7-14-12
    What a day this has been with its ups and downs. Literal and figurative. It seems like forever ago, around 11 a.m. this morning I laboriously filled my water bottle up with my Katadin Hiker Pro filter at a creek by Whiskey Spring Rd, only to drop the open water bottle immediately into the stream I just filtered into it. Then immense frustration consumed me when I couldn't get the stupid thing to prime for  20 mins. That was a low. Highs though, kinda random. Some guy working on a laptop at an outdoor cafe in Boiling Springs PA offers us the opportunity to shower at his house. He drove us there, Stanimal, Lola and I, and then left for about an hour, basically saying 'make yourselves at home.' All the while I'm wondering, "Who does this?" Stanimal, who has already thru hiked once assurred me it's normal. Maybe in trail towns but anywhere else you don't casually mention in conversation with strangers "Hey, so do you need to take a shower at my house?" What is this trail culture? It's so fascinating.
    Then I guess the other high point of the day was when we met this girl named Michelle, a very nice insurance saleswoman in her early 30's, a few miles north of Boiling Springs, and she offers her porch for us to sleep on in Mechanicsburg. It looked like rain so of course I'd rather be on a porch than in the woods during a rainstorm or T-storm, but she had to clear it with her roomate. At first it seemed hopeful as she communicated with her roomate via txt, like we almost had the go ahead, the one catch was though that we weren't allowed in the house, which we were fine with, but soon it seemed it wouldn't work out. Her roomates parents were over and it would just be awkward bringing two sweaty hiker strangers over so they could sleep on the porch. So we went our separate ways at the Trimble Rd parking lot expecting to never see her again. As we proceded north with the fading evening through the pastoral corn and soybean fields I was a little sad it didn't work out. I'm always wondering if the next person I meet on the trail will be someone I'll randomly become good friends with. So we pressed on and now had to focus on finding a good stealth site now that the porch deal fell through. Well long story short, Michelle emails Stanimal, he gave her his info about his trail journals account or something and all of a sudden we're back on for the porch, still can't go in the house though. So she pick us up on Old Stone House Rd and what a thrill it is to ride in a car again, with the windows down and the wind in your face. I wanted to stick my head out the window like a dog. When walking at 2.5 mph the wind doesn't exactly whistle by. So we came to her house and just relaxed our Saturday night away in her back yard around a fire til 1:30 a.m. having the best conversations. It's wierd but personal things you'd think would take years to form a trust to talk about we shared. Maybe the fact that we're complete strangers and have the luxery to go our separate ways tomorrow enables us to do that. It's the contrary though I think. I find myself wanting to seal this new friendship and christen it with the one almighty and abiding modern day symbol of continued cordial alliance; become Facebook friends with her.

  7-15-12
  On the trail for the 8th day now, with over 100 miles under my feet. I woke up this morning to Lola chasing Dakota, Michelle's cat right past my head. We had a nice morning. Somehow we were permitted inside, took turns taking a shower (2 hot showers 2 days in a row, that's rare on the trail) Had some great coffee, the went to Deiner's Dine in Mechanicsburg. It was within easy walking distance from her place and I was enjoying looking at the old houses along Michelle's road. This whole stretch of PA has amazing barns and old stone houses that always turn my head.  After breakfast the trail was calling and we returned with clean bodies and clothes. She did our laundry. Later she said it was for her benefit though. And lastly we had a new friend, the best part. I couldn't help but feel like I softened up a bit with that luxery. My pack felt heavy and I felt slow. It was a hot day and Lola struggled a little until she cooled off in the Conodoguinet River. Then I lost Stanimal and her and soon found thunder bearing down on me. I felt confident I'd finally be walking in the rain soon and I was right. At the base of this mountain I had to climb it really started coming down. Soon the trail turned into a small river. Then soon another River was coming down the trail. I couldn't believe it but it was River, the first guy I met on the trail. He was very thrilled with the rain and spoke passionately about how nourishing it is for the brown, dry earth, shaking an invisible sphere up and down like he had the whole world in his hands. I knew he was right, the corn below needed it bad and it was very refreshing. We caught up and had a suprisingly pleasant convo despite standing in a complete downpour. I was great to see him again, almost exactly a week later to the hour. At the top of the mountain the storm stopped, my feet and shorts were soaked but my pack was dry because of my pack cover. Overall it was good, I stopped at the Darlington shelter to see if Stanimal was there but it just Gravy, Animal, a sick and sleeping Dimples, and some other guy. I pressed on to Cove Mtn Shelter and barely beat another storm. There was a section hiker here named Blackfoot who buys storage lockers in Philly. Stan and Lola must have went the extra 4 miles into Duncannon. I was fine with crashing here and saving some cash, plus I would have gotten drenched, plus this is a timberframe shelter so it's already cooler than any other shelter. It's chewed up a little bit by porcupines though, and as I lay here I could reach out and touch 3 big wolf spiders if I wanted to. These guys have like a 2 inch diameter. I'd kill them but what if there are more and it just angers the masses. I'm not sure I want to take the chance, but I also don't want to get bit by one or accidentally eat one in my sleep.
   Animal and Gravy just came trudging in, soaked, then just a min ago a mom and son came too. Full house. There is also an annoying cat that won't stop meowing.
     These spiders are eyeing me up. I need to kill them. One fast move with a knife......
     ...Well I winged on and just made the other two mad. I'm in for it for sure.
     I wonder what the others think as lay here with my headlamp on, stabbing at the wall with my knife.
    (A little later)
    ...Well I cleaved two of them asunder but missed the one I winged so hopfully he bleeds out. I should be ok.  Tomorrow will be my first Nero day, a day near zero miles. I'll be hanging out at the infamous Doyle Hotel and resting my weary bones. After that it's 20's.