Lily on the trail
J: 7/12. Late start this a.m., 9:20. Last one out of the shelter. Slow and very rocky day, as the day heated up. Not much in distinctive landscape - rocks and a few climbs. The feet throb when kicking the stones, rattling the ankle, jarring the toes I suspect, twisting the ankle. The rocks are supposed to worsen until Lehigh Gap - and not improve until well into NJ. Just when you have a good rhythm going with your pace, the clear spacing for a footfall disappears or worse - a root or rock will snag your toe, a heel will skim or catch on a misjudged buried boulder, or a rock will shift under foot. Sends you quickstepping or staggering to regain the balance. Repeat.
We broke the 1000-to-go mark yesterday. Will the trip show its fleeting nature? Days are growing shorter by minute fractions, but today's sunset is certainly earlier than a Shennie sunset. The scenery captures my attention. My mood has been dark for a time now, why? Sometimes even snippy or snide to trail family comments, challenging at times. There's not need for that, but I'm a bit edgy. Little things like M&D telling me I need to 'hurry up' in that last phone call. To what purpose must I hurry beyond the onset of winter? Hurry to what, from what? Is it just something to say in the absence of something to say? What of this hurry, this marking of time, conservation of time, time well-spent, time wasted? Who is to say? Blueberries and azure sky color my days. I do feel a need for time, time to walk alone. Shafferism.