Friday Supper

We enjoyed supper at the Morrill's tonight along with Don and Nate Fisher. Unfortunately Deb had to work, which meant Heidi and I missed her company and there was one less person to give Don a smack when he needed it. Heidi is an awesome cook and is frequently preparing a new recipe. This time it was fried onion straws, with which I topped off my hamburger....delish! It's always enjoyable, and I would argue, healthy, to spend lots of time with families that are as crazy as your own. I seem to have a lot of those friends.....hmmmm.

Recovery and Repair

I dropped my iPhone in the parking lot this afternoon and cracked the glass. I'll be without it for a couple days when I send it out tomorrow for repair. On the up side, I walked the kids' running route this afternoon and my knee feels much better so I think I'll start up at the gym again tomorrow. The scale is also headed downward, which makes me very happy.

Morning Serenade

We've woken up to a symphony of bird songs, and a girls' inter-tent morning chat, which starts the day out gloriously.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

All But The Final 3

Too tired to write too much tonight so just a few highlights.....it was a very rough, rocky downhill for the most part today. Last year's fallen leaves on the rocks were akin to ice in places. My right knee began to be increasingly painful about 1:00 and our pace slowed considerably. Downhill was a killer on them, while I could clip along at a reasonable pace on the flats. I was even thankful for the uphills which did not affect that knee as much. Peg was my good Samaritan a couple times, carrying her pack down the slick steepness and then returning for mine to alleviate the pressure on my knee. She makes great time on the hills! When the front pack reached the RPH Shelter, Greg turned back, met with Jim and hiked back up a long descent to meet us near the summit of the last hill. The other girls went ahead. My kind husband took my pack, which according to him was light, and both he and Greg provided company down the painful last mile and a half. I nearly ran out of the extra water that Peg had provided on the summit. This would have meant drinking from someone else's bottle, which I have managed to avoid.....I was very thirsty but I made it last! We arrived only about an hour behind the girls, in time to enjoy some nice mashed potatoes and packaged chicken. Some fresh chives that we harvested earlier in the day along the trail provided a nice taste. Some of the crazy boys went across to a stream for a chilly dip, and then later cooking up a frog they had caught earlier in the day. Peg finished the night with devotions and now the tents are quiet as most of the group will finish up the final three miles tomorrow mornimg before we head home. Liz will stay back with me, while Greg gets the van to pick up the group at the end of the trail.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Trail Goes On

We hiked about 7.4 miles today, but still rough on the feet and legs. No complaints about my back though; I love my backpack. As the women began ascending the last rocky 1 mile hill we were greeted by Greg, James, and Aaron who had returned back down the steepness to carry three packs. The rear leader Peg had to carry her own up, which she was glad to do. It gave her back her pride after giving her pack up on yesterday's hill. At the moment we're enjoying some great fun around the campfire but I need to get to bed soon. It's going to be a long 9 miles tomorrow.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

9 Miles

It has been a beautiful hike today through the NY woods, sometimes picking our way across muddy logs on the trail and other times just enjoying the calling of jays and the knocking of woodpeckers echoing through the trees We walked through cowfields, using stiles to climb over wire fences and crossed over lengthy marshy areas balancing on two boards called puncheon. The few hilly areas early in the day with fresh feet were much easier to manage than the two that came in the late afternoon when my feet were screaming out in protest. I was struggling by the end. The faster group arrived at Telephone Pioneer Shelter two hours ahead of the slow group, which consisted most of the time, of the four girls. I was able to struggle up the last .6 of a steep mile much easier without my pack, thanks to the rested men who met us at the foot and carried our packs the rest of the way to the shelter. It took quite a while for my feet to feel recovered. Tomorrow's hike is about a mile and 1/2 less and I am VERY glad.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Be Glad You Like Your Tentmate.

It rained the entire trip down with skies breaking just as we arrived at the trail. We started hiking about 12:30 with only just under three miles to make Wiley Shelter, which had been invaded by 40 boyscouts by the time we arrived late in the afternoon. With the shelter area taken, which included the outhouse, we pitched our tents on an old overgrown logging road just up the trail. Peg scouted out a good spot for the girl's latrine and I was glad that I added the extra weight of a hand shovel to my pack so I could dig out a decent hole. Once all tents were up it proceeded to rain again and has been off and on all evening. At the moment Liz and I are cozy in a "two man tent". Let me just say that I'm glad we're both short. Liz is Facebooking and I am blogging, though I will not be able to send it out because I currently have no signal. We hope to stay warm. It should hit 40 tonight.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Let It Begin

I've been up since 3:15,
showered for the last time in 5 days, walked out the door to SNOW! and am now in a van with 14 other people heading down to NY to begin the AT hike.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

iBlogger

I'm blogging from the comfort of my bed using my iPhone tonight. This means that technically, I was in bed by 10 this evening, for those of you keeping track of my New Year's resolution. ( and I know you're out there.....Nicole Viele)
I'm testing it's use for the AT hike. I'd like to post at least a small blurb each night if possible and this seems an efficient way to accomplish that. We'll see....

