Date: 2018-07-29
From: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter 

To: Falls Village, CT
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: broken clouds

So far on this grand adventure which Curly and I have been on, there really have been only 2 days in which my discouragement level was so high that I wanted to simply ¢quit¢. Yesterday was the second time. I think the combination of physical fatigue, mental fatigue, and the constant wet, humid weather had me in a low spot. I actually felt like we couldn¢t get this done. And then the morning came, and I had no idea what was to be in store for us!We woke up to clear skies and cool breezes. It felt like the New England summer morning I¢d been looking so forward to, but haven¢t experienced many of. We only had a little over 8 miles to hike before we would meet the Bartram¢s and have a rest day, so spirits were a little higher than the day before. Out on trail by 7am, the miles ticked off as the trail treated us so well. Awesome views of the Housatonic River, the Connecticut portion of the AT was a pleasure on this morning. Just after 11am, we reached our pickup point and within minutes we were in the care of John and Ann Bartram, we really didn¢t just how blessed we were at that moment. They gave us the driving tour of the incredibly beautiful countryside, including the towns of Lakeville, Falls Village, and Salisbury. An absolutely incredible stretch of Americana. We chatted with them about the area and their lifelong part in these towns, as well as their close friendship with the Weaver¢s, who had connected us to them. (As an aside, it¢s impossible for me to describe how much Wade and Betsy Weaver mean to us. We¢ve been friends with them since moving to Chapin 8 plus years ago, they were in our couples small group, and they are beloved by all who know them). Anyways, we finally reached their remarkable home and when we pulled into the driveway, who was waiting outside for us? Yep, Wade and Betsy! Turns out the Weavers and Bartrams had been scheming to meet up with us and we had no clue. I actually burst into tears, a flood of emotions taking over. This was exactly what my soul needed at this moment, and isn¢t it incredible how our Heavenly Father not just meets our needs, but exceeds them at just the right time? Once I stopped blubbering like a baby, the party began!Showers and laundry and lots of delicious food followed, along with laughter and catching up on goings ons. We talked a lot about the trail and had one of the best rest days in almost 4 months. John and Ann have amazing 1800¢s farmhouse with outbuildings, all original to the property. We relaxed outside in the shade of huge trees and the breezes washed over us. Once again all is right with the world.These amazing hosts also read through this journal to get an idea of what we eat on trail, and bought us a full resupply for our next leg...for both Curly and I! We are once again full up on our bags for the southern Massachusetts portion of this hike. After a belly stuffing dinner of steak and lots of veggies, carrot cake and ice cream, we waddled out to the fire pit and watched some hiker tv before calling it a night. Falling asleep so humbled and grateful for the love shown to us, I¢m once again reminded that as awesome as journeys like this are, relationships are what really and truly count. I hope I can keep that in mind as we head down the trail in the morning. Tomorrow - 1500 mile mark and the great state of Massachusetts!