Date: 2022-06-19
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: MA 23
Miles today: 2.0
Weather: clear sky

Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say "I think," "I am," but quotes some saint or sage. He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. Before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown flower, there is no more; in the leafless root, there is no less. Its nature is satisfied, and it satisfies nature, in all moments alike. There is no time to it. But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future. He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time.-Ralph Waldo EmersonWe were met at the road today by Karen and Neil Denowitz, friends first of Joni¢s parents and now friends of ours, too! They live in nearby Granby and we¢ve been planning on meeting up with them for a month or more. They had a food resupply along with some gear we¢ve ordered and had sent to them. I am especially excited about Joni¢s new sleeping pad! I would write an ode to my Ridge Rest foam pad if I were a poet. It came through in a pinch and I was learning to sleep well on it. I will not, however, miss it. Neil had leveraged his REI discount to get us some last minute necessities including fuel and sock liners. Clutch move.Neil shuttled us to the community center in two trips. Karen & Neil had brought along a great lunch - deli sandwiches (with lettuce & tomato), grapes, chips, prime watermelon, and quality lemonade. We sheltered from the cutting wind inside the community center and enjoyed the lunch and the company backed by the blaring soundtrack of the nearby aerobics class. I didn¢t realize how loud it really was until they turned it off. We walked to the Travel Lodge next door and our room was ready several hours early. In no time there was gear all over every flat surface. Chores beckoned: laundry, showers, shopping, gear repair, dishwashing, water filter cleaning, and more. The proximity of a Price Chopper, Dollar General, and several restaurants made today easy to do on foot. Before leaving, the Denowitz¢s drove me several miles south to the CVS. I improved my foot-care resources and we stopped for coffee on the way back. Karen snuck in a box of muffins and brownies that the boys quickly dispatched soon after our return to the motel. We said goodbye around noon. They were genuinely excited to help us and spend time with us to make sure we were squared away. So many people have sent texts, called, commented on posts, or even sent us some food money. We feel very blessed and encouraged to have a crowd cheering us on!As a school teacher, I have always felt fortunate to have what amounts to a yearly, 2-month sabbatical from work. It is refreshing and restful. Life is frenetic, often because we make it so. Twenty days on trail is still only the beginning- we¢re shooting to finish in 170 - but it has taken us off the calendars, the timelines, the schedules, the checklists, and the like in a way I hadn¢t anticipated. It¢s turning into a deep sabbatical for all 5 of us. Many folks think backpacking is a fool¢s sport. There are so many things not to like about it. But I understand a new allure backpacking brings when outside on a timescale of months. There isn¢t much in the past to worry about. There isn¢t much to do about the future, not in the sense that it is inevitable, but rather in the sense that it doesn¢t really need to be changed much. Is everyone healthy? happy? is there food in our bags? water in our bottles? Yes! Then let¢s walk and talk and listen to nature¢s soundtrack. There is much to be heard. It is truly restful.We were walking the road back to the trail from Bulls Bridge Country Store last week. We had the ¢road sandwich¢ formation going (adult, kid, kid, kid, adult) in the left lane with Joni in the back. A lady driving a high-end SUV had pulled up in the right lane, matched Joni¢s pace, and rolled her window down, slowing the cars behind her. ¢Is this your family!?¢ she asked excitedly  ¢Yes.¢¢How long are you out for?¢¢Six months.¢¢SIX MONTHS!?! That¢s all the stuff you need for SIX MONTHS?!?¢ pointing at our packs. ¢That¢s all of it¢, Joni nodded.Indeed.