ourselves camping on a piece of property we had recently purchased in the desert north of the city. Unfortunately, we were totally and utterly unprepared.

Our fifty-acre tract of land was situated close to the Canudas mountain range in the desert Hudspeth County, Texas. It was a beautiful place to see. With the exception of the drug cartels running the border in the area there was nothing but you and the antelope. Then the sun went down. At night the temperature dropped and a couple of happy campers suddenly were freezing their asses off. The days were hot, and hot some more. Yet every afternoon, at about 3 o’clock, you could bank on a strong gust of wind that hurled little spines from some sort of local cactus at you.

After freezing all night and having my sun-burn prodigiously peppered with a million of these little pricks I came to the realizations I simply didn’t have the right cloths for the environment. I had the guns to hunt whatever I wanted. I had tools to fix the tent pole and fix the flat tire I got from a cactus. But I didn’t have light weight cloths that covered everything to protect me from the environment. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. So, I emphasize that you need to know what the weather will be like where you are going. If all else fails you can call to where you will be staying and ask them. We can at least hope one of the locals would be able to tell you over the phone how the weather is.

Now we have the car ready and our bags packed. The next step is to look ahead for any services you may need. We talked a little about mechanical services, but its best to look for anything else you may need before you leave. The SkinFlint travel guides states shop ahead to save maximum dollars. In that spirit it is prudent to have your rooms booked, and any tickets bought. You can also look ahead for laundromats, specialty shops, souvenir shops, grocery stores, or anything else you can foresee you’ll need. After you’ve done that you’ll be ready to travel.

Also, pay attention to your mileage so you can make the best fuel purchases. In keeping with the times you can download any in a number of APPs to your smartphone that will tell you where you can get fuel and what you’ll pay. Nothing is more frustrating than paying extra for gas because some greedy little man runs a scam on tourists who don’t know it’s a quarter cheaper a few short miles down the road. We need to rise up and start a revolution, declaring in one voice “WE WILL NOT PAY YOUR EXTORTION FEE!” Sorry, got carried away again. But in all seriousness, save that money on gas when you can and always budget extra for gas. Worst case scenario is you spend it on gas. Best case scenario, you go for a fancy dinner on what’s left when you get home.

With all your logistics in order it’s time to think about what you’re going to see. Purchasing tickets before you leave is a great way to save money but it’s not the only way to save money. If you are going to a place like Disney or any park that requires tickets you can easily find bargain prices that will include meals or other amenities. This will obviously maximize your experience while showing kindness to your wallet. Also, don’t worry about purchasing tickets too far in advance. Wait for those deals, they’ll come back around and you’ll miss them if you bought the tickets at the wrong time. There’s always something online to give the low-down on when these sales can happen.

It also doesn’t hurt to brush up on your history. Little Big Horn, St. Louis Arch, the Hollywood sign, Rodeo Drive, Okefenokee Swamp, Gettysburg, Devil’s Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Mt. St Helens, Devil’s Slide, the Badlands, Acadia National Forrest, Seattle Space Needle, Meteor Crater, the Everglades, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon are all just examples of destinations where you can neat historical things to visit that won’t cost a lot of cash. Naturally, there are hundreds more if you do your homework. Doing some sniffing around will allow you to find cheap or free activities to make your trip more exciting. Depending on the season you can get in a lot of places for free.

One more detail about your attractions is they aren’t open all night. Some of them are barely open all day. If you ever find yourself in Washington D.C. you would deeply regret not stopping to see the Smithsonian Museums. They are nothing short of fantastic and will provide you knowledge and memories that will be with you forever. There’s only one problem, they are only open for banker’s hours. You could easily miss half of them, as so often happens, because they close before you can get to see everything. So make sure to look up the hours and any other information you’ll need so you can plan your days out.

Speaking of things to spend your money on, who can travel without paying attention to the food? You work every day, and eat the same thing all the time. You run home and make the staple foods in your house. You deserve to come up with at least one destination dining experience while you are out of town. Get on the internet and find something that is off the beaten path, different, new, neat, exciting, or recommended. It’s almost sacrilege to go on a trip without getting into the local culture. The best way to do that is through the food.

