Date: 2015-08-15
From: The Hemlocks Shelter

To: The Interior Decorator's Back Porch
Miles today: 8.0

I woke up early in the morning to the sound of scratching coming from under Tennessee Jed's Bed! I knew from the sound that it was a mouse burglarizing his stuff so I called out and woke him up. Sure enough the tiny bandit had tore into a Peanut Butter Snicker's bar that I had given Jed to try out the night before as he hadn't heard of that type. It had also at some holes in his gear looking for food. We went back to sleep and when I woke up there had been no furhter incursions of the rodent kind which we were grateful for. I made breakfast and coffee before packing up and hitting the trail. It was a short jaunt to pass the side trail to the Glen Brook Shelter. The day went by fast as I blew over Mt. Bushnell and stopped for a break for the view at Jug End. It was cool to check out the monument to Shay's Rebellion, a rebellion fought over corn whiskey. It was hard to get corn over the mountains to the east without it going bad so by turning it into whiskey it could be transported without worry of spoilage. It was another time that taxes were the cause of a revolution in this country. It was before noon when I reached US 7 and caught a ride into Great Barrington. I had checked at the post office and found that my package of cold weather clothing hadn't arrived. I called my wife and we got things figured out as I had been mistaken as my gear was going to be sent to Hanover at the NH state line. I went to the library and got on the Computer for some time and while I was there bought a used paperback copy of The Golden Compass as I had loved the movie and looked forward to reading the bookl. I was on the computer until it was closing time and I then went to the convience store for dinner and then to the Rite Aid for wipes and biodegradeable shampoo. I started hearing thunder rapidly approaching and went to the side of the library to a porch there but a wino had clamed this spot so I moved on I made it to the pavilion behind the town hall just in time to miss the torrential downpour and thunderstorm that lasted over an hour. Across the street at the theatre one of the Stephen Nash was having a concert, but alas it was all sold out and I couldn't yogi a ticket! The pavilion was previously occupied by a shifty looking drunk so as soon as the rain stopped I took off and stopped back by the store for dinner and returning the other direction and taking a side street I noticed that the Interior Decoration Store had a back porch so, seeing that it was closed and the lights were off I moved some empty boxes and set up to cowboy camp under the porch. It would offer good protection if it started raining again. I had just finished getting set up and was climbing into the sleeping bag when I heard the door open and a lady came out. I don't know who was more shocked, her or I. It was crazy, looking back, but the only thing I could thinkt to say was "It's O.K. Maam! I'm a thru-hiker! I'm just camping for the night out of the rain." as if that explained everything. It worked and she instantly looked at ease and sat down on the swing. We talked for awhile as she was from Georgia and soon she broke out a glass mechanical type of pipe, that you push a button instead of a lighter to have our safety meeting. It was very high quality safety material and soon dispelled my aches and pains from the day's hike. Before she left she gave me a pudding and a drink.