Date: 2005-06-06
From: Hostel, Dutch Haus Montebello VA

To: Tent, Tye River VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was a lazy day. We got a late start from the Dutch Haus, after a good night's sleep. Lois fed us an amazing breakfast of blueberry stuffed French toast, quiche, bacon and cantaloupe. Yum. She then shuttled us to the store and as close as possible to the trailhead. In previous years they were able to get hikers closer to the trailhead. But now they can only go to the parking lot at the end of the private road. Apparently someone in that road association got upset about the "excessive traffic" of the 2 shuttles a day. It's unfortunate that one crank makes lots of others suffer. I live on a dirt road with a road association and understand how just one crank can make everyone else miserable. Well enough about that. The Dutch Haus is awesome and they do a free lunch for hikers. We didn't stay for that, as we were already stuffed from the previous night and from breakfast and actually had to start hiking.Today it was hot and humid. It seemed like we would walk into areas where the air was stagnant and not moving at all. This kind of weather makes you sweat. I read some other trail journals at the Dutch Haus last night. Yappy's seemed to pop out at me. The tender and open sentiments that she shared about her parents were so poignant. I haven't seen yappy for a while (she's much faster than us), but briefly spending time with this fun earthy genuine person was good. I read Gypsy Lulu's letter to her mother about the trail community. About these strong brave people whom you are glad to have crossed paths with. I don't have much interesting to pass on about today. But I do have a number of random things from recent days. Wild pink azaleas have a sweet spicy fragrance that reminds me of the perfume opium. Mountain Laurel blossoms make me think of Christmas ornaments. The buds are tight 12 pointed stars which bloom into 6 pointed stars. They are sticky to touch on the outside. My whole family chased frogs at the wildwood campground. The littlest ones seemed to be the loudest. While walking behind me, my troll asked oblivious if he had remembered the Jurassic park movie and if he remembered how the dinosaurs walked. Then they both decided that I walked like a dinosaur and they argued about which dinosaur Dino-mom resembled the most.My son had a lengthy conversation with sunshine about good always triumphing over evil in the movies, but that does not always happen in real life. This was prompted by star wars. I see oblivious around adults all day every day, watching and listening. I see him wanting to join in every adult conversation and the sadness in his eyes when he isn't allowed. I watch my child work hard to cover the same ground that adults work hard to cover. I see him becoming. I often wonder how long it will take both of us to accept his journey to adulthood. I wonder how hard troll and I am making his journey. I know if we were home, he would be done with school and out on his bike every day. Here he still has to journal, be quizzed on international capitals and be with a parent 24 hours a day. But here he is also learning that people who look or speak differently are still good people to be judged by their actions. He learns that everyone struggles and most persevere. I wonder when he is old enough to stand on his own two feet will they be atrophied because we held him close for so long? Or will they be stronger because we spent so much time guiding him how to use them? I hope they are stronger. I spend my days walking and thinking. These are just some of the many things that go through my mind even on the lazy days.Take care and we will see you on the trail.