Now for the disclaimer they won’t show you on the travel channel. There is a rule in traveling that clearly states you can and will get food poisoning at some point if you travel enough. It’s unavoidable and it’s not to say it will only happen if you drop by one of the small-town loco-yoco eating establishments. Many a traveler have spent an evening naming all the tiles in their hotel bathroom after dinner at a nice restaurant. In point of fact, most small places are happy to have your business and will typically take better care of you. Look for the local joints with the long lines out the door and go there instead of wasting your time on bigger, mainstream places. Again, your hotel staff can probably direct you to the best places that won’t be on any pamphlets in your room.

There’s another rule of thumb concerning dining. It’s a contested rule, but for people on a budget it usually holds true. If you’ve eaten in one Chinese, Mexican, Italian, or pizza restaurant you’ve probably eaten in about 90% of them in America. If you truly want something different you need to rally talk to the locals and find the most out-of-the-way places. A small diner in Korea, Maine comes to mind when I say this. The proprietor opened her diner in her basement and she served the local lobster boat Captains. She did all her business and was closed by 8am.

This sounds like a crazy story, but I can unconditionally guarantee she served the best blueberry pancakes in America. You’d never see her in the paper, on the food network, in a cookbook, or on a billboard. Hell, she barely had a visible sign to mark her business, yet her dining room was full at 2am. It sounds like it should be a bar scene, yet her restaurant was nicely decorated with local antiques and themed in true coastal Maine fashion. These are the places to seek out when you travel as they will give you the best experience. That experience will be far better than any critically acclaimed restaurant you’d find.

You want everything to be fun on your trip. Even if it’s a business trip you need that chance to let your hair down. So it wouldn’t be any good if there wasn’t some safety pointers. To some this may seem like no-brainer stuff, but it’s added in because this is what real, live people have done. For example, change your tire when you get a flat. Don’t try to keep driving. Please stay in your car if there’s a wreck on the interstate. Don’t try to keep passengers on top of your luggage in the back of a pickup while you do a hundred miles an hour. Please, for the love of God, don’t do cocaine and drive. I don’t mean don’t drive under the influence. I mean don’t try to cut and snort cocaine driving down the road (yes, really.)

Don’t drink and drive is an easy one. If at all possible, can you please not change your feminine hygiene products while driving down the road? Hang up and drive, pull over and eat, and please use your turn signals. Seat belts save lives and the lines on the road are there for a reason. Don’t walk along the road in black cloths at 2am, and if you must stop at night please do so in a well-lit establishment.  Don’t pick up hitchhikers, especially if they’re dressed like Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings. Trust me, he’s not okay. This guy is far from okay and you don’t want him in your car.

There’s a few ideas for travel in America. I don’t fly, and will probably refuse to ever fly. Therefore all I can offer is a tid-bit for the skinflint out there that just needs to get away from it all for a few days. In conclusion, do your homework, be prepared, save your money, explore new things, and be safe. The final piece of advice is always have a good camera and always be ready to use it at the drop of a hat, any hat. Remember, most pictures of Bigfoot are blurry because someone didn’t have their camera ready. Enjoy and have safe travels.

Infestation Nation

I hate bugs, hate their guts. I hate bugs more than I hate washing dishes. I can’t begin to communicate how much I really hate bugs. I hate the ground they crawl on the air they breathe. I get all itchy when I even think about bugs. I hate bugs in general. Four, six, especially eight, ten or ten thousand legs, it really doesn’t matter, I hate them. Every time I see that Disney movie, Ants, I just want to hurl. But of the levels of loathing I have for bugs, of all the dimensions of revulsion I feel for them, I hate ticks the absolute most.