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Endurance

With the AT hike in four days, the idea of endurance has been on my mind. To complete this 5 day journey, I will need to set my will to the task before me and take one step at a time. The terrain will vary. At times it will be a simple walk, on even ground, and the pace will be easy. Inevitably, however, the rugged terrain will come and weariness will pervade every muscle . There will be only the determination to do what is needed that keeps us putting one boot after the other. Not every moment will be filled with friends and the laughter that comes with wonderful companionship. Some moments will find you squatting in the woods, wishing for even the comfort of an outhouse. Simply put, to complete this hike will take perseverance and a commitment to endure to the end.

It may be an odd parallel to the journey of marriage but I think it fits quite nicely. We celebrated my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary this past Saturday. The cloth of their marriage has been woven with great love, heart-wrenching sorrow, times of severe trial and moments of perfect peace. A commitment was made by John Romano and Beverly Fountain on Easter Sunday, six decades ago, to travel life's journey side by side and they have followed through. The long road has taken them through both green pastures and parched landscape and they have not wavered. They set their feet to the task and have provided an example of self-sacrificing love and an enduring marriage for their posterity to follow.

Endure!

Perfect Timing

After leaving Hillhouse this afternoon I headed to Walmart to pick up the ingredients to make Chex Mix with my Pioneer Club kids. Almost immediately after turning onto Old Brunswick Road, I passed a home on the right where a young toddler, clad in a pink sleeper, was slowly walking down the ramp of a side door. It took a moment to register in my mind that I had not seen any adult outside. I felt a prompting to turn around quickly to check on the little girl. Only a few seconds had passed but reaching the house again, I saw that she had made her way to the edge of the road, oblivious to any danger. I could see a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, so quickly stopping in the middle of the road, (thankful that no one was behind me), I put the hazards on, threw it into Park and ran across the street, scooping up the toddler. The door at the top of the ramp was slightly open and a medium-size, black, shaggy dog greeted me. Having a fear of canines, I was grateful that it only gave a few half-hearted barks at my intrusion into the sunroom. I knocked on the open door, expecting an immediate response from someone in the house but heard nothing. After a few minutes of loud knocking and hollering "Hello!" I ventured into the sunroom to the doorway of the main living area. The little girl, no more than 18 mos., was in my arms, looking calmly into my eyes. From this doorway I was able to hear the sound of a loud television and thought for sure that I would soon see someone emerge from one of the doorways to see who was yelling into their home, but even after a few minutes there was nothing. At this point, I thought I should probably call the police. However, in my haste, I had left my phone in the van. I didn't like the idea of anyone seeing me carrying someone else's child toward my vehicle but decided to head for my phone anyway. Thankfully, stepping off the ramp, I realized that a vehicle had entered the driveway and as a woman exited her car, I explained the situation. As it turns out, she was the child's grandmother. She pointed out that her daughter's car was in the front of the yard, indicating that she was home. I was able to hand the pig-tailed toddler over to her grandma and be on my way. I don't know what situation led to this little girl nearly being run over but I'm thankful God allowed me to be in the right place at the right time.

When You've Got An Itch

Yesterday I noticed that Tell had a blue Peep from his Easter basket in his hand. Knowing that he had already consumed two I directed him to put it on the island, telling him that he had already had plenty. Having been distracted by something else for a minute, I looked back to see my little imp slowly scraping the inside of his mouth with the marshmallow. "Tell! I said no more candy. Put it on the island now." As usual, he was ready with his justification. "But Mama, I not eathin it, I jeth scratchin the inthide of my mouth."

Countdown......16 Days

My sleeping bag for the AT hike arrived yesterday so I had to snuggle in and test it out. It is a woman's mummy bag, rated for 20 degrees, the perfect length, and has the zippered foot vent so my feet can breathe.........very toasty warm.