Welcome to New Jersey
No sunshine today, and an early start felt good. NJ offered a wake-up climb around that monsterous tilted mass of bedrock I had seen from the PA trail. Following up a stream, the crash of branches made me look up from the trail to see a black bear bounding away up the slope. Nice. Nearly to the top brought me to Sunfish pond. Pretty spot for a snack. Still overcast. Radio said rain was likely later in the day, so I pushed on. At least the cloud ceiling was up enough to offer views, and the sun wasn't baking me.
Yeti caught up with me at the pond, so we hiked on to check out the AMC's Mohican facility. Not really hiker-friendly - oh well. We pushed on to the Catfish fire tower. Back to cooking my own meals. It was lipton's alfredo with a jello dessert chaser. Rain spitting on and off. Rain to feed the springs, the trees, the streams. Rain to soften the earth beneath my tent. Rain to wash away the haze, shed the grime, ease the heat. Rain, I could use in many ways.
Only love
Can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love
Can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers
Laying in the fields.
Love, Reign o'er me
Love, Reign o'er me, rain on me
Only love
Can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love
Can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high
Love Reign O'er me
On the dry and dusty road
The nights we spend apart alone
I need to get back home to cool cool rain
I can't sleep and I lay and I think
The night is hot and black as ink
Oh God, I need a drink of cool cool rain
- The Who