Ticks are among one creature on this green Earth that simply should not have been allowed to get on the ark. Noah should’ve had a squad of farmer women standing at the ramp clearing every man, woman, child, bird, and mammal as they boarded.  These eight-legged spawns of Satan are my only point of contention where going to the woods is concerned. Let us take a moment to see a few of the nuances concerning these dreadful little creatures.

First, there are a lot of different species of tick which cover a broad range of the land mass. A tick doesn’t necessarily see as we might think. The can, in some manner, actually see the hosts breath, body odor, heat, moisture, and vibration. Ticks have eight legs. They can see a trial where potential hosts frequent and will climb to an appropriate height based on the host they are seeking. At that point they will wait, with two legs outstretched, for a host to pass by so they can climb on. Usually, they will climb up at that point to find a place to secure themselves.

Ticks will prefer different hosts based on the particular life-cycle they are in at the moment. Ticks can’t fly or jump, so they will often await their host at about the knee level. Once on board they almost always climb up. Some ticks will quickly find a place to insert their feeding tube while other species will travel to an area with thinner skin. Depending on the species of tick it can take from ten minutes to two hours to prepare to dig in.

Here’s where the little boogers get nasty. The tick will grasp the skin and slice it open so they can insert their feeding tube. Many tick species also secrete a cement like substance that helps them stay attached and they also secrete a saliva that has anesthetic affects so they can attach themselves undetected. Once attached a tick will suck blood from the host for several days, how many depends on the size and species of the tick. If the host has some form of pathogen then the tick ingests that as well and can transmit it through saliva during the feeding process.

The tick’s feeding tube is often equipped with barbs to help keep it in place. The can use this tube to feed on birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. They don’t seem to suffer too bad without air. The feeding tube is a two way organ as it can be used to suck blood from the host, but can also allow regurgitation to pass back to the host if the tick is removed wrong.

After the egg stage a tick must have blood during every one of the usual four stages of its life cycle. Ticks can take up to three years to complete their full lifecycle. Ticks four life cycle stages are the eggs, larva, nymph, and adult. Risks of infecting humans with diseases are greatest when a tick is between the nymph and adult stage, and in the spring to summer. This doesn’t mean that infections cannot take place year round.

            So what to do if you find a tick attached to your skin. The first thing I do is swear. After you have that out of the way you can use a pair of fine tipped tweezers and pull the tick directly away from your body with slow, gentle pressure. Don’t twist or tug as you want to make every effort to remove the entire tick intact. After you’ve dislodged the little demon you can clean the bite area with soap, water, and rubbing alcohol. If you live in an area where there are significant reports of tick borne illnesses you may want to save the tick to have it tested.

Be sure to check your kids and pets regularly and immediately tell your doctor if you develop a strange rash or fever in the weeks following a tick bite. They can carry a number of pathogens that can be transmitted to humans which would make you quite ill, especially if you are very young, in poor health, or very old.

Repel with deet or Permethrin are the best agents to use to avoid tick bites. If you have a chance to travel to Canada you can get Repel with a higher percentage of deet which is nothing short of awesome for keeping ticks at bay. You can also walk in the center of trails when you take to the outdoors. Be sure to vacuum or sweep the floors of your house regularly if you live in an area with a lot of ticks. This will make sure any unwanted passengers aren’t roaming free in your home. Check your dogs regularly, cats too if they spend a lot of time outside. They will often think you’re trying to play when you roll them over. You can also do full body checks of yourself to make sure you don’t have any hitchhikers.

While ticks will often wait for a host at about knee level there are times they will go to the moist layers under the leaves during damp times of the year. Therefore, when hunting it is wise to be cautions in clearing the leaves out from under you. The same can be said for the spring months when you are clearing the leaves out of your yard. You can tumble dry your cloths in a hot dryer for ten minutes to kill ticks on dry cloths after you return indoors.

So, now we get to the dangers of ticks. The diseases they can transmit to humans. The list is long, and not just a little short of scary. For your convenience I am going to copy and paste a excerpt from the Center for Disease Control’s Website regarding some of the diseases they can pass to us. This can act as a guide for further reading as most of the information here may be vary depending on species of tick, and the region. So, according to the Center for Disease Control:

·        “Anaplasmosis is transmitted to humans by tick bites primarily from the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the northeastern and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) along the Pacific coast.

