Date: 2003-05-25
From: Darlington Shelter 

To: Cove Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: broken clouds

Aloha! Oh... what a beautiful feeling! An awesome feeling to be exact. I'm just sitting here enjoying the heck out of the lovely new Cove Mountain Shelter. My bed is set, dinner is bubbling away (3 Bean Chili - black, red and pinto beans combined w/a medley of vegetables in a mildly seasoned chili dish - yum!), the company is delightful and I'm in my jammies (long johns, socks and jacket). Bet you wish you could be me right now. I know I do!   So now that we're all comfy, do you want to hear about my day? Okay, I'll tell ya. It was good!   It started off at quite the leisurely pace. I didn't even leave camp until 1030a. A nice hot cup of coffee, a honey bun and a misty morning started off my day. Buttercup was up and out early after a good dose of stretching. Lion Cub went next after eating everything possible in his pack. And Bono followed with his eyes not quite open. All headed for a 22-mile day with a couple of hours in between for laundry. I believe I said it last night - ohhh.. to be young again!   With Gaylan not far behind I enjoyed a meandering 7 mile walk through the woods and farmer's pastures, UP 2 climbs with one of them a real huffer and puffer, and rocks, rocks and more rocks. Always with the rocks here in PA!   Back in the good 'ole days of TN I met what I fondly called the Rockner family - Rockger and Rockney Rockner. Well I see that the wonderful Rockner twins have notified their Yankee cousins up here in PA and told them I was coming. I know this because their female cousins Rocksey and Rockquel are here in force. I also know they're female because they're far more viscous than any of their southern relatives. Viscous, evil and sharp! Females! They're here! The rocks I mean.   Obviously I made it to the shelter and, as I said before, a lovely shelter it is. Supposedly this shelter was built with the help of the Timber Framers Guild using timber salvaged from an old barn, some of the timber being more than 100 years old. It includes two large bunks and lots of floor space, a cooking stand area, campfire seating and a picnic tale. Pretty neat huh.   Ahhhh... what "they" don't tell you is the reason this is a new shelter. It's because of a double murder here years back. A grisly murder from what I understand. Grisly enough that I won't go into detail at this time. Just suffice it to say that it was unpleasant enough to generate the necessary time, money and energy to tear down one, move it to a new location and build a new one. The things it takes to get a new shelter!   Dang I wish you folks were here. You have just missed the most entertaining fire building session. I'm still laughing. It should be a Boy Scout film about HOW NOT TO BUILD A FIRE. The first lesson I would suggest is to not put your face in the fire and don't blow into the direction of the flames! We're calling this Gaylan's Vision and Chuck Luck¢s Fire. They're cute but maybe not so smart!   Okay, what else to tell you... the dinner was tasty. That's about it though. That's what happens on lower mileage days - short day, short entry. Aren't you happy! I think it's time for me to go enjoy the hard earned campfire. You sleep well and know that the mice are out here with me. I just saw one of the cheeky little critters! Dang it! Double dang it. the fire is out...again! Aloha!BS&T: huff and puff UP sweat!A&Ps: bug bites itchM&Gs: Rocks! Mice! Itchy bites! Waah!