Date: 2007-10-01
To: Unionville,NY
Miles today: 10.0

mi.sleep beddest. Unionville, NY day 81 Ahh, another great night in the hammock. I woke up around 5am and couldn't go back to sleep. So I finished up some journaling. So if yesterday's is a little spacey at the end, that's why. But instead of getting an early start after that, I fell back asleep and got started at the usual time. Today I finished up pretty much all the food I was carrying for breakfest. There is some sort of store 5 or so miles in. I'll figure something out there to hold me over to Unionville. I did pass a registery on the trail today. This one cracked me up. It was a mailbox nailed to a tree. I did notice that the girl I have been just behind, was planning on making it to town last night. I am sitting right on a day back. No other southbounders checked in. Other than that I think I am still sitting on a little bubble. But I'm cool with that now. I got to the road with the store around 11-ish. It turned out to be a full farmers market store. I stored a loof of bannana nut bread, some hunny, and some choclate milk. My meal plans for the rest of the day consists of the rest of the bread smoothered in honey. A nice change from the usual crap I eat. From there I walked on what had to be the easiest mile or so of the whole so far. All flat and really chill. Oh and it was pretty much a board walk. They built a wooden deck like walk way on this part. I ended up singing "On the Boardwalk". But once again all I know is the chorus, so after 10 minutes or so of that it got pretty old. But that didn't stop me from singing it for awhile longer. Really all there was hard trail wise was a little bump for 4 miles, than 5 more into town. At the bump somewhere I stopped in at the shelter for a break. Everyone is always talking about NJ and the bears. All the southbounders are leaving comments in the registery's about how the killer bears are not attacking. Yet another overhyped thing. Hopefully I see one at some point. Just not at night or up close. One thing that has been bothering me is my feet. Nothing surface wrong. No blisters or anything to speak of. Unfortunatly I think it is a little deeper. I think the swapping of footwear is taking it's toll. Most hiking shoes don't seem to have cushioning. I think I am going to switch back to new balances and go from there. When I was using them I didn't have any foot problems. Ankle yes, but no foot. But I'll figure something out. Today once again it seemed to be 2 miles to far. My feet were really killing me by the time I got there. And I still had half a mile or so of roadwalk into town. There was a note at the road crossing saying to go the the general store in town and ask for the Butch. Well I get there and of course they have no idea what I am talking about. One o the customers was able t point m in the direction o his appartment.                                                                                                      She calls him and he is working in the park right next door. He works for the village and was working in the park. He was planting flowers with another guy. I got to talking to them for awhile. They were adding memorial flowers and plants. It turns out the bench I was sitting on along with the tree and flowers were in memory of the one's daugter that was killed in the VA Tech shooting. I was a little taken back hearing that. That and an article I read while here really got me thinking. Anyways. I was thinking walking into town that I would somehow miss the mayor and he would be on vacation. It turns out he was but was just getting back into town just after I there. I thought that was pretty funny. The odd thing about it was he just got back from an air show in Columbus, OH. About an hour or so from my home town. If I had been a week earlier I could have gotten a ride back for a little mid hike break. Oh well. Another ohio connection, the one guys wife I met lived in MT Washington with is a suburb of Cincy. It just goes to show how small the world is. I got to the mayor's house and I am the only hiker staying here. Which means I get the spare bedroom. He made dinner too. At first I thought it was for the both of us. But it turns out he gave me a huge plate of mac and chz and sausage. That was great. After my shower I weighed myself. It read 208. Everyplace I weigh myself at says something completly different. He says it is accurate enough. Which means I lost a good amount of weight. I tend to believe it. I am feeling smaller. It doesn't seem to matter how much I eat. I did get a chance to watch the monday night football game. The Begals aren't looking so good. The one game I get to watch they lose big time. But that is the way it goes. I got the chance to sit down and talk with the mayor for an hour or 2 through the rest of the game and until midnight. He is a really cool guy. He made it a point to think me for stopping and giving him the chance to be a part of my life and for me being a part of his. Like a said a great guy. This is one place I recommend that everyone hiking stays at. It is well worth it. Tomorrows plans are to take the day off. I really need to rest my feet. That will give me the chance to resupply and hit an outfitter. Hopefully new footwear and a pack is in the future.