Happy Rocks

Not all rocks are evil. The little buggers in Pennsylvania could pay attention to what these sweet guys are up to here in Connecticut. As soon as I crossed the border, I noticed a series of beautifully painted rocks with encouraging sayings on them. They came at a good time too as today was a hot and long 29 mile day to get into Kent, Connecticut.

It is really warming up on the Trail and now my days are focused on finding the next cool stream or lake to take a dip in. I found a strong flowing cold river about mid-afternoon and sat and soaked in it for a while. It felt amazing and really helped with the rest of the climbs. There were a ton of cute critters out today and at least one was in big trouble. I heard something screaming in the leaves and thought it was a bird. It turned out to be a little frog that had one of its legs in the grips of a snake bite. I scared the snake away and the little guy went hopping away.

I got into Kent early evening and did laundry and ate a wonderful meal at a restaurant! No really. I sat outside and ordered off a real menu and ate off of plate with silverware. It was so nice to linger over a good dinner while my gear got cleaned. I checked into a nice inn down the street and am going to enjoy a great night in a real bed.

I am back to battle with the Post Office tomorrow. I literally beat one of my packages here from Glenwood Lake and I am walking for crying out loud! I am also in the process of ordering a new set of hiking clothes and spent a good part of the day trying to make sure those are on the way. I finally had to give up on the shirt and Bryan went and bought one for me in Atlanta and is mailing it to me. Wish us luck!

I can’t believe that I almost in Massachusetts and have been thinking a lot about slowing down. I’m enjoying it so much out here and I really don’t want to rush the experience. My only hesitation is that I would lose the buddies that I’ve been hiking with. It’s a hard decision but I think that is where I am headed. Hike your own hike!