A photographer once told me that you can tell the difference between a fake smile and a genuine one by looking at the person’s eyes. If their eyes are smiling with them then it is for real. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately in this new age of mask wearing and trying my best to express a smile with my eyes.
We stayed at a great hotel in Rouzerville last night and it was managed by a delightful woman named Janet. There aren’t many guests at the hotel right now so she is filling her spare time by making masks for chemotherapy patients and first responders. I hung out for a while with Janet in the conference room that she had turned into her impressive production line. She had two sewing machines set up and bolts of fabric laid out so she could turn out 30-40 masks per day. I am so glad that I took the time to talk to her about her work. It’s impressive that she has turned her spare time into such a gracious volunteer opportunity.
Janet was also planning to host an Alice in Wonderland Mother’s Day brunch for the community and had made some fun props for the event. Unfortunately, that had to be canceled but she has all the decorations for next year. Janet was so supportive of our hike and is really missing all of the hikers that normally come through this time of year. She is so friendly that that she is mentioned in the AT guidebooks. You just have to stop in and visit with Janet the next time you are in Rouzerville.
We left a Rouzerville this morning for a relatively short 15 mile hike and headed into some pretty nasty weather. It rained all day and we got to our campsite soaking wet and cold. It’s going to get down to 29 degrees tonight but it is supposed to be dry and windy in the morning. I really hope this is the last of the cold fronts! At least I am prepared for this one as I bought new base layers at Wal-Mart.
We stopped for lunch near a pair of shelters that had separate facilities for snorers and non-snorers. This is one of the most important things on the Trail even when we are tenting. There are some severe snorers out here and you learn to avoid setting up near them. Maybe Janet can help us out with a mask that will solve that one. 😂
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You are meeting some great people. There is a cold snap -polar vortex – that will be hitting over the next few days. Glad you got some warm stuff. It may even snow an inch or so in the NE. Take care.
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Hope you purchased some serious warm stuff, the nasty cold weather has not gone away. You started your hike in snow and cold and here it is again. Just focus on those warm bright days you had in Virginia and envision warm days ahead. You AT people are made of tough stuff with ability to resist even the nasty weather. Be safe and be strong with positive thoughts and determination to press on. Love and hugs.
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