[at-l] Wanchor Report

[Bluetrail@aol.com (Bluetrail@aol.com)]

Your faithless correspondent is a bit behind in making a report on the last=20
trail town. =A0No excuses except a very upsetting Friday of Greg's being=20
involved in a typical "boys in the summer" incident. Thankfully for Greg, Jo=
n=20
called right after I had gotten Greg's shaky-voiced phone call of "Mom,=20
something bad's happened." =A0Otherwise the child could have been confined t=
o=20
the house until he was18. =A0Jon may have some expectations I think are=20
unrealistic about teenage behavior, but when push comes to shove, it's Jon=20
who will step in front of the wrath of Mom and try to calm me down.

Back to the report. =A0Jon called Friday about noon from Duncannon, PA. =A0H=
e had=20
picked up his package at the "Dirty Doyle" hotel and reported it much change=
d=20
from his last visit. =A0No more old codgers in the bar drinking at 8:30 a.m.=
=20
=A0Now the bar doesn't even open till noon. =A0Jon had his lunch there and=20
enjoyed two Yuengling beers--a great favorite of his. =A0

Since he begged off staying overnight at the Doyle (he usually tries to slee=
p=20
at places where he has picked up packages), he was able to get going in the=20
afternoon. =A0He walked a mile to do his laundry at a "crappy" campgound whi=
ch=20
wouldn't keep his pack as he walked around to do his other chores. =A0(He le=
ft=20
it in a real estate office which was more gracious.) =A0

He had stopped in Boiling Springs to pick up his next pair of shoes/boots to=
=20
test for Backpacker, La Fumas. =A0They're a kind of trail shoe with sturdy=20
vibram soles. =A0He was astoninished to see that La Fuma had paid almost $30=
 to=20
ship the shoes overnight to Boiling Springs. =A0(Another reason he thinks he=
's=20
going to be a Backpacker centerfold???)

He's getting tired of bagels, saying they're "too heavy." =A0(Great, since I=
=20
know have about 3 dozen stockpiled in the freezer.) =A0He's going to try=20
tortillas (with preservatives) for a while. =A0He agreed that I could send h=
alf=20
bagels until I cleared out the freezer.

Note to the Hometeam:  Don't get too ambitious in what you stockpile.
It's easier to go to the store than to convince the hiker he needs to eat up=
=20
all the chunky peanut butter (or whatever) you bought on sale.  You'd think=20
I'd have learned this by now.

Weather was hot and muggy (ah, just like Florida). =A0He had seen his first=20
rattlesnake in the Pennsylvania rocks. =A0He said is was fat but not long an=
d=20
it's rattle seemed whimpy after some of the big boys out on the Pacific Cres=
t=20
Trail. =A0He reported he had done a 26-mile day on Thursday.

And he did make the half gallon club back in Pine Grove Furnace, but he said=
=20
finishing the last of it was "almost painful."

This weekend the home team pre-hiked a trail where I'm going to lead an FT=20
hike in two weeks and drove the bookmobile (my van) for the women's reading=20
group. =A0And made lists of chores for Greg to finish while he's confined to=
=20
the house without benefit of skateboard or friends. =A0Maybe I'll knock off=20=
a=20
big chunk of the family room painting tonight?

Joan







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