·        Babesiosis is caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells. Most human cases of babesiosis in the U.S. are caused by Babesia microti.Babesia microti is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and is found primarily in the northeast and upper midwest.

·        Borrelia mayonii infection has recently been described as a cause of illness in the upper midwestern United States. It has been found in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Borrelia mayonii is a new species and is the only species besides B. burgdorferi known to causeLyme disease in North America.

·        Borrelia miyamotoi infection has recently been described as a cause of illness in the U.S. It is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and has a range similar to that of Lyme disease.

·        Colorado tick fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni). It occurs in the the Rocky Mountain states at elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 feet.

·        Ehrlichiosis is transmitted to humans by the lone star tick (Ambylomma americanum), found primarily in the southcentral and eastern U.S.

·        Heartland virus infection has been identified in eight patients in Missouri and Tennessee as of March 2014. Studies suggest that Lone Star ticks may transmit the virus. It is unknown if the virus may be found in other areas of the U.S.

·        Lyme disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the northeastern U.S. and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) along the Pacific coast.

·        Powassan disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the groundhog tick (Ixodes cookei). Cases have been reported primarily from northeastern states and the Great Lakes region.

·        Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis is transmitted to humans by the Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum).

·        Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is transmitted by the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni), and the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sangunineus) in the U.S. The brown dog tick and other tick species are associated with RMSF in Central and South America.

·        STARI (Southern tick-associated rash illness) is transmitted via bites from the lone star tick (Ambylomma americanum), found in the southeastern and eastern U.S.

·        Tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF) is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected soft ticks. TBRF has been reported in 15 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming and is associated with sleeping in rustic cabins and vacation homes.

·        Tularemia is transmitted to humans by the dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), the wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni), and the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). Tularemia occurs throughout the U.S.

·        364D rickettsiosis (Rickettsia phillipi, proposed) is transmitted to humans by the Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis ticks). This is a new disease that has been found in California.”

Told ya they shouldn’t have been allowed on the ark. Some of these diseases just sound like a barrel of laughs, don’t you think? Yeah, me either. So I might as well take this opportunity to let you know the fun isn’t over. Most tick-borne illness will first manifest with a rash. The Center for Disease Control says the following:

·        “In Lyme disease, the rash may appear within 3-30 days, typically before the onset of fever. The Lyme disease rash is the first sign of infection and is usually a circular rash called erythema migrans or EM. This rash occurs in approximately 70-80% of infected persons and begins at the site of a tick bite. It may be warm, but is not usually painful. Some patients develop additional EM lesions in other areas of the body several days later.

·        The rash of (STARI) is nearly identical to that of Lyme disease, with a red, expanding "bulls eye" lesion that develops around the site of a lone star tick bite. Unlike Lyme disease, STARI has not been linked to any arthritic or neurologic symptoms.

·        The rash seen with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) varies greatly from person to person in appearance, location, and time of onset. About 10% of people with RMSF never develop a rash. Most often, the rash begins 2-5 days after the onset of fever as small, flat, pink, non-itchy spots (macules) on the wrists, forearms, and ankles and spreads to the trunk. It sometimes involves the palms and soles. The red to purple, spotted (petechial) rash of RMSF is usually not seen until the sixth day or later after onset of symptoms and occurs in 35-60% of patients with the infection.

·        In the most common form of tularemia, a skin ulcer appears at the site where the organism entered the body. The ulcer is accompanied by swelling of regional lymph glands, usually in the armpit or groin.

·        In about 30% of patients (and up to 60% of children), ehrlichiosis can cause a rash. The appearance of the rash ranges from macular to maculopapular to petechial, and may appear after the onset of fever.”

