Dragonfly

August 9 Mile 1608-
I'm not a big believer in that people come into your life for a reason, but for those of you that do believe in that, here a story for you. Last night Shadow and I were cooking dinner at Seth Warner Shelter. There were 5 others there doing the same. Two more came in off the trail. One was having trouble walking. It was a SOBO that had found another hiker that had started the Long Trail at the Vermont border. The long trail existed before the AT and both trails run as one from the VT border to Maine. The Long Trail then splits to Canada.
Paul was his name. He is a retired accountant from Connecticut that moved to Florida. Not only does he battle diabetes, but he is deaf I his right ear and has Parkinson's disease. Paul had passed this shelter to go on to the next one when his medication stopped working properly. A SOBO helped him back to the shelter. Paul was having a blast. He had plan to complete the Long Trail after many years hiking the White Mountains in NH. We helped him contact a friend to pick him up in the morning to see a doctor to adjust his medicine. He settled in with the group just fine talking shop. This morning Shadow and I walked him to the closest road to meet his friend. Along the way we talked about Florida, the Whites, and his battle with Parkinson's. He said that he knew it would eventually kill him, so he takes the drug to extend his active lifestyle. After parting with Paul, Shadow and I discussed that just as we helped him, that he had helped us more. We are lucky to have the health to be out here. We are fortunate to have to time on this Earth to grab life by the horns.
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and messages. The encouragement was needed and appreciated.
We crossed 1600 miles today just before Bennington, VT with a new attitude and outlook. Let the vacation began. Of course I say that, but just like every day out here, it's an adventure. Just shy of 17 miles we bushwhacked a stealth spot for the tent. A rain storm had came in while on top of a ridgeline. With the wind blowing the rain up and over the edge, we decide not to cook, but to eat "cold" in the tent. Now that we carry bare bones food, dinner was a liter of raspberry EmergenC, 1oz of peanut butter smeared on a smashed hamburger bun, 2 protein bars, and 2 pop tarts. After drying out and eating dinner we downed our rain suits to hang the food. Currently we are dry and warm listening to the weather pass and gaining new perspective. Thank you Paul.


Country Mouse and Shadow still NOBO (North Bound)