U.S.A., Kentucky

Wasted the day. Tried to sleep some, read some. Cold. Shivering a lot. Didn’t leave the tent all day. Late in the afternoon, an old man came by. Talked to him for just a bit. Was wondering if someone was hurt or whatnot. He lived in the house just across the road, the house that I had purposely set up in front of, because it was the most well-kept property in the holler. Not long after he left, a peace officer talked to me. Someone had complained. He was a town cop from a town “not far” away. He told me that, officially, I needed a permit to camp in the park, but that they were just gonna let it go. Later, in the early evening, I went up to the old guy’s house. I pounded on the door several times. Could see people moving in there – no answer. Then a car drove in. Started talking to the guy – he was the son of the old man. So went in with him and chatted until early in the morning. He let me sleep inside. It had gotten down to freezing the night before.