So, now we have an idea of how to handle ticks in the summer months. But, don’t forget these evil little creatures don’t hibernate either, so you’ll need to be on the lookout year round. That especially applies for people living in warmer climates. With some simple preventative measures and early detection you should easily be able to keep yourself, your family, and your pets safe when you’re in the great outdoors. Just remember to show no mercy when you find a tick trying to hitch a ride.

The Wendigo; For those of you in Haloween withdrawal

The Wendigo is a creature from Algonquin mythology.

The wise men of the old tribes say there is a spirit who lives among the land and skies of the Earth who possesses a pure evil spirit and will punish those who are not true at heart. Man should always be mindful of their heart’s desires, or they will be visited by this beast, for the beast can only see a wicked heart.

A wicked man lived among the village. He was feared by the villagers and often treated them cruelly. His cruel treatment of the villagers drew the attention of the unseen beast. He never felt the eyes watching him from the peak of the nearby mountain.

He took what he wanted from his neighbors and harmed those who opposed him. The villagers lived in fear of him. Every evil act he committed against his kin filled him with a sense of pleasure which branded him as an evil man.

Despite his cruel nature, the wicked man was a great hunter. The villagers rejoiced when he would go to his hunting lodge. There was another who rejoiced at his departure, and was eagerly awaiting the feast the wicked man would yield.

He packed his tools and set out for his hunting lodge in the mountains up from the village. It was winter and the people of the village needed to venture out to find the game which provided them with food and shelter.

After several days of hunting the wicked man had gathered a nice collection of skins and meat which he would not be overly willing to share with the villagers. While cleaning the carcass of a freshly slain animal, he heard the crack of a broken limb and saw a strange shadow in the trees a distance off from his camp. He went to look, but found nothing.

One night while he was resting in his tent, he heard a shrill noise on the wind. He felt a pang of apprehension, for the wind sounded like it was calling his name.

The next night, the wind began to howl again and he was certain he heard the wind calling his name. He was a cruel man and did not wholly fear the wind. He thought it may be some of the villagers and he marked them for revenge when he returned.

The following night the wind blew fiercely. The wicked man heard his name whaled over and over again as the wind blew on. For the first time in his life he was afraid and refused to leave his tent.

The following day, he left his tent and found large footprints in the snow. They were unlike anything he had ever seen. They were in a neat circle which repeated itself over and over again around his tent.

That night, the wind blew harder than the wicked man had ever seen in his life. The voice on the wind had returned as well. It howled his name without rest. After some time, the walls of the wicked man’s tent began to buckle, like some unseen force was flapping a large set of wings against the animal skin shelter.

The wicked man did not know what was happening, but his mind was slowly slipping away from him. The shear terror he was experiencing was slowly stripping away all the parts of his being which made him the wicked man all the villagers knew.

After some hours he was reduced to little more than a sobbing child, curled in a ball on the floor of his animal skin shelter. The voice on the wind howled on, merciless. In his terrified state he could feel an unseen force pulling at his soul.

The terrible storm blew on and the wicked man’s fire eventually died. The voice in the wind blew on. He felt the sweat pour from his body and the chills of the cold winter wind struggle for dominance on his shivering form. His stomach tightened and his mind left him. He charged from the tent. The voice in the wind blew on.

The wicked man ran, blind and senseless. The voice on the wind was all around him. He came to realize at that moment the voice on the wind could have taken him from his tent at any time. He shuddered as he realized he was being tortured. The wind raged on, the voice on the wind was all around him. It was not so much a thing heard with his ears, but heard directly in his mind and soul. He ran frantically.

The wicked man ran, like one of the scared villagers he had tormented so many times or one of the animals he had been slow to finish during a hunt. The wicked man ran from a voice on the wind that moved in front of him in a moment and circled behind him in another.

The wind seemed different now. Instead of its persistent howling, it was now a dreadful scream which seemed to consume the wicked man, all the time howling his name. He ran with all his strength. He felt the iron claws sink into each of his shoulders and bury their terrible points deep into his flesh, and his soul.

