Cookie Monster?

When I started to speaking some 29ish years ago, "cookie monster" and "big bird" were a few of my first words (if my memory serves.) This came to mind today as I was jogging along the mountainside and a feeling elation and mischief came over me. I was reminded of a photo my mother has where I was sitting in my fathers lap with the most evil looking grin on my face. Its obvious from that photo I would do some mischievous deeds. The lady behind the counter didn't pick up on my grin due to all this facial fluff and she couldn't make out my joy due to the larger than life counter she sat behind. The cause of my merriment was my mid-calf coating of thick black mud. It was a good time in the rather wet MA mountains. There were boardwalks thru much of the extremely dense mud fields and I would do a little jog and hop to the next set of planks. Then it struck me why do I care if I get muddy? I'm getting new shoes today... so I ran jumped (high rather than far) and ker-ploped into a rather juicy batch of mountain mud. The cool glop oozed into my shoes and covered the legs up to mid calf. I continued jumping in the pasty stuff all the way down the mountain and imitating the 'bog of eternal stench' as I went It was fun.

I'm staying in Dalton tonight (Shamrock inn) to get the laundry done and get re outfitted for the final 620 miles. I thought about pushing on but realized I would have a hard time getting a room on the 4th and will probably just spend the holiday in the woods of Vermont. I'm still walking alone but camping at sites with lots of people (mostly day/weekend hikers) that I'm having a good time helping out and showing a few 'old dog' hiker tricks.

My skull is still a little battered from the Hailstorm that occurred here yesterday. After a lovely day with cool breezes a thunder storm rolled in and instead of lightening it thew thumbnail sized hail at my melon. At first I threw my arm over my head to cover myself but realized I was still holding a trekking pole (can you say lightening rod?) and figured that was a bad idea. It pummeled me thru my sunhat and I eventually had to take out my 1/2 inch thick sleeping pad and put that over my head to protect myself from the stuff. After it was all over I'm a little tender on the noggin but it was a neat experience. I made some ice-tea with the ice I collected and the little ice tea packets I had. Mmmm.

Time to go get NEW SHOES! So for all of you who have shoe fetishes or just like them be happy that I now know what joy you have in buying these things. Of course my joy is mostly because I wont have to wash those old mud caked ones off but regardless.

Be well young padawans