4 oct. 2014 horse ruins tent

Many things done today. The day before yesterday I went to Maastricht for a radio broadcast about Mama Alice and my trip. Because it was too late to do much walking, I just went riding Leon. Then Leon also has to bear a considerable burden and he will get a lot of exercise within an hour. Getting him on the trailer was again a matter par force. Hopeless. But I’ll continue to do so every day, until he is used to it. It’s getting close to oct 14th. the day of departure. Yesterday I got film instructions. Also yesterday somebody jopined me for a long walk together with of course horse Leon and dog Tosca. All went perfectly. Like two young lovers walking pink in pink Leonke was led by my finger. Finally we stopped at a terrace: the Lodge at Vaals. Leon was tied to a lamppost and we sat down on the terrace. Leon also has to learn that the boss sometimes likes a stop for a drink or a snack. In no time he hung, Leon naturally, entangled in the rope. Finally I released him and let him go walking free. He wants to do nothing but eat so I didn’t expect him to move away far. The 10 minutes everything was O.K. As he gradually went away too far we decided to leave. Anyway we had our coffee and vlaai (local pastry). All right. And then. Yes, and then?
I started walking 10 km. to Wahlwiller to go camping there on trial. Cozy, with Tosca, the dog and very familiar, horse Leon around the tent. Well, I got a good lesson. I arrived there in the dark. It was a beautiful night, the moon shining, everything the way it should be, and probably will constantly remain during my trip. In the dark I found nothing back from these three backpacks. The tent poles, which I had ordered new (the previous ones were lost) didn’t fit. Everything Tosca could reach, was used as a toy, for example my socks. The enjoyed herself by trying to devour them as a prey in the dark. Finally I tied that monster to a tree and put up my disfigured tent. The tent stood under an oak tree. Leon appeared to like ocorn, so he “sjravelde” (shuffled) constantly around the tent. Meanwhile I had given Tosca the horse blanket to sleep on. In no time the sweat blanket was ruined by Tosca. With her legs she tried to touch me through the sail of the inner tent, so I feared that the tent would rupture. I slept a few minutes when the horse stepped against a tent chord and ripped my new, expensive tent in two. What said our former Prime Minister Van Acht again? “Verdulleme”(darn). I had a powerful curse in mind. I moved everything into the barn 10 meters away and tried to go to sleep in the barn. I tied Tosca remotely in the barn and I left horse Leon outside in the meadow, under the acorns, dummy. Next morning I had to boil water for tea or coffee and I had planned the next morning to film and to relax in front of the tent. Because of all the fuss None of these expectations came true. The next day, so this morning, after awakening in the stable, I ordened the tent once again and checked the havoc. 8 Km. back home and I went to Beaver right away to order new tent poles. Which must come from Sweden, so I hope they will arrive in time. Thus the tent will get more and more expensive. And again I had to look for help at tents” Eddie. It was on Saturday. On sunday Eddy is closed, but Eddie and his lovely wife started immediately repairing the tent, or rather Eddie repaired the tent and she repaired me, viz. with coffee. Exactly what I needed after such a romantic moonlit night. I am very grateful to them both for their immediate, spontaneous help. They didn’t want to accept a fee for their job. Unbelievable. It looks like Z-Limburg. I hope people will understands why I never want to leave here, except sometimes for a few moments? Sonja is in the Ardennes, leaving me with the infrastructure at home and a huge pan of macaroni, which of course I am grateful for. Fortunately in the evening my brother M and his ? lovely wife D were so kind to give me refuge, along with wine (of course limbo-) and the stuff that gets along with it. What have I learned? That 6 weeks is too short to prepare a one year’s hike with a new dog and a new horse. I’ll have to arrive well before dark to the places to stay overnight. That I shouldn’t too much freedom to my dog and horse, because then they are out of control. And that romantic moon nights only make a very limited contribution to the possible success of this trip