The wind shrieked. The wicked man’s fear was abandoned now. Instead, it was replaced by a kind of white terror unknown to living man. A terror reserved for those who are in the grasp of a demon and are fated to never return to warn those who still live. The wind keeps howling, its hellish voice calling his name.

The wicked man feels his feet lifted from the ground and a horrific force blast against his exposed flesh. The cold air burns as the wind screams louder in his ears. The cold wind burns like the largest fire any of the villagers had ever seen, but there was no light, only heat. The wind still screams. The wicked man’s fear is voiced with shrill cries, usually reserved for the torment of the underworld.

The wicked man feels a terrible force as he is hurtled through the night air. He feels the dreadful pain of the razor sharp talons gripping his flesh, and feels the searing heat of the frigid night air. He reaches for the paws of the winged beast which now holds him and realizes he can not grasp the paws.

The wind screams and the air burns. He tries again to grip the beast and realizes he has no fingers to grasp at the terrible claws. In his white terror, he realizes his fingers had burnt away in the searing night wind. No sooner has he realized this then he feels the skin on his naked chest and face crack. Just before the wind stops screaming, the wicked man hears the horrible beast whisper his name one last time.

Silence now, nothing seen or heard. The wicked man feels his eyes and ears melt away with his arms and legs. The beast is carrying him off faster than any human was meant to travel through the air. He feels the searing winter wind tear the skin from his chest and face. He tries to scream, but there is nothing left of his upper form to allow the sounds to issue from him. All he has is his blind terror, which is amplified by unfamiliarity. The beast flies faster and faster as the wicked man burns away.

After a time, there were only a few shreds of dried flesh left in the beast’s clenched claws. He lets them fall back to the Earth, for he has no need of them. He has feasted on the fear of the wicked man. The beast had picked his prey wisely, for he knew that a man with a wicked heart was capable of greater fear than a man with a timid face. The wicked man would be a part of the beast forever more; his torture would feed the beast for all time.

The people of the village had just finished the customary gathering in the giant tent where they retired to for stories and other village business. It is not uncommon to find women and children huddled together while listening to the medicine men tell stories of great spirits and their deeds. The warm fire gently sooths their tired bodies.

The villagers, their bellies full of fresh moose, beans and rice, feel a sense of contentment as the fire warms their tired bodies after their time in the harsh winter air. The wicked man was gone from the village, and there was a sense of peace among them. As they sit in the tent, enraptured by the tales of the medicine man, they hear a shrill cry. It was a cry that sent chills up and down their spines and despite the warm and comfortable fire, the villagers are gripped with an unfathomable fear.

It is not unusual to hear different noises in the silence of the night. However, the cries heard by the villagers that night were beyond anything they had ever heard, and the unearthly sounds gripped one and all by their souls and lent them a fear that would not be soon forgotten. Perhaps, they were most frightened by the howling wind which seemed to accompany the terrible noise.

As the men went from the tent to see where or what the terrible noise was, they noted it had come from the top of the nearby mountain where the wicked man was known to go to hunt. The men of the village gathered with the elders and it was decided to send a party to look into the mysterious noises.

The following day, a party of six young warriors traveled into the mountain and picked up the trail leading to the wicked man’s camp. When they found the camp they were unable to make sense of the bizarre sight.

The wicked man’s tent and all of his belongings seemed to have burnt, but there was no sign of fire. The animal skin shelter cracked and turned to dust, as any other burnt hide would, but there was no burn marks on it like a fire would have left. His bow, arrows, and spear were in a like condition. They also found a strange circle in the snow surrounding the wicked man’s camp, but they could not make out what might have made such tracks.

One of the warriors discovered a set of footprints leading away from the tent and heading into the woods nearby. They picked up the trail and followed it for several hundred paces. There in a clearing, with no trees or rocks standing nearby, the footprints stopped. The wicked man was gone, like he disappeared into the thin winter air.

They told their tale to the wise men and elders of the village. Some of the oldest and wisest among them remembered a similar thing happening long ago and warned of a spirit who takes the form of many animals, and will prey upon those who are cruel to others.