Leaving Baghdad

In just about 12 hours, I'll leave the compound in which I have spent much of the last ten months for the last time.  I'll board a helicopter, then a plane, and two more planes en route to meet some San Diego-based Trail Angels and former Pacific Crest Trail thruhikers.  And then - to the Mexican border, and the desert, and the mountains.

Today as I was walking by one of the buildings of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, I heard chirping from below me.  I looked down at my feet and saw two young birds, too young to fly.  They had fallen from a nest in the trellises above the building and couldn't get back up.  I walked in to the office of our dedicated airline and asked the burliest, woodsiest looking person in the office if he was good with animals.  Five minutes later, he was scooping up the chicks and tranferring them to a green lawn where they were less likely to be run over.

I can't guarantee their story will end well - we have some hungry cats around, and these little chicks can only hop.  But it sure made me glad I fly Embassy Air.

I'll be posting on this blog remotely, and at times with the help of my sister, about my upcoming section hike of the southern portion of the PCT.  Happy Trails.

-Poptart

Hexamid, set up on the grounds of the Embassy

Back view, Hexamid

Two of my star yogis at our last session