Date: 2014-07-09
From: James Fry Tagg Run Shelter

To: PA 174 ATC Mid Atlantic Office
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: moderate rain

I got a late start and only did 12 miles but it seemed like more due to being hot and humid and some up and downs. There were sections with rocks that slowed me down including 2 labeled as "rock mazes." These were actual mazes between huge boulders to follow. I did pretty well at following the route until near the end of the last one. I came to a point that in order to get past I would have to drop down a 5 foot height. I looked for the best way to get down and looked beyond as far as I could see. I saw no white blazes ahead and no foot holds to descend through the passage. I was concerned this might be one of those places of no return once I went down the passageway because of the height of the drop-off. I retraced my steps and luckily found an arrow 7 feet up on a boulder indicating to make a 120 degree turn. I had been focused on carefully stepping on the rocks and I had missed the turn. So often when I get into a tight spot, if I slow down and look around, I will find a safer and easier solution to an impossible looking problem.After hiking through the forest for two days, I suddenly emerged into a soybean- cornfield. This was refreshing to see the Pennsylvania farms with barns and silo and also the two story farm houses with their shade trees. I have driven past grain fields that seemed a mile wide. Today I experienced these fields by hiking through them for a few miles.I was craving a snack, so I stripped some heads of grain that was left by edge of field after a recent harvest. I winnowed the wheat by rubbing briskly between the palms of my hands, then blew on it and tossed it in the air carefully blowing away the chaff. Then I ate the fresh kernels of grain. I understood the scripture about Jesus disciples who did the and got in trouble with the religious leaders for winnowing grain on the Sabbath.Boiling Springs is named after a spring that is gushes forth fresh water constantly. It flows into a lake in the center of town. It is a quaint little historic village. In the war memorial corner there is an artillery gun aimed towards the center of the lake. I mused that perhaps the gun was placed there a a population control device for geese on the lake. But perhaps that may be taken being irreverent of the war memorial. But I did pause reverently at the memorial which commemorates the solders of many different wars.David, a former student I had in high school German class, came by and took me to his home. We have not seen one another in 38 years but it was so easy to pick up where we left off after he graduated and catch up with each other's lives.David's wife came home with a small crate of blueberries. Seems that a civic club was set up in parking lot for people to pick up their orders of blueberries for the annual fundraiser. They had extra, so went to offices in here building and she bought them. Serendipity of the trail again, because she didn't even know I was crazy about blueberries.We also had chicken grilled by the Amish farmers at the farmers market which was delicious. It reminded me of the jerk chicken I was served at Murphy's roadside stand in Jamaica just last last Saturday which was also slow roasted over a wood-fire.